TREATMENT OF ORES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20355, 9 September 1929, Page 14

TREATMENT OF ORES.

Sir, —In reference to the interesting article in Saturday's Herald by "U.K.A." regarding the electro-magnetic treatment of ores it is hard to understand why such an alert and shrewd body of men as the directors of the Waihi Gold Mining Company do not adopt, or experiment with, the processes of reduction of ores, such as are being pursued in other countries which do not possess a mine of such importance, as the Waihi. If the cost is, as stated, about a shilling a ton then the present cost of approximately 20s a ton is not an economical method of treating huge quantities of low-grade ore to be found in our Hauraki and Ohinemuri fields. The Ohinemuri Gold and Silver Company has just erected a battery reputed to be of the most up-to-date type. Would it not have been better business to have installed an electromagnetic plant to deal with the ore ? Again, in other gold mining centres such as South Africa modern methods of orecrushing are employed, costing about 2s a ton. Perhaps the present activity in Waihi Grand Junction and Waihi Gold Mining Company shares indicates that old methods be abandoned in the near future and the modern and economical ones delineated by "H.H.A." may be introduced. Are we behind the times in mining methods or are we not ? Old Ohinemuri.