MINING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1261, 30 April 1896, Page 30

MINING.

Special to the New Zealand Mail. London, March 21

“ We’re going to run New Zealand for all it’s worth,” said a prominent synTeato man to me a few days ago. “ But,” I remarked, “you used to scout the Thames field as good for nothing not 12 months ago. What’s changed your opinions? You remember you wouldn’t touch Waihis with a prop when they first began to boom.” “ I own to it,” said he; “my opinions have changed because other people’s have changed. I’m simply following the lead of men whom I know to be in possession of the very best information. My own crowd is pretty strong, and we are all more or less forsaking youth Africa for New Zealand; so arc others who have hitherto confined themselves to the Rand.” “ You believe in the permanence of the New Zealand fields then ?” “ Yes, fully ; and I believe also in their richness down below.” “ And we’re to have a really big boom ?” “I think so, and it will come soon unless this Egyptian business turns things upside down.” “Do you think there is any danger of European trouble ?” “ There’s always danger from theso confounded political questions and especially when your French friends are on the move, as they are now over this Egyptian affair.” Our conversation ended at this point with an expression on my part of a hope that tho Now Zealand mining boom wouldn’t be crabbed by any untoward developments in the land of tho Pharaohs. Personally I don’t think there is any likelihood of a collision between France and England. DUSINESS DONE. Throughout the week there has boon a continued activity in New Zealand shares and some small improvements. On tho other hand there have been unimportant set-backs in Blagroves, Kapangas and New ilaurakis. The latest tape quotations are as follow : Achilles, 3s, 3s 3d ; Blagroves, 4s 3d, 4s fid ; (lonsolidated Mines of New Zealand,2 fi-Kkl, 2pi ; Glenrock, Is Gd, 2s; Hauraki, 17s, 17s Gd ; Hauraki East, os Gd, Gs Gd ; Hauraki New, Gs, Gs Gd ; Kapanga, 10s, 10s Gd ; Kathleen, 4s, 4s Gd; Komata reefs, ss, 5s Gd; London and New Zealand Explorat, lid, Ifjd; Taitapu Estates, id to ]d premium; Tokatea, 4s, 4s Gd; Union Waihi, Li to p.l premium ; Waihi, G*d, G 1 d ; Waihi Grand Junction, l}d, ljjd ; Waihi-Silverton, 3:]d, 4i ; Royal Oak, 3s, 3s Gd ; Scotty’s Hauraki, 3s, 3s Gd; Waitekauri, 4id, 4:}d ; Waitekauri Extended, fis, 10s; Phcenix, fid, Is; Woodstock, ljjd, lid. NOTES OF THE AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. Sydney, April 23. In brokers’ intercolonial exchanges this has been a busy week. Not since the boom a few years ago has thero been anything like such large business, and abundant proofs are given that the people are regaining their confidence in this class of investment. A healthy speculative spirit is evidenced throughout, and in tho middle of tho week, when this was most marked, the exchanges presented a busy scene of excitement.

Silver, especially Barrier stocks, changed and rechanged hands in large parcels, and in nearly every instance there was a decided advance on last week’s closing rates, unmarked, however, by a booming spirit. Broken Hill Proprietaries opened with sales at 17s, and closed at 50s Gd in Sydney, and lfis Gd in Melbourne. Buyers eased off a little at the close, and tho market had an easing tendency.

In gold, West Australian stocks aro in brisk demand ; Adelaide and Sydney stocks show firmness and buoyancy, and West Australian exchanges display a booming tendency. In Melbourne speculators have chiefly confined their attention to Victorian stocks, ill which several good advances have been realised.

Melbourne, April 2.3,

The output of gold for the March quarter was 20S,(_HJO ounces, this being a large increase over that for the corresponding quarter last year. Tho Ago claims that the colony’s output is six times that of tho much-boomed Western Australia. A PIONEER SAYS THERE ARE GOOD PROSPECTS NEAR WAIKANAE. An old pioneer of the Now Zealand goldfields, Mr Peter Smith, lias just returned from a visit to the Coromandel Peninsula, in tho Auckland district, whither he proceeded about seven and a half months ago for the purpose of thoroughly prospecting that part of tho Colony. Jle went to the Tokatea ranges, 30 miles from the Thames and 4.1 miles from tho Coromandel township, and Mr Smith stated to a Times representative last night that, in his opinion, there aro

far better prospects for gold-bearing on the Tararua ranges in the Waikanae district, where lie was working for some months before going to Coromandel. Ho intends to return to the Tararua ranges and renew operations on Crown lands, at a place about four miles north-west of Waikanae. A large amount of English capital is being spent in the Coromandel district, and an extensive area of country has been taken up for prospecting. Mr Smith has been mining in all parts of New Zealand for 43 years, and claims that he is the oldest miner in New Zealand. Ho was at Gabriel’s Gully when gold was discovered there.