SCHEELITE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24530, 12 February 1941, Page 6

SCHEELITE

MINING AT MACRAE'S FLAT IMPORTANT WAR INDUSTRY ARMY SERVICE APPEAL An indication how important scheelite mining is to the Empire’s war effort and an outline of the activities of the Macrae’s Flat Gold and Scheehte Company, Ltd., were given to the Armed Forces Appeal Board at its first sitting in Dunedin yesterday by the manager of the company, Mr H. P. Lewis. The information was supplied when an application for exemption from military service was made on behalf of A. G. Ockwell, a mining engineer employed by the company, the appeal being based on the grounds of public interest and undue hardship to the firm. Urgently Needed by Britain “ Scheelite is urgently required for the Empire’s war effort,” Mr Lewis told the board, " and I have repeated requests from the Mines Department urging that production of the ore be raised to the highest point and that men engaged on scheelite mining should be retained. Every ton of scheelite we can produce is urgently wanted by the Government, which is buying it on behalf of the Imperial Purchasing Board. From it tungstic acid is obtained, which is used for hardening steel for armour-plating. “Altogether about 800 tons of scheelite have been mined at Macrae’s Flat,” Mr Lewis added. “ and in the past six months alone we have shipped 12 tons of treated ore for which we get £220 per ton. Our average assay in that period has been 66.7 per cent. All of this goes straight to the Government for war purposes, and we have just received a further urgent request for any ore we have 1 on hand. We have a few hundredweight ready, and a number of tons waiting to be processed.” . “I can go back 35 years to scheelite mining at Macrae’s Flat,” Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M,. chairman of the board, stated. “The Donaldsons were operating then.” “ Yes, I remember them.” Mr Lewis stated. “ They once got 60 tons of scheelite in a pocket and were able to bag and ship the lot. It went to Germany just before the last war." Mining Methods Explained

Mr Lewis went on to outline the manner in which the ore was obtained. The stone is mined underground, and after it is brought to the surface it is cradled, and scheelite of a sufficiently high grade for shipping is picked off by hand. Second-grade ore is then selected, and the quartz is napped from it to bring it to the required grade for shipping. The finer stuff is put through a screen, and is jigged on a sieve under water. Scheelite is very heayy, and the quartz and other impurities come to the top and are picked off. “We have been carrying out important development work at the mine,” Mr Lewis added, “ and it is hoped to secure good ore as a result. We intend vigorously to prosecute our scheelite mining, as the ore is so important to the. war effort." Appeal Granted In response to a question by Mr Bartholomew, Mr Lewis said that there was no danger of the quartz becoming so rich in gold that the company would ignore the scheelite. It was all lowgrade quartz. Mr Lewis then outlined the duties of Ockwell. and stated that he was indispensable in the mining of scheelite by the company. The board held that the man applied for was doing essential work m an important industry, and the appeal adjourned sine die.