THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2443, 9 January 1901, Page 18

THE WEEK'S MINING NEWS.

A special meeting of the Central Otago Dredge Owners' Association, was held at Alexandra on December 19 (says the Herald) for the purpose of devising some means of protecting the dredging industry from the oppressive demade by the Inspection of Machinery Act i Amendment Act in enforcing that three certiIficated engine drivers be employed on every dxedge. After considerable discussion, it was decided that the secretary be instructed to to the Right Hon. the PremieT requestling him to modify clause 5 of the Inspection of Machinery Act Amendment Act, by Order-an-Council, or in any other way he deems best, bo that the dredging companies may employ only one fully competent certificated engine .'driver, who shall be the man in charge according to the act. 1 Owing to ihe holidays the Charlton Creek flredge did not wash up last week. A Greymouth telegram states that the dry •weather still continues. All mining is stopped

'owing -to want of water. All tne dredges aie idle for the holidays. ' The Secretary of the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company (Limited) " reports a return pf 2680z lldwt 20gr of gold for 147 hours' actual Sluicing time. ' - The Roxburgh Amalgamated Mining and Sluicing . Company report the gold return for ■file month of December as 640z 9dwt. The Secretary telegraphs that the correct return •from Earnscleugh No. 2 was 70oz 19dwt, «nd from No. 1 16oz 13dwt. The directors of the following dredging companies have declared dividends, which are now payable : —Evans Flat Company (the sixteenth), Is; Tuapeka (the eleventh), Ib. The Grey River Consolidated Gold Dredging Company have 50 tons of machinery for their dredge on board the s,s. Moana for transhipment to Greymouth. The balance of the machinery is completed, and will be shipped by next steamer. The Dredgemaster of the Second Magnetic wires as follows : — " River falling slowly. Will start on the 14th inst." Photos of the Ford's Creek Gold Dredging Company (Limited) may now be seen at the company's office, Vogel street, Dunedin. The dredgemaster is satisfied that she is a splendid machine, which reflects great credit on the work of her makers, the Despatch Foundry, Greymouth. She will commence operations again on Monday, January 7, and it is expected she will soon get into 1 good, payable ground. The wash was fan* when she stopped for the holidays. The directors of the Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company have declared a dividend (the eighth) of 10s per share, payable on the sth. The abridged prospectus of the Ruby Creek Junction Gold Dredging Company appears in Friday's Daily Times. The capital is £9500, in shares of £1 each. Prospectuses, with forms of application for shares and other information, may.be obtained from Messrs Cook and Gray, High street. A tender_ for the machinery, including housing, tools, wire ropes, and the work of erection, has been let by the Hokitika Extended Dredging Company to a Christchurch firm. The Woodstock Company have let a similar tender to the same firm. A quantity of dredging material went to Greymouth By the Corinna on Thursday for 'Perry's Reward and the Keystonte Prospecting Association. We learn from Messrs Bakei Bros, that prospecting with boring rods is being conducted by Mr E. Appleton on the beach claims near Ihe mouth of the Arahura River, taken up by Mr George Robson on behalf of a Sydney syndicate. The boring is being supervised by •Mr Lichfield, of Sydney, a member of the syndicate. It is understood that the results so far are satisfactory. Mi Appleton will have finished his work in about three weeks, and will then put down a series of bores for the Auckland Lead Company. Mr J. Ovens, superintendent of operations in connection with the Dart River dredge, proceeded to the claim on Wednesday (says the •Wakatipu Mail. The erection of the machinery will be commenced at once, and the dredge is -expected to be ready for work in about seven Ifreeks' time.

While closed down for the New Year's holi'fiays the Evans Flat dredge sank in her dam "^ays the Tuapeka Times). Fortunately there ►as only a few feet of water under her, and ,• "to difficulty is anticipated in raising her. The dredgemaste. of the Dome Creek Gold ADredging Company reports that a trial run ,»f the machinery took place on the dredge on *he 31st December, when everything worked

*trell, and he anticipates making a start at re«ular work in a few days. A Brisbane cable states that the gold yield \!br the year is 951,0650z — an increase of 41710z iompared with the orevious year. The Secretary of the Golden Beach Hydraujic Elevating and Dredging Comoany reports a return of 250z 13dwt sgr for 70 hours' ingThe Upper Waipori Company's dredge re"Jurned work on Sunday at midnight. The winch for the Arrow Junction Company's dredge, which haa been constructed, by Messrs,

J. M'Gregor and Co., Otago Foundry, was tried under steam yesterday morning in the presence of several of the directors and shareholders of the company, also the consulting engineer's (Mr Leslie H. Reynolds, C.E.) representative, Mr F. W. Blakey, who supervised the trial. The directors expressed themselves in highly satisfactory terms of the substantial design and good workmanship of the winch, which reflects credit upon the contractors. The winch will be forwarded to the dredge at once, which, together with the steam pipes going forward this week, completes the balance of material. The erection of the dredge is rapidly approaching completion, and it should be working by the end of the present month.

Messrs Watt and Fussell report as follows on the erection of the machinery of the Arthur's Point Gold Dredging Company (Limited) : — The gantry, gearing, pump, counter shaft, and screw are erected in position. The boiler, centrifugal pump, and winches are in position ready for bolting down, the elevator bolted together ready for riveting, and the rest of the material drawn in conveniently for placing on board, and the timber, being got ready for proceeding with the " hoiising.

The gold returns for the Auckland district for 18 days before Christmas amounted to £52,363, exceeding the highest return recorded for any four-weekly period during the year. The total was made up as follows: — Ohinemuri, £45,825; Thames, £3962; and Coromandel, JE25'6.

Shareholders in Foley's Creek Dredging Company (a West Coast claim alleged to have a history) have been notified of another call accompanied with a letter threatening to invoke the power of the law to compel payment of arrears. Evidently (says a contemporary) the whole of the capital will be called up, and then the question arises, Will paid-up shares participate in any dividend should liquidation result? Many knotty questions pTesent themselves on consideration of the cases.

The Dunback correspondent of the Palmerston Times writes : "We have not lost heart in the dredging industry yet ; a third dredge is now being built at Inoh Valley, on what is known as the Raupu Swamp. Quartz mining is also receiving attention about Stoneburn. A local company is about to open up what is known as "the Golden Bar lode. Mr A. G. Davis still keeps his little batteTy going on his own private property.