THE MINES STATEMENT. [BY TELEGRAPH—OWN REPORTER.]

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 10 July 1886, Page 6

THE MINES STATE MENT. [BY TELEGRAPH— OWN REPORTER.]

Wellington, July 5. Not more than forty members were present during the delivery of the Mines Statement this evening, and it seemed strange that thefollowing goldfielda representatives were among the absentees : — Messrs Seddon, Guinnefs, O'Connor, Pyke, Hirst, and Foigus. The Minister was attentively listened to, and at the close of his statement was heartily appl .aided. Mr Macandrew challenged his assertion that Shag Point Coal Mine had been closed two years ago, through an influx of water from the sea, tho hon. member declaring that there was undoubted evidence that when the mine was pumped nut it Was found to contain pure fresh water. Mr Larnach began by saying : •• J7p to the present period the reports and statistics in relation to mining have refered almost exclusively to gold and coal, I now feel it a pleasant duty to direct the attention of hon. gentlemen to the enormous valuo of the several other mineral products found in this colony, and exported from it, the value of which amounted on the 31st of December last to no less a sum than four millions of money ; and, in addition to this, the valuo of New Zealand coal consumed within the colony to the same date may be ! estimated at three and a-half* millions sterling. These figures, 1 apprehend, are surely of great importance to the present well-being and future progress of New Zealand, and I ventuio to hope may have some influence upon tho minds oi hon. gentlemen when considering the moderato sums asked for in aid of carrying on a systematic and permanent course of developing the mining industry. The total quantity of mineral ores produced and exported since 1553 was : Gold, £'42,327,907 ; silver, £118,322 ; copper ore, £17,397 ; chrome ore, £.37,307 ; antimony oro, £7,731 j manganese,, ( £4B,lo3 ; hematite ore, £220 ; mixed minerals', £49,534 ; coal, £102 6SI ; coko, £4,873 ; and lastly kauri gum, £3,085,499, amounting in the ag^re 1 gate to a grand total of £46,394,934. Kow, the total value of the exports of produce and manufactures, of the whole colony during th,e year ending December 3i last' was £(5,591,911." Of this sum I claim in the interests of mining £1,311,394 for mineral, product?, being equalto one-fifth in value nf the year's exports. If we ideducb the value of wool exported for the same period, £3,2051,275, it'will bti seen that the value of onr minerals i# more than one-third oFthat sum, and is therefore equal to 39 per cent of tho Vc'lue of all other natural and artificial products and manufactures, and if the total valuo bo taken 'of the whole exports of. the colony, which amounts to* £125,050,369, from the time that minerals were, first as one of our' important natural products for export, then the" value of our mineral product equals 37 per 'cent upon that sum ;' or, to put it in another' form, by deducting the valuo of the wool sent away from all other products, except minerals for the name period, the result-will show above 69 per cent on such." ■ > Gold-Mining. The hon. gentleman proceeded to say that the nominal capital of gold-mining companies' was £7,078,393,, representing 451 companiee, tho amount of paid-up capital being ;£1, 575,983.' .The l total quantity oi quartz crushed during the past year was ,94 ( ai6 tons, .which yielded 111',4320zs of gold,, whileithe. quantity crushed during the previous' ;yoar was, 92,872 tons, produp- ' ing 38,2990z3 of gold, ,thus shpwing a satisfactory increase -of 23,^3,3028., „ On 31gt , March , last, there ir were ,11,178 'miners in, active pursuit of their calling on goldfields, ' ,while t^ho^miner8 v similarly, engagexT during 'tM pr.eyibus year weje/l50 x 3£.J^ jre^pecti to' the number of men — and there were'Bs6 less x which these figures show, and a. consequent decrease of labour power — it is satisfactory to find that the gold product for the same period has increased. Of the number of miners following their avocation 2,105 are

engaged entirely in quartz mining, as against 2,059 employed at similar work during tho year previous. After careful observation, I have come to the conclusion that quartz mining is every year receiving more attention from tho practical miner than alluvial digging, and there is no doubt that the average earnings of the quartz miner are greater than'thoBe of the f alluvial miner. For instance, the average earnings of miners on our goldfields last year appear to amount to £80 5s 5d per miner, or £3 15s per man moie than for the previous year, but to those of my friends engaged in quartz reefing, comparing the value of the gold obtained from such workings against the number of men employed, the average earnings of each will amount to £185 5s sd. The La Monte Process. I desire briefly to refer to the invention known as the "La Monte procesa" for extinction of gold and silver from ore, and I feel much cause for regret that the smelting works erected on that principle at the Thames have failed to corse up to the expectations that had been formed of them, The failure, however, seems fairly attributable to the want of cheap and proper fluxes ; for although the proceea gave a larger product of metal from the ore than any other method yet adopted in the colony has done, the cost of treatment under th 6 existing circumstances precludes it from U9e in operating upon ores of low grade, of which there are unlimited quantities in many portions of New Zealand. It is fair, however, to the promoters of the process to Btate that through the erection of their works the attention of miners has been directed more c'oaely to the richly argentiferous ores which are now found to be abundant in the Ohinemuii dietrict and along tho Hauraki «. ulf, to the Thames. I have little doubt within a short period a new and valuable branch of mining, which has hitherto lain dormant, will be vigorously prosecuted. As illustrative of the great mineral richness of the large district of the Thames, I may here refer to the valuable discovery recently made at Waiomo, a trial crushing ot stone having yielded at the rate of 7ooz of gold to the ton. With such evidence of wealth in our mines, I hope the miners of New Zealand will pause before deciding to proceed to Western Australia ; for, with greater experience I have been enabled to gather by visits made to many mining centres and districts in this colony, I feel convinced that to the practical miner, as well as to the steady worker, who is willing to follow the pursuit of mining, no better fluid can be found for the profitable occupation of their labours, nor no finer or more wholesome sphere for their well-being and the exercise of their physical capacities, than exists in this colony. The Coal Industry. The Minister here came to the coal industry, which, he said, wag second in imoortance to no branch of mining in Is'ew Zealand. He stated :—": — " It is most gratity ing to find that our coal mines are, year by year, making steady and sure progress. In 187S our total output was 162,21S tons, while in 1884 — a period of seven years inclusive —it had reached 480,831 tons. The total production from our coal mines last year ending December 31, Avas 511,063 tons, and the quantity imported, 130,202 tons, making a total of 641,265 tons. He had no hesitation in predicting that the progressive export of coal from this colony annually in future will be such as will place the status of New Zealand in resyect to its total export of this commodity upon an equal footing with other portions of Australia, The total number of mines in the colony is 95, one more than last year, and the average output per man last year was 345 tens. The Westport mine Bhowa a decrease of 36,000 tons, owing to an unfortunate strike, but this was more than balanced by the increased yield at Brunnerton, which is mainly attributable to the Br miner mine, owned by Messrs Kennedy Brothers, and the Coal Pit Heath Company's mine. The former shows an increase of 25,633 tons, and the latter 14,289 tons, while a new mine, recently opened on the Westport Company's property, and known as the Tyneside, shows an output for the yea* of 2*903 tons. The Walk-end Company (now the Westpart), which was originally initiated many years ago, has had to encounter some difficui'tie?, but since the mine "Has takon over by the Westport Company the work has been pushed on vigorously. The Company have bottomed on a magnificent seam of coal, IS feet in thickness, and as soon as some extra modern machinery- -now ordered from Englandarrives, operations on an extensive scale will commence. It is unquestionable that the rapid increase at Greymouth of it? chief export is entirely owing to the encourage ment given to shipping by the construction of tho harbour works. It ia not many years ago that vessels drawing a little over 8 feet of water, and carrying^ not more than two hundred tons of coal, could with certainty at all times be piloted over the bar, whereas now it is seldom that less than 12 feet to 18 feet are found on the bar, thereby enabling veseels carrying on one bottom from 700 to 1,000 tons of coal to load and leave the port without risk. Alien the harbour works have been completed, and more wharfage accommodation provided, the increase of trade at this port will be so rapid and so sound that the day is not far distant when this Newcastle of New Zealand will rank second to very few of the chief towns of the colony in point of substantial prosperity, as it will, , like its twin sister, Westport, take a foremost place as a port for the shipment of one of New Zealand's finest bituminous coa^, which is of such a high quality for gas-making purposes, while Westport coal is equally good for steam purposes, and either class of coal cannot be surpassed for thoir respective qualities in any part of the world. The Collinptwood district. is perhaps the richest known mineral one in the colony, and it 1 abounds in excellent bituminous coal, but the great difficulty in getting it shipped adds seriously to the cost, and prevents' it taking a proper place in our market. Enormous deposits of rich iron ore are in sutu> -almost, "side by side with large coal seams, the whole being surrounded with an abundant, supply of the finest limestone. The^ output of .coal from this district for the last year shows a falling off of 1,544 tons. I -feel sure, however, were a moderate sum of .money forthcoming towards the improvement of the river, and supplying wharfage and- shipping accommodation, a, - very . large coal trade would quickly spring up between Collingwood and Wellington, and other ports in proximity. • 1 Diamond and other Drills. Subsidies in (aid -of- the 1 purchase of diamond and, other drills have 'been 'given by the' State to the" 'extent of £1,558, Jbut no expenditure' under 'this head has 1 been inourreH during 1 last 1 year! i "The diamond' drill, in niy opinion, is, not altogether the 'macKfte likely* to^pfofe 'bf general use to the'minVr I ,' for if Has beeft/fo.urift that Sinless in bbrrn'g'for, coa^dr otheV^min'e'rtfla through rockof'unffor > tdhard"nes^it ? 6abt»6tJlJe < t^o ! rked economically. Neither is the drill well suited for prospecting through lodes where Silurian rocks have to he bored, and many valuable metals are found frequently in such rocks. What is required, to be practically useful to

the miner for prospecting purposes, is a strong and light portable machine that could be carried by packhorges from place to; place, and which would be capable of sending a borehole to a perpendicular depth of 500 ■ feet. Such a class of drill I believe can be found in America at a moderate cost, and I am now in communication with manufacturers in that country on the subject. I will now briefly summarise my remarks' by stating that during the last four yeara" the total amount authorised for the conBtructiou ot water-races, drainage, and sludije channels, roadaand tiacks, diamond and other drills, and aid to prospecting on. the goldiields, was £244,477, and otherwise paid by way of subsidies £131,044, while the sum authorised for similar work* last year was £70,804, of which £41,789 have been paid, and there are remaining,, liabilities amounting to £60,885 to be provided for. Mr Larnach then alluded to the great success of Professor Black'B metallurgical lectures, and the gieat interest taken in them by the miners. JDc. Yon Haaat had been instructed to purchase several com* plete sets of mineral :>gieal specimens in Europe, for the purpose of distributing them to the principal schools of mines in the colony. The Mines Department had also sent a collection to the London Exhibi tion, which the English papers said com-^ pared most favourably with those of th© other colonies. He had also given instruo*tions for the compilation of a handbook and mining guide, which had long been needed. The rest of the Statement dealt with the places visited byMinistor duiinp recess.