WAIHI RESERVES.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17924, 27 June 1930, Page 5

WAIHI RESERVES.

AN INCREASE THIS YEAR.

Development Works in 1929

REPORT OF ENGINEER.

RECENT FIND A GOOD ONE.

Before concluding his speech in moving the adoption of the report and.accounts at the annual meeting of shareholders' in the Waihi Gold Mining Company in London on May *B, the chairman of directors (Mr A'. M. : Mitchison) intimated that he , would read some of the cablegrams received after the issue of the report. . He said; : "I do not think I need trouble you with developments on the 10th and 11th levels, but on thel3th level, Martha lode. At 129 ft in ]' Williams -'south-east crosscut,: driving east at 23ft, lift exposed, worth £2/19/9.per ton. At 30ft in, ore worth £3/19/9 per ton. At 34ft in, pre worth 14/3 per ton. That is the best information we have had as to the 13th level. (Cheers). Today we have received the fbllowing cablegram: 'Total new pre developed to May 3,' approximately 81,000 tons;, ore reserves, general, account, May 3,'196,000 tons net.' Now, that means that- at December 31, the general ore reserves were 187,758 tons. They are now 196,000 tons, which is an, increase' of '8242v tons.' (Hear, hear),, It is a very/ satisfactory cable.;- I, daresay that is .why they sent it to! us. v ' -We did not ask for it, but I have no doubt that is the

Touching jjn,. /operations; to come and the results disclosed by development works duringl929, Mr -JE. J.; Lawrence: said.: ."I >hope that 'bur consulting engineer (Mr Jft. 8.. Wil-. Hams), with his unique.; cjxperienjce ,in dealing -with the;: gigantic. >bre bodies v on the' Comstbck, ..then■'.. L Broken, niDw .for nearly- a quarter of/a century at Waihi,, will, be long spared to give US' his invaluable advice, when we -cleanup thajt' difficult :|bit 'of ground-in the ; vicinity of No. 2 shaft./. There,; I think'.the reserves &aye been very tively- estimated, and it may be that the ground which'is no ore to-day may be ore to-morrow when the costs of mining supplies fall. I was' told on the occasion of my visit to the office that Mr Hopkins, our present.'superintendent, Mr Gilmour, our mine manager, were both as keen and enthusiastic as ever, but within the defined limits to which you referred to-day and bit other. Occasions. Stated precisely, these are .confined to the old buried propylitized andesite hill, and'to the ground aboye the critical level.' ' The critical level is not necessarily a horizontal level' but, apparently, runs down, the slopes of the bkUburied hill, within a certain distance from the ancient surface, and to an unknown depth from the surface. This, apparently, accounts for the recent finds of good ore on the lower level in the vicinity of the Waihi, and Grand. Junction boundary.-• I repeat, that I think that we have been particularly fortunate in our officials. They have done some grand team work I understand that not only.do, they search the mine,- but tliat they search , the drawing well. ' The surveyor goes over the' old plans where minor discoveries, made many years ago, were recorded, and brings these' records to the notice of the management, who' examine these' places where the levels are still available. In addition to this, there is entirely new ore continually being discovered in the exploratory Crosscuts and levels whichare being extended from the old workings."