WEST AUSTRALIA.

Waikato Times, Volume 112, Issue 18796, 18 November 1932, Page 3

WEST AUSTRALIA.

GOLD INDUSTRY. PROSPECTORS' FORTUNES. (Empire Press Union.) PERTH, Nov, 12. The September gold yield, the highest for that month since 1920, was 54,427 ounces. The output was 2890 ounces in excess of the yield for August, and 16,254 ounces more than for September 'of last year. The production from January 1 to September 30 was 445,3i4 ounces, an increase of 93,570 ounces, ’compared with that for the corresponding portion of 1931. Why prospectors suffer hardships in distant places is answered by the small fortunes that they occasional!,* unearth. Richard Shea, who has a prospering area at Wannaway, about •50 mles south-east of the once-famtms Coolgardie, got 245 ounoes 'of gold, worth about £TBI3 in Australian currency, from only 17 tons of ore. In addition, he will receive a cheque from •the tailings. The Salvation Syndicate at Ora Banda, north- 'of Coolgardie, crushed 26 tons for a return of five ounces per ton. An earlier return was 112 ounces from 58i tons. At the Sandstone State battery* on the East Murchison goldfield, 111 tons of ore from the Lady Mary mine was treated for a return of 463 ounces, worth £3426 in Australian currency. Excitement has been caused at Kalgoorlie by a gold disoovery in virgin ground a few miles south-west of Wannaway, near Widgiemo'oltha, which is about 50 miles south of Kalgoorlie. An old prospector (Mr J. A. Lyons) found a gold-bearing floater (stone from a hidden reef) a few weeks ago. It gave pan prospects of about four ounces per ton. He afterwards gathered about 301 b of floaters, which when dollied yielded gold at the rate of 2i ounces per ton. Sinking a -shaft 9 ft. through clay, he struck the top of a reef about sft. wide. Gold was in every piece of stone broken off, -pan prospects showing 2£ ounces per ton. The find Is about a mile from the area worked by Mr R. Shea, who recently got '245 ounces from 17 tons. Two -other proß--peetors have found 100 ounces of alluvial gold In the same district -since the middle of September. The Wheat Outlook. Heavy rain which greatly assisted the crops fell over a wide area of the wheat belt -at the end of the first week in October, and was worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds to ■the farmers and the State. This was followed by rain on Ootober 20. A good harvest is certain. The 'Co-operative Wheat Pool of West Australia, which last season received 15,220,000 bushels of wheat out of the total yield of 41,521,000 bushels, expects to distribute 3s Ofd a bushel less rail freight to members of the pool, compared with 2-s 3 l-8d less rail freight for the previous season, when it handled 24,145,000 bushels -out of a record crop -of '53,504,000 bushels. Over £500,000 is said to be involved indirectly in a test ca-se that is to be fought in the Law Courts regarding over advances made by wheat-buyers to farmers on stored wheat. It is stated that many farmers were advanced more than 'the price ultimately realised, and writs are being issued to recover the difference. The Wheatgrowers’ Union has decided to defend a case on the advice of & King’s Counsel in Perth. Railways and Banking. The loss on the State railways was £45,493 in Se-ptemher against £53,532 for the same month of last year. Earnings were nearly £4OOO higher, and working expenses £'6ooo lower. Improved business is indicated by Perth Bank clearances, which amounted to £59,872,001 from January 1 to October 17, compared with v £55,8'20,261 for the corresponding portion of the previous year.