LAWRENCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 8, 12 June 1885, Page 17

LAWRENCE.

(From our own Correspondent.) There is nothing very startling in the way of mining news to corn* municate this month. At the Otago Company's battery they are busy crushing, the usual number of hands being employed, and the monthly yield appears to be satisfactory. — The laying of pipes and boxes of the Great Extended Company is now completed, and the claim will be again open in the course of a few days. — The Nelson battery is still idle, no machinery having as yet been obtained. — They are working two Bhifts at the Goldmining Cement Company's claim at Wetherstones, over thirty men being employed, and they are still on good payable ground. — The Tailings' Company at Gabriel's Gully had a bad breakage in their tail-race about fire weeks back, and have not yet been able to resume work. The manager (Mr. Adams) has used great exertions to remedy the damage, and has had a very difficult task owing to the large amount of surface water with which he has had to contend. The pressure of water not being sufficient to clear away the large quantity of tailings lying in the tail-race, the manager laid on a line of pipes, which he con-, nected with the Wetherstones' race, and they hope to resume work in a day or two. It was anticipated that bub for the accident the returns of the precious metal would have been better last month than that of any previous one.— -The various sluicing claims in Munro's Gully are steadily pushing ahead, and all doing well, using a large amount of powder, by which means they get rid of an immense quantity of dirt. — At a meeting of the directors of the Great Extended and North of Ireland amalgamated claims which was held on Thursday last— Messrs. Morrison, M'Einlay, M'Hattie, Uren and Balston present — a dividend of £300 was declared ; and on the same afternoon a meeting of the directors of the Tuapeka Prospecting and Mining Company was held, at which the following were present— Messrs. Herbert (president), Browne, M'Kiulay, M'Hattie, Uren and R. Pilling (manager). It was intimated by those directors who interviewed the Hon. Mr. Larnach when he was here, that a letter had been received from the Government after the visit of the inspecting engineer (Mr. Gordon) stating that the Government would subsidise £ for £ on any expense which the Company should incur in further prospecting the cement at Wetherstones. A like subsidy had been expected on the amount already expended, and during the visit of the Minister of Mines he had paid a visit to the mine, and had stated that, in his opinion, the expectation was a reasonable one, and promised that payment of the same should be made. Since that the amount had been received. Farther prospecting was postponed till September, it not being thought advisable to prospect during the winter months, and the president and manager were authorised to adopt such measures as were necessary to keep the mine clear of water until work was resumed. I stated in a previous letter that the Minister of Mines had promised Mr. Adams that a model of a cement crushing machine which he invented should be made by the Government, on the condition that they should hold it for the uss of the school of mines. This has been done, and the model is to be exhibited at the New Zealand Exhibition. — A new claim has been opened up on Hospital Flat, by a party of Chinamen, who have purchased the right to mine on two acres in a paddock, the property of Mr. McAlpine. A paddock is already made and the dirt is being put through the sluice boxes, but with what result I am at present nnable to state, but believe from the verdict given by an old experienced miner in Lawrence, who prosppcted there a short time' back, and who, I believe, intended to work the ground, that good, payable gold will be obtained there. — A fifth share of one of the oldest claims in Roxburgh, formerly belonging to Mr. Walter Anderson of that place, has been bought by Mr. Waters, of the Blue Spur, for the sum of over £300. The exact amount I am not in a position to state, and another fifth share is still in the market. The claim being well known as a good paying one, it will no doubt soon be disposed of. — The various claims at . Waitahuna are all at work, and appear to be yielding good returns. " — Mr. P. Callanan has sold a fourth share in the claim known as Evans's to Mr. Lafiey, of Ettrick, for £200.— At Waipori the Little Maud (Cox and Clifford) is still idle, and at Cotton's reef they are still raising stone.— The Undaunted are in full swing, having fourteen hands employed under a manager who is spoken very highly of, as a thoroughly practical man, and one who thoroughly understands his business.— Most of the alluvial claims are also doing well.— One more appeal for the unfortunate miner, who has a special tax laid upon him in the shape of gold duty. Parliament is about shortly to meet, and it is to be hoped that this matter will there be fairly considered, and that without prejudice. Many of the members of our local Parliamentary Union spoke strongly and eloquently on the subject at a recent meeting. Mr. Herbert in speaking on it characterised it as a most unfair tax, and said that it was introduced at a time when there were special expenses attached to the various goldfields, such as escorts, gold receivers, wardens, etc., which did not exist in a similar degree at the present time, and that now there was no reason why a claas of men so useful to the Colony should have this special tax lad upon them. Various other members spoke in a similar strain, and I only hope that the members of the " big house" will follow so worthy an example. The miners as a rule are quite willing to pay the £ for a miner's right, but object strongly to the extra burden imposed upon them in the shape of that nefarious tax, the "Gold Duty." Those who suffer most by it are the employers of labour, whom, in many instances, it completely cripples, and who could afford to employ more hands and work many a piece of ground which is now untouched, if it were abolished.