CRUSHING BATTERY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5307, 1 August 1928, Page 3

CRUSHING BATTERY.

JUSTIFICATION FOR I’LANT. THE RISING SUN OFFER. Whie-n asked by a deputation; at Karangahake some time ago to recommend a Government grant for. the erection of a public battery on some central site, or alternatively a. sum sufficient to .purchase the old Crown ■Mines or some other district plant, to enable prospectors .a.nd small companies on the Ohinemuri field to crush parcels of ore, the Minister "of Mines (the Hon. G. J. Anderson) asked where the quartz .was coming from to justify the expenditure. The aiiswer wa/ not forthcoming, and naturally enough Mr Anderson intimated that until such time as justifification could be .shown- he was not prepared to advocate the outlay of the thousands of pounds necessary to provide a battery. THE PRESENT POSITION. The Minister’s reply in the absence of such -an assurance could hardly have been otherwise, he could n,ot have Ween expected to ask Government to vote so large a s,um on the off-chance that it would help to revive the mining, industry on the field. But the position has undergone a considerable change since, thle-n, and subject 'to the request to be made to the a'cting-Ministeq of Mines (Hon. J. G. Coates,) by' the committee re" c&ntly appointed by a public meeting, thoroughly representative of mining and other district interests to approach him on the subject, being a reasonable one there seems now to be quite a good prospect of the provision of a battery at an early dab®. Much prospecting has been, carried' out on the field during, the past twelve months, particularly about Karangahake, and, if reports ate reliable, thosfe immediately concerned will be able to arm the committee with data showing that there is sufficient ore; in ’ sight to justify a plant and that its provision may lead to a revival of an important but languishing industry. A FAIR PROPOSAL. The* scheme to be placed before Mr Coates on this occasion provides for the improvement of the Rising Sun Gold Mining Company’s battery at Owharoa, which it is proposed should be brought thoroughly up-to-date by, the, expenditure of rather over £6OOO. Tlie Government is to be asked to advance the money, of which £2OOO is to be a straight-out granjt to the company and the balance. (£4000) to be. refunded from the receipts from ore crushed for prospectors and others, who are to be charged £1 per. ton for the material treated and to have the advice of the company’s experts free of charge. The company, of cours®, it not offering, something for nothing, it has also its own ends to serve. The plant as it stands is not capable of treating to profit ore giving an extraction of less than £3 10s to £4 per ton, probably more, whereas .with th® additional equipment it, is proposed install it is estimated ; that several thousands of tons of quartz below the value mentioned could be won from the mine and be profitably treated. It is also claimed that it will be possible to save: from 10 to 15 per cent, more bullion from the better grade ore the company has been treating .at a lower cost per ton. FINDING THE MONEY.

With so many thousands of tons of or© estimated in; the reserves insight the question arises as to why the shareholders in the Rising, Sun Company should not elect te fincl the necessary capital to improve the plajit in the* hope of ultimate reward bJ* way of dividends, but money for mining is none too plentiful at present and the only immediate hope seems to be- Government assistance. In asking that assistance the company. will,, however, have to satisfy the MiMster that the reserv?s and the ore have not been ovcn-esti'ma.ted, and that there" is a reasonable prospect that the quartz to be treated for. outside parties will provfc- sufficient to permit of the ultimate repayment to the Government of £4OOO of the £6OOO which it is .a,she'd to advance; to bring the battery thoroughly up-to-date. If these assurances can be given, Mr. Coates may fie 'expected to view tlie request with favour, and it is quite on the icaj'ds that with a battery in the district a .revival in mining will follow. '

DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETS-

DEPUTATION TO. MINISTER,

The district committee appointed to go into the- question of th!e establishment of a public crushing plant in. tlie Ohinemuri district, and/o consider the proposals as submitted by the Rising Sun Gold Mining Company thereto, met at the Borough Chambers, Wa'ihi, last week. There were present Messrs W. Marshall (Mayor Of Paeroa), chairman. F. E. Flatt, secretary, P. Williams, E. Ed;v,ards, B. Gwill'iam (Paeroa), W- M. Wallnutt, J. Beeche, and W. Bice (Waihi), J. HG. Banks (Wailwno), and H. M&agher (Karangahake). Mr R. M. Aitkfen, managing director of the Rising Sun Company, was also present. The County Council chairman, Mr H. MCorbett, was unavoidably absent. Mr Wallnutt, in extending a hearty welcome to the committee to XVaihi. expressed the opinion that th|e future of the mining industry in the district really depended upon, tlie adoption of such a scheme as was proposed by the Rising Sun Company, andl this provided an excellent, opportunity for the Government to do something which would materially aSsi g t the industry in encouraging the prospector and small syndicate.

The chairman, in reply, referred to the good feleling and co-operation which now existed between the Waihi and Paeroa portions of the district. The appointment of Mr E. Dye as the Miners’ Union representative on the; committee was approved, and it was resolved that the committee coiw tinjie to act as a district body for the encouragement of prospecting; and mining generally.

REVISION OF TERMS.

The alterations and amendments to

the proposals of the company as agreed upon at th'e last meeting of the committee were then gone fully into with the company’s representative. Summarised, the: company agrees to bring its, battery up-to-date as a, public crushing plant, and in addition to erect a two-stamp mill and an automatic sampler for small parcels, the; seler to have the right to put through his own parcels up to five tons. The charge pen ton for treatment will be £1 and a guarantee of 85 per cent, of the agreed assay valueThe Government will be, urged to make a loan of £6OOO. free of interest, and to make an annual grant of £5OO a year, to the-.company for the first six years, such grant .to be deducted from the principal sum loaned. On the motion of the Mayor of Paeroa, seconded by the; Mayor of Waihi, it was resolved to place the proposals before the. Minister of Mines at Wellington. and the following deputation was appointed: Messrs W. Marshall, XV. M. Wallnutt, J. H. G. Banks, and F. E. Flatt. The company’s representative, Mr, R. M. Aitken, will also be present. Mr XVallnutt said that now the deputation had been appointed he thought the opportunity should .be taken when at XVellngton, to urgle, alterations in regard to the existing scale of aid to prospectors. The poor man was not sufficiently helped to develop Iris claim, and the footage rates for sinking and driving should be materially increased. The future of the industry depended upon the prospector and small syndicate. After, some discussion it was resolved to lefa,ve- this matter to the discretion of the deputation.