THE MINISTER'S TOUR.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5404, 25 March 1929, Page 2

THE MINISTER'S TOUR.

HON. E. A. RANSOM’S WORK. END OF VISIT TO' DISTRICT. The Minister of Public Works visited l farms in. the Hikutaia and Wharqpoa districts, on Thursday and inquired' into cases of damage,, done incidental to. the carrying out of the Wa.ihou River Improvement Scheme. He then met the Thames County Council at Hikutaia, and in the afternoon visited the land of Messrs Mace, Silccfck, and Johnstone at Mangaiti. On Friday he purposed visiting Whangamata, but the Settlers’ Association, which was arranging the matter, advised during the morpihg that on account of. heavy rain the trip should be abandoned. Accordingly the Minister wept only a few miles be-, yond Waihi, to where some of the land provisionally reserved for a State forest could) be viewed- After lunching at Waihi the Minister was conducted! by the acting-superintendent of thq Waihi Gold Mining Co,, Mr H. W. Hopkins, to the company's gpld refinery, where ingots of gold weighing 2700 z each were showin him. The refinery was not working, but the plant and method of treating were shown, and a photograph was taken by a press photographer of the Minister and: Mrs Ransom each holding an ingot of gold worth about £lO9O in their, hands. The assay office was then inspected, and the process of assaying explained. A move was then made to the; head office,' where the company’s work was expained and a plan of the 70*-.odd miles of underground workings . was shown. The head of a shaft and the winding engine were next inspected, and: then the open cut on Maltha Hill Was visited, The Minister was informed that the mine had produced about £16,000,000, and dividends amounting to over £6,000,000' had been paid-