ATTEMPT TO REVIVE MINING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5462, 16 August 1929, Page 4

ATTEMPT TO REVIVE MINING.

IMPORTANT MOVEMENT AT WAIHI.

£30,000 COMPANY MOOTED.

Following upon representations made to the Minister of Mines, the Hon. W. A. Veitch, on his recent visit to Waihi, an important meeting was held in that town last Saturday to endeavour to set afoot a revival of mining. The Mayor, Mr W. MJ Wallnutt, who occupied the chair, addressed the meeting, saying that Mr Veitch had shown that he had faith in the field and had promised that practical assistance would be forthcoming from the Government. There were some who unfortunately adopted the idea that the district was exhausted from a mining point of view, but he had no hesitation' in saying that there were great discoveries yet to be made at Waihi, Waitekauri, and Karangahake; and also at Katikati. Undoubtedly there were great possibilities, if proper investigation were carried out. In his opinion there were also buried goldfields between Owharoa and Waitekauri ; and if the Hauraki district had been anywhere else except in New Zealand there -would be poppet-heads for mile after mile. Resuscitation was no idle dream, and he thought this view was shared by a good many mining men. Re-birth of the Field. If further deposits were found it would mean the re-birth of Waihi and of the whole district. The Waihi mine alone had produced to date bullion worth over £16,000,000, had paid £7,000,000 in wages, and had supported a population of from 1000 to over 8000 for a period of roughly forty years. And all this had come out of one little hill. Surely, then, it could not be the limit of the possibilities of the district ? It could not be claimed that the field had been properly explored, and of recent years there had been developed scientific methods of which advantage should be taken. He would suggest that the director of geological survey, Dr. Henderson, should be loaned by the Government for a month or so, and that when his report came to hand they could decide what method of investigation should be followed. There were three methods—prospecting by a party of picked men, diamond drilling and geophysical survey—but what was to be dene depended a great deal upon the data supplied by the experts. Armed with this data, provided it was favourable, they would be in a position to approach business and mining men in Auckland, and he believed there was plenty of money available for legitimate ventures. On the suggestion of Mr Wallnutt, the superintendent of the Waihi mine, Mr H. W. Hopkins, proceeded to outline the position as it appeared to him. After stating that Mr J. L. Gilmour, the manager of the mine, who was unavoidably absent, had asked him to say he ,was in smmpathy. with any effort to further investigate; the district and would be pleased to I render any help in his power, Mr Hopkins said he was present that night purely as a Waihi citizen, prepared to take, interest in any movement for the betterment of the town. In no way was he there in an official capacity and any opinions, he might express would be entirely personal, and not the official opinion of the Waihi Gold Mining Company. He was in complete sympathy with the chairman’s proposal and agreed that further investigation of the district was fully justified. He thought they should approach the problem in the spirit of the old pioneers. Fifty years ago two men climbed the Martha Hill, their equipment comprising only four things—a pick, a shovel, a prospecting dish and a heart full of faith. Out of their efforts had the Waihi mine. It had called the Waihi township into

existence and maintained a population of from 1000 to 8000 during a long period of years. It had also been a powerful factor in the opening up of a large tract of agricultural land. Data for Investigation. It might be said that since these men made their discovery a great deal of mining had been carried on in the district, also a great deal of prospecting, and that careful surveys had been made by the geological survey without any discovery of importance being reported, but he did not think that any investigation, armed with all the knowledge acquired during 40 years of working and with modern resources, had been made with the specific purpose of locating a new deposit. There was a mass of information available, but it required a man of the calibre of Dr. Henderson, the head of the geological survey of New Zealand, to interpret it and indicate vestigation. He was aware that the most favourable points for inthere was a number of mining men present who had as much, if not more, knowledge of these matters ■than he himself. . They must excuse him if he traversed ground already familiar to them, and his remarks would be intended largely for the layman. No doubt the question that was most exercising the minds of those present was what justification there was foi' any further investigation ? What real hope for any new discovery ? To answer these questions it was necessary to get certain facts clearly into focus, and the first of these was that here under their feet was an area—not more than a square mile in extent—which had produced upwards of £19,000.000 sterling. They were so used to th’S fact that they were inclined to under-rate it. The “Kindly” Areas. It might be claimed that the Waihi deposit was exceptional, a freak of nature, but a sturdy of the map showing that nine miles to the west was Karangahake,, which had produced £4,000,000, and a few miles to the north was Thames,'which had yieldnorth £7,00,000. The fact was that ed £7,000,000. The fact was that the influences which produced the Waihi deposit were very widespread in the Hauraki Peninsula. They extended from Cape Colville in the north, to Te Puke in the south. The reefs in the Waihi and Junction mines were contained in a particular kind of rock which had been subjected to a particular influence. It was supposed that these deposits had formed in the neighbourhood of volcanic vents, and that long after the eruptions earth movements, similar to those which have recently happened at Murchison, had occurred with the result that the rocks had become figured Through these fissures had fissu ed. Through these fissures Lad circulated heated waters and vapours with the result that the fissures became filled with various minerals, including gold and silver. Whilst this process was going on the country rock itself was subjected to the same influence, with the result that it became altered or, as geologists say, propylitized, and this was what was commonly called kindly country. As had already been stated, this again was very widespread throughout the peninsula. A Likely Zone. Those present were, however, more immediately concerned with the Waihi district. The longest stretch of this propylitized country was that which extended from Maratoto, in the north, through Komata, Waitekauri and Owharoa to Karangahake. South of Karangahake there was a gap. If one climbed the Te Aroha mountain one was struck by the resemblance between the rocks exposed and those of the so-called second period which existed to the north of Waihi. It was not until one went up the Valley of Waiorongomai that one saw again the well-known kindly country of Waihi. There was an outcrop of this propylitized country at Katikati where the Eliza claim was worked and the southern-most exposure was that at Te Puke. ' He, the speaker, would venture to say that from the point of view of geology there was no reason why de posits similar to those of Waihi should not occur at any point along this zone. As regarded the individual occurrences these were dotted erratically about the map and as had already been stated were thought to form the neighbourhood of volcanic vents, but the eruptions occurred so long ago that all the ordinary outward features of a volcano, such, for instance, as the crater and the rim, had long s ; nce disappeared. Personally, he had no faith in looking for a reef simply on the line of a known lode. The occurrences might be likened to the fact of a stone thrown at a window. There was much fissuring where the stone struck, but the fissures tended to die out as they got away from the main centre of disturbance. The correct course would seem to be a consultation with Dr Henderson, who might be able to indicate areas of promise which could be investigated either by careful surface prospecting, or possibly by boring or by one o fthe blypro yi t baik ing or by one of the new geophysical methods. A Confident Pioneer. Mr W. F. Macwilliams, a pioneer prospector, expressed himself satisfied that there was an auriferous belt extending from Cape Colville to Te Aroha. Prospecting in these parts was, however, not a poor man’s job, without capital it was possible only to reach a certain stage. He personally knew of many parts worthy of investigation, but with limited means one was not able to go to any depth. With

regard to the continuation of the lodes known to exist at Waihi, Mi - Hopkins had said he did not think they persisted beyond the boundaries of the Waihi and Grand Junction companies, but he himself differed, and was prepared to say that they went as far as the sea coast. He also considered that traces of the Edward lode could be found as far away as Te Aroha. Mr A. S. McNaughton said his investigations had convinced him that other finds of importance would be made in the district, and that there was every reason to believe that one reef he had examined would develop into another Waihi mine. He had also found two minerals apart from gold and silver that were much sought after in other countries. Big Capital Questioned. Speaking on + hc motion of Mr Wallnutt to form a £30,000 company to prosecute the scheme, Mr Beeche questioned the wisdom of proceeding forthwith with the formation of a company, and expressed the opinion that it would be wiser.to first have the repoi't of the director of geological survey and the experts associated with him following their conference and investigations. The speaker was also inclined to think that it would be as well not to ask for as much capital as was suggested by the motion. This might militate against successful flotation, and it was always possible for a company, if deemed desirable or necessary, to increase its capital. Replying, the chairman said the idea was to form the company with as little delay as possible, in order that it might be in a position to apply for a license over any area that might be recommended for investigation by the geological experts. Mr Beeche then pointed out that the area dealt with by Mr Hopkins was an extensive one, reaching in one direction as far as Te Puke. This being the case, it was possible that the experts might recommend exploratory work some considerable distance away, and he would like to know whether the company would contemplate operating in outside districts or proposed confining its operations -to the neighbourhood of Waihi, which would

bring direct benefit to the town in the event of discoveries. Mr Wallnutt replied that the desire was to operate in localities that would benefit the town and district. Asked by one of those present if he agreed with the chairman that the formation of the company should be proceeded with before the experts had furnished their report, Mr Hopkins said l.c certainly did ; they must have something to go on in looking for outside support Speaking later, Mr Hopkins said he thought it would be inadvisable to launch the company with smaller capital than the amount set forth in the motion. If this was done prospective outside investors might look askance at it as another of those little things not worthy of their support. There was also the aspect that in the , event of anything worth investigation being’ met with a company with small capital would have nothing to carry on with. Mr E. A. Wilson also considered the formation of a company at this stage premature, and that for the time being it would meet the case if those interested each subscribed, say, £5 towards piospecting operations. After some further discussion the chairman put the motion, and there being no dissentients it was declared unanimously carried. !