THE AROHA NEWS AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 53, 7 June 1884, Page 2

THE AROHA NEWS AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

•This abovo all— to thine own-self b<) true A-nd it tnuat follow us the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any num.' — Shakespeare.

SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1884.

Thb working of lnrge quartz lodes, yielding moderate returns of gold, is every day coming more into favour throughout the mining world. Quartz districts in America and Australia which were abandoned, when the rich patches had been worked out, are now rendered more busy and prosperous than ever, by the judicious expenditure of capital, combined with wholesale and experienced treatment of the ore. In our leading article of the 17th uit we called attention to the condition of mining here, and are glad to learn that some good is likely to result therefrom. Considerable correspondence has followed, and though the tone of some of the letters appearing in our columns since then may incline too much to personality, still we regret to say there is a large amount of truth in the statements put forward. Our mines must for many years form the backbone of the prosperity of this district, and whatever affects them, injuriously or otherwise, must affect every settler in the neighbourhood. Judging from the results of the crushings since the opening of the field, and the permanent appearance of the reefs in the low levels, we may safely assert that at present no goldfield in the colony holds out greater promise of luture prosperity than our own, but great change of management must take place before shareholders cau expect to realise the profits that should result from returns, which at present are almost wholly absorbed by the expenditure. Reduction of expenditure then appears to be the key to the position, and that by experienced management the cost of obtaining the gold can be very much lessened theie Is no room for doubt. Mr Moore, the manager of the Waihi G.M. Co., makes a profit of about £230 fvom a month's crushing of quartz, worm about Sdwts per truck. The Colonist for the same period barely pays its way at an ounce per truck. The actual work done in the mines has no doubt cost more than was necessary, and must continue to do so until experienced miners have full control of the working of the properties under their charge ; and the lodes can be treated in a more wholesale manner, with cheaper facilities for crushing. At present such a course would be impossible, as every ton forwarded to the battery of quartz not containing sufficient gold to pay the present enormous cost of carriage and crushing, would mean a dead loss to the company. Another branch of expenditure, thi 1 haulage is anything but satisfactory, and few will deny that the tiamway h defective, both in construction ai^.l mai - agement. if men are willing, as ia stated, to keep the line in repair and deliver quartz at the battery for 8s per truck, also reducing the cost of taking goods to the claims proportionately, why should the prtsent state of affairs continue ? Mining tramways have been let to contractors in other districts with success, why not here / At the last meeting of the Piako County Council a lettei was read from the tramway manager, stating that he had every reason to believe that they would have a surplus of £60 or £70 a month over working expenses of tramway for the next eight oi nine months through increased traffic. This is hardly likely to occur, soeing thai for some time past a portion of the battery has been hung up for want of quartz, and is likely to continue so if the charges are not reduced, as managers are now careful to send to the mill only quartz of a payable grade. Referring to the battery charges, they are certainly too high, and in fact claim holders complain that they never know what they will amount to. Ten shillings is first charged per ton for crushing, then extra berdans for treatment of the blanketings must be paid for at per day, and the tailings are treated in the Company's plant at 5s per herd an per day. It is said the Battery Company have expressed their willingness to reduce their charges, provided they themselves should continue to have a Übe.al profit. Public opinion here very strongly favours the idea that with good management the charges could be considerably reduced, without affecting the profits of the battery. We do not concur in all the opinions expressed by our correspondents regarding the battery owners, and we confidently hope, no matte what mistakes they have hitherto made, that these gentlemen who hold so large a stake here, even for their own interests, will promptly investigate and remedy the present unsatisfactory position of affairs. The directors of the various companies, in conjunction with Messrs Firth and Clark, would act wisely in selecting a man of acknowledged experience and ability, and paying him to report on the management of the mines, tramway, and battery. No harm can possibly occur through the adoption of this course, and we feel certain that it would tend towards general improvement and assist greatly to restore confidence in the field.

Sir Wm. Jkrvois opened the session of Parliament on Thursday last at 2 o'clock. A great number of la< ies were present in the Chamber of the Legislative Council. His Excellency was attended by his Aide-de-Camp, Mnpr Eccles, and his' Private Secretary, Mr Pennoi'athor. Col. Pjarce,

Major Cuntley, IMS., uud the representatives of other countries were also present. After the delivery of the speech a message was received from the Governor notifying that he had giver, leave for the session to Messrs Menzies and Holmes, and Major Richmond. A number of notices of motion were given and several papers presented. On the motion of Mr Oliver, Messrs McLean, Scott, Oliver, Waterhouse, and Captain Baillie, were appointed a committee to rrepure an Addressin- Reply. The Council then adjourned till next day. After the delivery of the Governor's speech in the House of Representatives. petitions were presented hy Messrs Bar* ron, Sanderson, Steward, George, Connolly, M. W. Green, Bracken, and Hutchinson, on various subjects. Motions for a number of returns were given notice of, including one by Mr Montgomery for a return of the loan expended in the several districts of the colony. Dr Newman gave notice of moving the Address in»Reply.

Arrangements are in progress fora football match to come off at an early date between the plaj'ers of this district and a team from Han.ilton. The day has not yet been finally settled, but in all probability it will take plade on Saturday, the 14th inst., on the ground at Morrinsville. We are glad to learn that no time is being lost in proceeding with the preliminary works for the new battery. Mr Pavitt, surveyor, has received instructions to mark off the line of the waters-ace, and tenders for cutting the same will be called for as soon as the snrvey is completed. The site for the battery has not yet, we believe been definitely fixed upon, but it will be somewhere in the vicinity of the lower part of Diamond Gully. The cold this season seems to have been, for so early a period, exceptionally severe over a great part of the colony. From the East Coast we read that the frosts are keener than have ever before been known at this early stage of the winter, and from the Waikato Times we learn that at Hamilton on Monday last the thermometer registered 19deg. Fahr. Here it has on frequent occasions ranged many degrees below freezing point, and even in the shade at mid-day the cold has made itself sharply felt. That venerable individual, the oldest inhabitant, has no recollection of anything so severe in the early winter months of former years. Mr P. Ferguson is erecting what promises to be i very neat and comfortable live-roomed house <ni a well-situated site it Waiorongomai Several one-room shantio. are also being erected at Waiorongomai by the same person. The cricket match, Australians v. Gentlemen of England, was resumed and con eluded at Lords this day week. The Home team won by four wickets. The attendance was very large, great interest bjing taken in the match. The weather dm ing the day was fine. The Thames district is about to lose one of its oldest identities in the person of MrJ. W. Walkei, who has, we undei stand, accepted an appointment in connection with an Indian goldfield, and will shortly leave for Madias. Mr Wilker is one of those men combining an extensive practical experience with an amount of techinal and scientific knowledge seldom equalled by those concerned in mining puisuits in this colony. His identity with one of our most celebrated claims has attached itself to his name, and u Long Drive " Walker is known wh^revor the tame of the mine licit, extended. While regretting that Mr Walker should find it necessary to sever his long connection with this district we wish him all kinds of quod fortune in his new sphere of labour, — Thames Advui tiser. The death of Mr Chenery, late editor of the London '• Times," causes " Lancet" to discourse on the great intellectual strain which is necessary in the production of newspapers, and especially of daily newspapers. aMr Chenery," says the writer, •' had one great mental and physical advantage — his brain had been especially well developed in youth by steady and severe labour. In spite of this, however, hu succumbed, though not till absolutely exhausted by the severity of his exertions." Few of tho^e who enjoy a newspaper have much idea of the work and worry that are necessarily undergone in producing them. If journalists were not devoted to their duties— if indeed they did 'lot relish them as other men do their dinners — the Press would not be what it is. Since the death of Mr Chenery has once more called at;eution to the penalties which aie paid by person-, who are devoted in an obscure way to the set-vice of the public, we may hope it will not be without the advantage of seciraig ior newspaper people gi eater consideration than they have ever yet obtained, except in rare instances, in this as well as other countries. Somebody with a lot of spare time has been milking a calculation that will certainly strike most people as more curious than useful. Fioin an exchange we learn that one inquirer has been counting the a nount of time devoted by Kuropeans to the striking of matches during the last 48 years. lie estimates the loss of time at 12 seconds per match ; and as the daily consumption of matches in Europe amounts to two billions, its inhabitants, collectively, lose 76 years daily in lighting alluinettes. During the past 48 years the time loss in this way constitutes an aggregate of 13,332,720 yeais 1 The statistician computes the daily consumption of matches to be equivalent to 7 per head of the population in France, 8 in England, and 9 in Belgium. Allowing the lease of life to be 60 years, he finds that the Frenchman at the end of his days, has to reproach himself with the loss of 21 days 6 hours, the Englishman 24- days 9 hours, and the Belgian 27 days and 12 hours. These latter figures, however, are by no means appalling. They represent no nmq time than would be given to a seaside holiday, while the expense involved is relatively nil. " Civis," a humourous contributor to the Otago Daily Times, tells a gooa story at the expense of canaie Scots. It is worthy of Dean Ramsay, and quite equal to Punch's " Bang went saxpenoe." " Collect," is an ambiguous word even in the prayer book. There is a siory of a Scotchman who went witli an Episcopalian friend to attend, for the first time in his life, an English service. He spent the first few minutes in turning over the leives of the prayer book. Presently he rose in haste and left the chnrch. " What did you mean by running away?" iuquired hi&

friend. " Man," said lie, " I can stand one collection, but yo x n book bud ' collect,' 4 collect,' ' collect,' on every otbcr page !" Tbe monthly meeting of the Waitoa Highway Board was held at Morrin^ville on Saturday last at Buck's Phoenix Hotel. All the members were present* A number tif contract aocounfs were settled, and it was resolved to, send plans to Wellington for the purpose of borrowing £1500 under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, to open up a road from Cambridge to Wuiorongnnmi by w»ij of Mangukavva. Several surface men were selected to keep the roads in order during the bad weuther. It was resolved to call for tenders for the erection of >i public pound at once. Mr T. G. Sundes and Mr Chepmell, the Chairman of the VVaitoa Board, had a narrow on same day. After the Board meeting Mr Sandes drove Mr flliepmell out to select a site for the public cemetery, and when descending the hill to one of ! the bridges, tho leather eyelet which holds up the pole broke and the end of the pole fell to tho giound. The horses got out ot control and galloped a distance of more than half a mile over very rough road with the pole ploughing the ground, sometimes between them, sometimes on one side. Mr Chepmell jumped out behind with a view to getting in their heads, but was loft far behind, and though he fell somewhat heavily wiis not hurt. Coming to " the rocks,' 1 Mr Sandes saw that a smash up was inevitable, managed to turn them into a cutting leading up to Moniu's gate, and effected a capsize upon as soft a place us could be got. The pole was smashed up, and one of the hordes slightly injured, and Mr Sandes had one of his lingers dislocated, but fortunately no further damage was done. Band of Hope meeting next Tuesday evening at Waiorongomai. Two very fine bullocks in excellent condition, will be sold to-day at noon, at the Public Pound. These animals are really worth attention. On this day week Mr W. Carpenter will sell by auction in the Public Hall a large number of selected fruit and shelter trees, ornamental and flowering shrubs, hedge plants, etc., etc., from Hohs's nursery, Witihou. These trees are really first-class, and we specially draw the attention of our readers to the sale as affording an opportunity to obtain same just at the right time of year for successful planting. One of our mineral water manufacturers is about to leave us, we rofer to Mr Walter Grey, who this week li <puaeu .>f his goodwill, plant, stock-in-trade, horses, etc., etc., to Mr E. Peel. Mr John Givsy (of the old established firm of mineral water manufacturers Messrs John (4rey and Son, tiden Crescent, Auckland), has been for some time past wishing his son to give up the Aroha business and devote his time to the interests of the firm in Auckland, Mr Peel, the purchaser, has already earned a name for the very excellent quality of all goods sent ont from his factory, and will, we trust, be well rewarded for his enter piise'and pluck in so greatly enlarging his business. Everybody ought encourage local manufacture. The Thames Advertiser says :— -A parcel of quartz was crushed tit Waiorongomai last week from the F claim, one of the alphabetical series of mining properties held by the Battery Company, but the owners maintain a mysteri >us reticence as to the result. Applications for information on tlte subject are met by the statement that the claim is in private hands, and its affairs .ire therefore not interesting to the public, and nothing more definite than a hint that the return is highly profitable and the gold of particularly good value divulged. The reason for tho company's persistent secrecy is past finding out. If the crushing lias resulted as handsomely us is represented, no possible haim can arise from the pnblication of +he fact, as intelligence likely to benefit the district, whereas an unwlmlesoine mystery is always undesirable and hkcJy to enkindle suspicion, A Gazjtte recently published contains proclamations which materially alter the arrangements of the Court of Bankruptcy t and higher jurisdiction in this district. | The Thames is withdrawn from the district of the Auckland District Court, and and a now " Court of Waikato and Tliameb constituted, covering " all that part oi the Provincial District of Auckland bounded towards the north by the County of Manttkau and the Firth of Thames ; towards the west by the Fiith of Thames and the Ilauniki Gulf ; towards the north-east by the ocean to the Waihi river ; thence towards tho bouth-cast generally by the County of Taurangu to the Uira Gorge ; thence by a right line to Ilangitoto Mountain and by the County of Taranaki to the ocean ; and thence again towards the west by the ocean," The appointment of judges is not yet notified so that although it may be presumed that Judge Soth will remain in charge of the district, there is no certainty on the point.