THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS. THE PROGRESS OF THE MINING INDUSTRY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 284, 25 July 1888, Page 6

THE AUCKLAND GOLDFIELDS. THE PROGRESS OF THE MINING INDUSTRY.

Wellington, July 23. The general annual papers relating to the mining industry have ceen presented to Parliament. The statistics show that the total quantity of gold and silver produced in the colony during the year 1887 was 203,8690zs gold, and 20,8090zs of silver, valued in all at £804,553, as against 227,0790z& gold and 12,1080zs silver, worth €906,515, produced in 1886. Coal, copper, kauri gum, etc., brought up the total value of lastyeai's mineral products t0 £1,487,880, or an increase of £21,428 as compared with List year. The increase is* due to the yield of kauri gum,which compensates forthe falling oil in those more valuable Wnerals. The decrease in gold occurs almost entirely in the alluvial helds of the West Coast and Otao-o. Ihe yield of gold from quartz minfng is taniy constant from year io year. That of the Thames and OhinemWi goldfields, year ending 31st March, 1888, Vas 39,3540zs last year (obtained from 33,207 tons of ore) as against 38,1420z&. trom 3^,827 tons in 1886-87, or 61,5400z5. from 35,^98 tons in 1885-86, and 37,7050z«. from 3\,496 tons in 1884-85. The Te A i-oha yieldeo. 2,9180z5. ld.stycat from 7,166 tons, against V6sBozs from 4,743 tons in 1886-87, \4B9ozs' tiom 6,552 tons in 1885-86, and 9£o6ozs. fiom 11,042 ton, in 1884 85. \Coroinandel produced 6,7740zs from \1,923 lons last year, against 4,1700z5. Vom 305 tons in J 886-7, and 3,3820z&. from\sso tons, in 1885-5, and 3,2010z5. from 456 Inns in 1884 5. Rcorton tetui ned only 16,750\zs gold trom 24,403 last year, a decrease \f 4,4000za as compaied with the previous ye<u . The numbei of men engaged in gold\ mining on 31st March last was 11,720. "The^ value of gold exported for 12 months was \ C 766,330. which gives an aveiage earning tor miner-, of 165 4s 3d. In the year pre\ ious the average was £80 12s 7d. The number of men and boys engaged injcoal-mining at the end of 1887 was 1,449. Taking average co.st of hewing coal and other labour in working mines at 6s per ton, the average earning i& about £108 per man. The total goldtields revenue for the year was £37,297, of which £17,189 came liom miners' rights, licenses, etc., and i:20,108 horn gold duty. The value of I 'iofe^oor Black's lectures to miners ia recognised hy the Secretaiy of Mines, who states in his report that the results have boon well worthy of this labour, the miners having hugely piolited by the scientific in--li notion which ha<« liteially been a case of " ccd falling on t t;nod ground and producing fiiut many fold." He says lli.it it is one thing to know what i^, in an oie, ami <(nite another to dissociate the metals computing it on a large scale, but v»o <nc on r,ho light track of discovery in having awakened the spirit of inquiry among no m.my intelligent men, who are buophcrl ;it vaiiou? points with means of pursuing these inquhies in the laboratory. It is reasonable to hope that the outcome of the studio-, at the Schools of Mines at the Thames, under Mr Montgomery, and at Reef ton, under Mr Fen ton, and of the intelligent application of miners, will be the di,sco\ ct y of a method of treating ores so as to make the most refractory ot them yield up their wealth The total expenditure on Schools of Mines since their inauguration was £6, 865, in addition to which tnere are liabilities to the amount of £337, and the subsidy of £600, which was authorised as subsidy towards the erection of the testing plant at the Thames. The number ot miners employed last year at the Thames and Ohinemun was 871, as against 986 for the previous year. At Coromandel the number was 300 miners, an increase of 150 o\ot- the previous year, and at Te Aroha 76, a decrease of 26. Warden Northcroft, in his report, states that the depression which has for the past few years been ■-o severely telt at the Thames, shows evident signs of removal. There are strong indications that a levival in the mining industry i& approaching, and more hopeiul signs prevail throughout the distiict than have existed for some years past. The chief causes are the prospect of the establishment iv the near future of improved and suitable processes for the extraction of gold and silver trom ore, and introduction of English and Australian capital for working and development of newly discovered reefs containing complex o'-es. Altogether the tone of the Warden's report is very sanguine.