REFRACTORY ORES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 479, 11 June 1890, Page 4

REFRACTORY ORES.

TREATMENT BY ELECTRICITY. Auckland, June 7. A meeting of the Goldfields Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and others interested in mining was held this morning to take into consideration a letter received from Mr Malfroy in reference to a new process for the treatment of ores by electricity by a Belgium firm. There were present: Messrs S. T. George (presiding), A. Porter, J. Newman, J. M. Lennox, D. G. Mac Donnell, R. Spratt, J. F. Clarke. Mr Young, Secretary, read the letter written by Mr Malfroy, who is in charge of the New Zealand mining exhibits at the Paris Exhibition, and is Secrotery of a Belgium Society formed for the treatment of refractory ores by electricity. 31 was stated in the letter that twenty samples of quartz from the North Island of New Zealand sent to the Paris Exhibition had been tested by fchio process in a scientific manner with successful results.

Mr Adam Porter said that on receipt of this letter it was deemed advisable to call a meeting of the Goldfields Committee and others interested in mining, to consider the advisability of taking action thereon. They had come' to the conclusion that they wanted a better process of saving the gold than they had at present. He estimated that since the opening of the Thames Goldfield there had been an absolute loss of a million and a-half ol money through the want of some such process. In the Martha mine alone 6,000 tons of ore had given a return of a trifle les3 than 10s per ton, and by the new process, three times that had been saved our, of the same mine. The ores treated by the Belgium process were up-country ores, but no doubt many of the Thames ores might be similarly treated with advantage. His idea was to get five tons of ore to send to Belgium as soon as possible, through the Goldfields Committee, and that in the event of the trial being satisfactory arrangements should be entered into with the Belgium Society, to send out experts to carry on the process on a larger scale. He moved, “That the Goldfields Committee use their best endeavours to get five tons of quartz from various mines, and forward the same to Brussels, in accordance with Mr Malfroy’s letter, and that all the information obtained in reference to this test be published for the benefit of the mining community as soon as received.” Mr J. M. Lennox seconded the resolution.

The proposal was commented upon very favourably, and was carried unanimously, it being understood that in addition to the five tons ot quartz mentioned there should also be forwarded for treatment one ton of tailings from a good mine.