The Silting Question.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4474, 12 October 1909, Page 3

The Silting Question.

ANOTHER VERSION. J2! E * ol l owin ff 'particulars appeared in a recent rssue of the Thames Advertiser « wi® l)6ll of ¥ r E * V. Turnbull _ w “ e “ speaking on the Bitting quesn n l® B t Council meeting a ouncillor put the following questions ome : ‘ Give one isolated case where toe sands are conserved by dams and in ; (2) Can you prove that it will ot hamper the industry at Waihi and Jvarangahake.’ In replying, I referred to Africa and Amajfica, where all sands retained iu reservoirs. To prove oeyond a doubt that what I stated was true, the following figures might be of interests, especially as we have gentlemen 1D J?^° wn w ho have seen the mines and dumps referred to. The question of silting the river, its banks, and our Jarbour is a matter for experts who have the question in hand. But to prove that the conserving of sands can be successfully and economically accomplished, thus justifying the action that the Council is taking in this matter, the cyanide (K.C.N.) process was introduced into Africa in 1889, four years after the discovery of the Banket, or conglomerate beds, which now constitute n e{ 80Urce of the gold output of the Rand, and to-day the milling plants *» without a doubt unprecedented in the history of mining and tha successful treatment of slimes which was discovered by Mr Charles Butters and others in 1897, was made and applied at the Central Aline, Africa. This discovery marks an epoch in the metallurgical world, and was made and carried out without a 8 "ii® 6 Take the Homestakes mill, with 950 stamps, constantly cnish--395 tons in every 24 hours, the Alaska mill, with 550 stamps, and Cl V®hing 2,900 tons per day ; Limmer ana Jack, Africa, with 320 tons daily; Robinson’s mill, with 300 stamps; Worcester, New Meriot, May Consolidated, Bonanza, Meyer, and Charlton, Jumpers, Klonfontein, Goldenhius, Crown Treasury, Primrose, and many other mills on the Rand. Altogether there are over 15 companies, and each company having over 200 heads of stamps running 24 hours per day, with a capacity, of four tons per stamp, making a t&tsi of * about 3,260 stamps, and crush*s# at least 12,000 tons of ore (this does not include small mills) per day no sludge channel. Ore of low grade, and all these companies referred to conserve the sands from 12,000 tons of ore successfully. . This I think is most conclusive evidence that to talk of hampering the gold mining industry is a bogey. . Is this the only method those connianies have of getting rid of the sands ? If so then we must of necessity carefully consider our action in the matter, but it is not so. (1) The sands after being dried can be run in trucks to the mine and tipped into the stopes, and could be done as cheaply as the present method of filling in, as carried out at present by the company (2) The sands could be conveyed on to the low-lying swampy land, 1 and there is a large area of some In close proximity to the old mill, and thus reclaim valuable land. For example, at Newcastle, New South Wales, the Government of the State placed two sand dredges in the harbour with sand pumps, and had the sands conveyed (which could be done in tiucks) through pipes on to the swampy ground, and what was an : unsightly, useless, and dangerous area oi country is now the extended township of Carrington, the land being worth a considerable large sum of money. There are various methods of getting rid of the sands, and methods that would cost little i or no expense. This is sufficient proof ! that it is done, and that successfully, by the largest mining companies in the world. What is to prevent the companies referred to doing the same.