The Eevening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1886, 19 January 1875, Page 2

The Eevening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1875.

It has never yet been satisfactorily set* tied what is the minimum quantity of gold in quartz which constitutes payable crushing stuff. In the early days of the Thames nothing less than two or three ounces to the ton was considered remunerative. This was owing to the difficulties to be overcome in getting quartz to a battery, the insufficient crushing power price of coals, and many other obstacles; which have, been either removed' or remedied. Tramways and roads now connect the mines with large crushing plants on the beach and elsewhere; coal is cheaper ; greater facilities exist for winning the quartz and taking it to the mills; and it seems to be admitted that less than an ounce of gold to' the ton will pay under ordinary : circumstances, The question therefore suggests itself, how is it that the large reefs which were discovered, partially worked, and then abandoned in the early days because they would not cover the cost of carting and crushing are not iiow worked ? Is it that the auriferous character of these reefs was misrepresented, or can it be that cheap crushing is but a sham. . "W!e feel sure that it is not the latter, for we have everyday evidence that poor and large reefs give remunerative returns. Any one who has given attention to the gold yield andcrushings reported cannot fail to have noticed that the number of tons crushed is generally less than the number of ounces of gold obtained. In the totals of the monthly returns this'is invariably the case; and if these figures were, reliable they would be eminently satisfactory. But even less than this would be acceptable. We believe that thousands of tons of quartz are crushed every month the average from which is considerably less than an ounce to the ton, and yet this stuff is undoubtedly payable quartz. From enquiries we have made, and from information gathered at different times since the principle obtained here of letting batteries at so much per stamper per day or week, we have very good reason for believing that the figures published month after month do not repreient the true state of matters, and that the average from erushings does not reach one ounce, per ton. Many erushings produce more than an ounce per ton, and it follows therefore that as the total average is about one and a quarter, many claims must crush stuff that gives considerably less than an ounce. These remarks have been suggested by a perusal of a report in the Inangahua Herald, which introduces a table of the amount

of , quartz crushed by the principal mines in the Eeefton district for each month of the year just elided, the total for the year, and the gross yield of gold. We reproduce a portion of the table, fr»m which it will be seen that only a few of the crushings hare yielded as high as one ounce to the ton, while the arerage from the whole is about 151 pennyweights. It must be remembered that in the Reefton District wages are at least twenty five per cent, higher than on the the Thames ; crushing and all o: her incidental expenses proportionately high. On the other hand the gold is of a better quality, which will bring the average of the Inangahua reefs up to the Thames standard. Now, assuming this to be correct, it might be asked how it is that more of the big reefs on the Thames are not made to pay ? We believe the'fault lies in the mode of working necessitated by the limited areas occupied by mining companies, and the means of making this district more reproductive must be in the directionof amalgamation of existing areas, and thorough systematic working. This system has been tried on a small scale. The amalgamations have been effected about the Kuranui Hill are beginning to tell. The Long Tunnel enabled levels to be worked at a profit which could not have been done under other circumstances. The Moanatairi mine is reaping the benefit of the increased area acquired and the facilities offered by the big tunnel for transport of quartz. If other companies would follow the example set them a change would soon be apparent. The time seems to have gone by for rich specimen leaders, which appear to, have been placed near the surface a<i an inducement to sink deeper for the hidden treasures below; and it is now a question of extracting the gold from poor quartz or abandoning the pursuit of mining as a recognised occupation. There should be on this field twice as much quartz crushed every month as there is at present; and it is essentially necessary that this should be kept in view; if the vitality of the Thames is to be maintained arid the districtrescuedfromtnepositionintowhichitthreatenstorelapse—amere mining camp. The following is the table giving tlie principal figures of the Tnarigahua's report, alluded to above :—