THE WEEK.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2539, 24 February 1877, Page 2

THE WEEK.

In taking a retrospective view of the events of the past week, it will be perceived that tho most important incident is the stoppage of the Waitekauri battery. For one whole day before the news wai officially known rumours to the effect were flying about, and it must be said that this did not look rery well as it gave room for the supposition, that those in authority knew something that they for some reason wanted to be kept dark. Of course in writing .the above nothing derogatory is insinuated, but still the fact remains, and in future it will be better for the welfare of the mine to let ' all news whether good or bad be made public as soon as possible. However, the reason given in the communication from our correspondent, which appears, in to- ■ day's issue, appears to be a good one, and if, as is stated, the battery works fall time instead of only one shift as at present, after the stoppage, an advantagewill bo gained. The mine is reported ito be looking well, though work is'; to be temporarily discontinued at the Queen end; During the week a! report has been received from the manager of the Welcome, which speaks, encouragingly of the mine,.and as soon as the tramway is completed this mine. should, be a, payable property. Writing,of the' tramway it may be remarked,that.the survey has been completed. In , the, Owharoa district the aspect of affairs has altered considerably for the better during the last two or three weeks. The managers of the Annie and Nut mines are getting out parcels for.the mill, and will be crushing shortly. The extra* ordinary meetings of .the shareholders of the Morning Light and kmile of Fortune mines have not ended in winding up, <fcc. f . as was predicted by some, and in the case of the Morning Light mine it has even been resolved to resume operations if there is sufficient cash on hand to do so after the forfeited shares are sold. The much despised Karangahake mine is having another trial at the hands of a party of tributers.' ". ' ■ Recent advices from Tairua state that little work; is going on there; seven men being employed in the Ajax, and two in the Golden Arrow. An improvement has occurred in the stuff taken from the Ajax, and it is expected that the next irip of the Hero will bring the wire rope necessary for the conveyance of the stuff, from the Golden Arrow to the battery, and when that arrives it is to be hoped, that the mine will be fully re-manned. Most of the mines in the Waio-Xaraka district have resumed work, after the stoppage caused by the recent break down, of the Waio-Karaka Drainage Association's pumps. The' Queen of the May, Queen of Beauty, and the Piako, mines will probably start crushing next week. The pump has done its work splendidly, and now the water is so far down as to enable operations to-be commenced in the lowest level of the Fiako mine.' The New Exchange mine has at last.come to grief. A distress warrant was obtained against it by the directors of the Drainage Aaso-, ciation for failing to pay the drainage contributions, and the engine and some other articles were sold to satisfy the claim.

The Alburnia company should soon be " itself again," that is with the fine yield* already obtained since operations have been resumed on the company's behalf* and the prospect of others equally, as rich, the incubus of debt which has been weighing on it for some time past should soon' be removed, and the shareholders, who have seen the money derived from the immense quantities of gold lately taken from the ground, finding, its way into other pockets than their own, have now perhaps a better chance than ever they had of obtaining some return for the money they have expended in calls or otherwise. A 250 ounce yield was obtained from a parcel of specimens in the beginning of the week, and a crushing of general stuff and specimens will take place during next week. The gold returns are not so large as they would have been if the Waib-Karak* mines were working, but still the total is a fair one. It will be noticed that a con* siderable quota is contributed by Imall claims and tributes, the larger mines contributing a comparatively small share.