THE WEEK.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2781, 12 January 1878, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The week lias been an uneventful one, the miners having just been getting to work after the holidays ; and most of the mines that had any stuff to crush at all having crushed it if possible before Christmas, has the effect of making the gold returns small in number, while the total is comparatively a small one. This is, however, not to be wondered at, as the first month of the year has always been a slow one in the mining world, unless an extraordinary rich find causes a little abnormal excitement. Perhaps the event that is of the greatest moment, is the "going to the wall" of the Queen of the May G.M. Company, in consequence of the obtainance of a judgment against it by the Waio-Karaka Drainage Committee. If time had been granted there is every reason to believe that all claims would have been settled in full, and there is some probability of the shareholders buying it in. Although, of course, circumstances were against them, the faint heartedness and dilatoriness of the directors has had a great deal to do with the downfall of the company, as they should certainly have followed the dictates v( common sense, and earlier adopted: the suggestion thrown out in these columns some weeks back, which, latterly they adopted, though unfortunately, too late to avert the pending catastrophe. While writing about the Waio-Karaka it may be mentioned that the Queeu of Beauty has a much more healthy appearance than it had for some time past, as it is evident that the water has been tapped in the shaft, and is gradually finding its way to the Piako shaft. The new block, also, so far as has been proved by under-stoping, is a very good one, some portions having crushed at the rate of an ounce and a half or two ounces per ton. The Piako battery will resume operations shortly if a trial parcel, which is to be crushed at the Queen of Beauty battery next week, yields satisfactorily. Of course, this will necessitate the putting on of more hands than at present. The Alburnia will resume crushing next week, and as specimens and good general dirt is on hand, a continuation of the good returns for last month may be looked forward to from the present month's crushing. As was predicted in this column, the extension of the Waiotahi road has not been without effect, as lately quite a number of small claims have been taken -up in this part of the field, and the shareholders of several are doing pretty well, and are in some measure contributing to the gold returns, which give good interest to the County Council, in the shape of Gold Duty and Goldfields .Revenue. This body have also resolved on the construction of a road from Tapu to Mercury Bay, which will be of great service to the gold prospector, and may be expected to add to the fur* therance of mining operations in that outlying part of the goldfield. Perhaps, the most important news from the upcountry during the week has been the discovery of an auriferous leader in the Perseverance G.M.Co., but as that discovery has beon fully .referred to in the daily mining reports, it is unnecessary to pass any comment on it here.