THE WEEK.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 27 June 1881, Page 2

THE WEEK.

Sattjbday, June 25. The anticipations of quiet times, which were forecasted in our report a month or so ago, are being fully realised, and from one end of the field to the other the same monotonous cry of dullness is heard. This condition of things will probably continue for about another three months, by which time work will be sufficiently far advanced to give hope of something new turning up to give another fillip to speculation and enterprise. It will be two or three months yet before the Inan^ gahua Low Level Tunnel gets within the range of the most westerly of the Murray Creek reefs, and it is to be hoped that the work will be pushed ahead as fast as possible, in order to raise a fair pro* bability of stone being struck as early ag possible during the coming summer. The powers conferred under the Mines Act of granting protection for long terms to holders of mining leases is, after ali, not proving an unmixed blessing. In some few cases the privilege of locking up mining areas might fairly be extended, but it seems to us the provision has been unduly strained, and much of the de« pression now current may be attributed to the wholesale cessation of prospecting works upon these protected leases. Many of those terms of protection are, however, now on the eve of expiration, and it may probably be that the respite gained from call paying may encourage the holders to again set to work. For the benefit of the field generally, let us hope that such will prove the case. The following are the returns for the past week ;— WELCOME COMPANY, 6750zs amalgam, from 90 tonß of stone, GOLDEN TREASURE, 105ozs of amalgam, from 21 tons of stone, ENERGETIC COMPANY, 1530zs 11 dwts of retorted gold. UNITED ALPINE (Lyell), 4790zs of re. torted gold from 920 tons of stone, the result of four weeks crushing. The mill will resume crashing in about three weeks, with increased stampers. The reef maintains its width and quality in the low level.