C—3

92

The Pride of Waihi. —In the past six months this mine has been worked with two men, who have been employed on one of the quartz formations met with in the Waihi Extended Mine with a view of tracing it into the Pride ground, into which it is said to be running. Waihi Consolidated. —The Waihi Syndicate (Limited) has an option over this property, and about the middle of 1905 commenced operations in conjunction with the Grand Junction Company. A sum of £3,000 was raised, the syndicate providing £2,000 and the Grand Junction Company £1,000. It is proposed to sink a shaft to 900 ft., the drainage level. This shaft will be situated to the westward of that on the Favona ground. The machinery from the Favona shaft has been removed and reerected on the new site, and the shaft sunk 25 ft. It is not proposed to do any driving until the proposed depth is reached. Eight men have been employed during the past year on this property. Walker's " Gigantic " Group. —The licensee of this property is in England, having proceeded there in the hope of raising capital to enable the ground to be thoroughly tested. Within the last year some £1,000 has been spent in shafting, but when the shaft reached 60 ft. a great deal of water was met with which could not be taken away with the windlass and bucket. This compelled the shaft-work to cease, and a level from the hillside was begun at a depth of 150 ft. below the collar of the shaft with the intention of connecting the level with the bottom of the shaft. Eight men have been employed. Waihi Beach United. —This company has been carrying on its operations with thirteen men. A shaft is sunk to a depth of 356 ft., from which a crosscut was put in intersecting the reef at 150 ft. Fair prospects were obtained, and the shareholders anticipated their property will yet become a gold-pro-ducing mine. Ohinemuri River Syndicate. —This venture so far has not been successful from a financial point, the extractions not reaching anticipations. The owners have spent several thousands of pounds in their undertaking. Recently, however, an Australian association have turned their attention to these claims and have sent a representative over here to thoroughly test the claims, and if his report is favourable they probably will find capital to work them. The other mines in existence—viz., the Waihi Consols,' the Waihi South, the Waihi Gold Reefs-— have not done very much in the way of advancement. The want of capital is the great stumblingblock to the development of Waihi properties. There are a few other claims on the Register, but the history of these may be summed up in the words " mostly protected," the owners having no means to work them, hence, after exhausting the maximum limit of protection, they are abandoned, to be taken up by others, who pass through the same process and then throw them up. Some of this area is generally held by some one or other who, after fruitless attempts to secure capital, is compelled to give it up. Katikati. The Eliza Claim has again recently come into existence, and is being prospected with aid granted for prospecting. Two men are employed, and report states that good-quality stone has been found. Waitekauri. I regret to have to report that the former glory of Waitekauri has departed : let us hope it is only for a time. The Waitekauri Company, which mined here for several years with fair success, have surrendered all their properties and withdrawn from them. Some of the abandoned ground is being worked by persons who took it up ; but the present work is on a very small scale, yet the parties concerned anticipate receiving something for their labour in the no-distant future. The Maorilander. —This is a property worked by a syndicate which has received some £250 as a grant to assist it in erecting a crushing plant. A considerable quantity of work has been done, a reef has been opened up, and it is stated it will pay handsomely when the plant is ready for crushing the ore. Four men have been employed during the year. Portsea Claim (formerly the Grace Darling) is one of the properties formerly owned by the Waitekauri Gold-mining Company, but now owned by Challis and others, who obtained sufficiently encouraging prospects to warrant them in erecting a small crushing plant with five stamps ; but since its completion the ore has not turned out as well as expected. Four men employed. New Zealand Jubilee Mine has given no encouragement to its owners during the year to cause any activity in their mining operations. A large sum has been spent on this mine during past years. Five men employed. Karangahake. Talisman. —The Talisman Consolidated may be said to have proved itself the premier producer of gold during the past year in this locality, having treated 44,725 tons of ore, the bullion from which was worth £129,088, which gave the company an opportunity to pay £30,000 in dividends. This is the first dividend paid since operations commenced. The mine is working well at present, and it is said the recent returns will continue for a while. This company purchased the Woodstock Company's properties, but so far have discovered nothing upon them of a payable nature. A great deal of work is being carried on by this company, which is employing 230 men. New Zealand Crown Mines (Limited). —The operations of this company during the past year have not resulted in the same output of gold, although some fairly rich ore was handled, 17,541 tons yielding £36,516. Development-works on a fairly large scale are being carried on, and it is hoped will ere long lead to fresh discoveries of ore rich enough to put through the battery to pay something beyond expenses of mining. 129 men have been employed. Comstock United. —This claim has been worked by the owner with more or less help from the County Council, which has given monetary assistance as well as foregone the rent. According to the owner, this mine only requires development to prove a veritable bonanza. The discoveries in the Talisman