Fiji’s Manganese Boom
p. 41 · Read in the full issue
Emperor & Loloma Interest
MANGANESE mining, in the
f l immediate post-war years egarded as a poor man’s game, hows every sign of becoming a
rig industry in Fiji.
; Until the last couple of years the ndustry was carried on mostly by hdians, who worked the deposits in he simplest fashion and shipped he crude ore overseas in drums.
Larger-sc ale operations with bull lozers and other earth-moving quipment has now commenced.
Associated Mining Companies, iperators of the big Emperor and ,oloma gold mines on Viti Levu, are aking an interest in manganese, ,nd will soon investigate open-cut irospects on the north-west side of he island.
This was announced by Mr. N. lilsen, chief general manager, who isited the area in August. He aid that if prospects were suf- Iciently promising, the manganese [eld would be developed extensively, nth new roads and possibly a new tort accessible to the field.
Mr. Nilsen has also advised his lirectors to embark on a big de elopment plan at the gold mines, larticularly deep underground work. ?he decision is the result of ex laustive explorations. The work will ake some time and require con iderable funds and labour (of which here is a present shortage).
Last year Fiji exported manganese vorth £33,000 and gold worth 993,000.
Output of gold by the Emperor >old Mining Co. Ltd. increased to 0,507 fine ounces in the year to
June 30, compared with 57,221 fine ounces in the previous year. Ore treated was 159,572 long tons com pared with 156,982 long tons. Lower grade ore accounted for a sharp drop in production by Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines, N.L., in the same period.
Fine gold produced was 11,462 ounces from 22,592 long tons of ore, compared with 19,097 ounces from 19,413 long tons in the previous year. fl Sister Avis Martin, of the LMS, arrived in Samarai, Papua, in late July, on her way to Fyfe Bay to relieve Sister Clatworthy, who is going on leave. Sister Martin re cently returned from England and until her posting to Fyfe Bay had been stationed at the Mission’s Hospital at Kapuna, Port Rommily.