OUR MINING INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 235, 2 October 1894, Page 2

OUR MINING INDUSTRY.

Hon. Mr. Gagman's States

merit.

Steady Ecogress Reported.

(ir TBtEG^APJEI. —.?AII.L?AMENTART

REPOKTEB.)

-"VVELMNOTO^^hlpjlax. I The Hon. A. J. Cabman, .Minister of Minea, deliveredjhis tfirsb t s^itetQ t ent.qn |he mining industries of ,thp cqlpny t tp jthe Hojise .this afternoon. T;he ,-rejD.orb ,a a s we_ty s cjofflP,^!»«BSive ,pne» de^Unj; -yrjitb all of tha mining industry. Mr; Cadman stated'that sib afforded-'bim great plj^Burj,tojßark^tb^Bteady progress made in gold'and coal mining. Notwithstanding tbatitbeKesWere^variebypfothermefcaHiferous and mineral qves.in.the colony, <very>little: attention had as-yob been directed •towards theirdeyelopment.and, in all-probability, co 'long "aa""' gold -and coal continue to be worked remuneratively,- rapid strides in other ;-brancheß ;of need nob be looked for. Mr (CadaianT also referred'to the introduofcion of the Cassel's prooess.'by which a-far larger percentage of the assayvaloejia^obtained than -hitherto got'by any ptber method, and wks last year the means of trialsiner some of the mining companies in tho 'North island renumerative ventures; Whereas without this process the operations would have been carried-on-ab'a loss.^ Still the losa oE precious metals ia very:considerable. This loss -varies in proportion to-the character of the -ope,' >when It contains argillaceous material, forming" !a great deal of alimes, no method has yet«been adopted whereby the cyanide of gold and Bilver can be completely washed out. ; The «limes absorb -the cyanide, Jbut after being for sometime in the vats it seems to set closely together and lorm impervious bands, through which the Bolution cannot be filtered. For the reason Btated, the process has nob as yet proved a success in treating the tailings <i« the Middle Island, but itds expected thab the difficulty will soon be overcome. AB,ehowing the value ot the Oasael process, Air Cadmari mentioned thab the Cassel Company purchased bailings belonging to the Waihi Company for £s*ooo : and from the beginning of the' present year up to the 26tb of July, bullion to the value of £9,592 has been recovered.

SIO BBAL ;PKObOCTiq>".

The quantity and value of-gold and ftilyir produced for the ye»r ending the 31efc lumber* 1-89.3, was 289.587055, fif the value of £922,881,: while 700,603 tons of Ojthor minerals (including 8,317 Aons of kjiuri gum), p,f the itotal »valuo,of £899,793, were." a.Uo produced fpr >the aamjs period, m against 260,1320z of gold and silver, of the v#J#e pi £958,740, and ,687,295 .tone.of .other njiperfils-r-includj.ng kauri gum^-of a yalue of £907*566 prpdiiped for tho p.ceyipaa year. The details of th\e quantities .and .yaluea af the different- minerals exported are "as fojlpws : \.-rr .Gold, 226,8110z, value £913/138; pttver, 63,076p?,, value £9,743 ; antiraopy -\ prei, ,331 tons, value, £3,467; Magijne.se ore, 3,19 tons, value £943 : mixed \mi.nerals, 37 .tone, value £650; coal, 69,136 tona, value £72,699 ; coke, 51 tonjß, value £53 ; kauri gup, .3,317, vi»]ue #510,775; while the cpjl produced and consumed in ;fche colony amounted to 622,412 tons, valued at £311,206; making * total value of all tpin.erals of £1,822,674. The ,valuo of gold and silver produced,up ,to the end of 1893 was £49,454,886, and the values of .other ipinerals and metalliferous ores, including kauri gum, are as follows : Copper, £.l?,6p\<j; chrpinpi. £37 ? 367 i .;an^ony, ■);49,507 ; rndngaheaei £56,107;:.' •hnsm.aMfce'; £226; "mixed minerals, £7,0,322; kaurigum, £6,860,196 i coal exported, £659,882; coke exported, £23,643. The valuo .of coal rnjsed and consumed in tlie colony was £3,842.408 ; making a, Itoial value '. of £61,J72,410. .The qu&ntjty of foreign coa} imported for the year ending the 3.lst December, 1893, and 117,444 tons, of the value of £111,956 ; of this, 6.P26 tons of fcjje yalue U was, hpweyer, again B,en^ out of pirn cojopy.

GOLDIrtINING,

Ttyp gpldmining industry has dpnp more th'4.n any other towards tho settlementi of tfee colony. Albhough the number of pprapna now employed in gpjdmining is email, .compared with what it was when the XTunstan, 'Shbtover, and West (Doasb diggings broke pub, th^rp are still about 60,000 gegpje supported by this industry, which, eyen at thp presenji time, forms an importaotffactor in the prosperity of the .colony, tfj^n are getting a betber knowledge of mineral and metaUiferouii ores, and th_e. fprmatjpns in which to lool? for thorn. _ The impTpyeraents in machinery and appliances admit of ground being worked far more cfieaply than" formerly ; but, nptwitbstanding this, gpldrmning is becoming more difficult ?8 year after year passes by. Thp auriferous ipdeß, .where rich patches of gold wer§" found in" the" pasc, are getting vprked pu£on the upper lete^B, and deepiinking jn many places,"with a large influx of waterjo contend with, has to be undertaken in prdVr..to follow bhe.lpdea down. 3fhis7 together" wibh" requiring men of skill and ability to carry on the operations to a aucceaeful issue, adds considerably to the of* working^ The field for gpldr mining operations tp be carried on shpuld bei extended" tp the utmpsfc poflaible I^gifc; "',£ industry will afford em-, ploymenb to the working classes, and' have, a much greater tendency towards solving fcbjj guesWn of |be" thin any other. Even on the picL-esbablisheo Boldfieldi ipen can ajwaya carp a livelihood, iihpjjgh "they may RPji be able tp make the lOffi^afy r|tes of wagea. • J-Hs U*^m» t°. give better facilities by granting a gopa tenure tp land on gpldfielde, so Jfta* the miners can .bijild cpmfortable homes apd have a sufficient area pn which they can grpw their own vegetables an d keep a cow or *wo, thus enabling them tp mainbain their families and reduce the cosb of living to a minimum.

JNCBEASED GOLD YIELD FROM AUCKLAND'

The yield of gold for the year ending the 3lßt March last shows an increase over the previous year of :12,0430z, rejpreseating a value of- £52,753. The total" yield la3t year;'according to the Customs returns of the quantity entered for exportation-^-not including the gold manufactured into jewellery, etc. .in the colony — was 247i702dz, lepresenting a value of ¥970,220; while the for the former year amounted to 228,6590 i!, having a value of £917;467. The increased yieldlasbyear came ffpm theAucklandand Otaßodisfcricta.being li,374oz'and 4,78'10z respectively; while the Maryborough district showed a decrease in the yield over the former year of 7930z, Nelson 6130z and the West Coasb 2 7060z, making the total increase in the North Island and Otago 16; 1550z, and the total decrease in the other districts 4,112pz. Of the cold produced last year, the Auckland 'district' contributed 52,4260z, or 21-78 per cenb. of the total yield ; Marlborough and Neleon 4,4410z, or 1 *84 per' cent. ; the West) Coast 98,9300z, or 41/10 per cent. ; Gtago 8A9050z, or 35*28 per'cenfc. The yield of gold from Corpmandel, inclqding Kuaptunu, last year was 10,0190z from 10,242 tons of quartz and 2,388 tons of tailings ; showing a decrease of 2,9350z for the last year. Recently gold-bearing Btpne has been gob in the deep levels of the Kapanga mine; and rich stone was 'also discovered in the Ooroma,ndel Company's property.; The/total yield pf gold from the HLoaobqiiu fjeld Jagb yaar was ?,0440z. This came ?rGBa -9«W0; *onß c* qußrtz .and 9j240 tone of- tailiugs. At tho Thamee during

7'"...' ■-"•?-■■ »-...-.-----..-...^ -.-- <-■:-_ 'V.'-.. , ■..„! there were ,3^637 tpns pfj ,quartz and 14,970 tons of mullock crushed, 4»lso 13,220 tons oHailingßtreatedy yielding ;34»6370z of gold, representing an estimatedyilue'Of £92,650; while 650 men wereemployed. The principal gold - producing! mines have been tho Moanabaiari, .4,5860z.-, Mm Alburnia," 5,9920z; Hazelbank, 2,6690z; *Waiotahi, 2,7190z; May Queen, 4,0690z; An,dii'.*he ::<3ambria^ l;Q10oz. ...iTha -totalyield was 1,0380z more .than tha previous year. • ■ ~ -■.?:"" - .. ..- , ;....)

THAMES DEEP,LEVELS.

Referring to.deep levels prospecfcion, .MrCadman said a combination of the whole of the companies.iuterested in the deep levels is required'before any extensive prospecting operations in "this direction can Jbe proceeded with. The holdings below the 500 feet level are at present utterly useless, but nevertheless the value placed on the ground in many instances is such that it will .be a difficult mateber to find outside capital to come to the assistance .of the companies.! Before any practical results will ensue, the present holders of mining property: in this locality will have to modify {their views in regard .to the Value of ttheir claims, or else offer sufficient in-; ducemonts.for capitalists .to .aaaisb them, Otherwise mining in the district ia bound to dwindle down, and in time many of the' properties avjll be forced into 'liquidation.: -Every year the payable atone in the upper levels is gradually getting less, and the; time ..will pome when, unless money is forthcoming to test the lodes as deeper levels, 'the mines will have to be .abandoned. It is a difficult matter to find persons philanthropic enough, even with Government assistance, to embark their capital for the benefit' of others, unless they receive a corresponding advantage.

OHINEMUKI.

This district is likely to become a_very large gold producing one, as ib contains .a large area in which auriferous lodes have been already discovered .and are .known to exist: In many places ho prospecting has been done, and portions of the field are yet unexplored. The yield from the Waihi Company's mine last year proves that, by using improved machinery for saving the bullion, the property'is a valuable one. Lasb year 19,343 tons of quartz were crushed from this mine, yielding bullion to the extent of 34,6610z, having a value of £54,000. As the company has erected a easßel plant to treat the ore by the ipyanide process, they expecb this year to have much larger returns. By this means they geb about 90 per cent of the assay $»lue-of the gold, and not more than 50 per cent of the silver in the ore. Previous to this only 66 per cent of .the gold and 40 per cenb of the silver was obtained. " At| Waitekauri good returns have been obtained from the Komata Mine, and from Lowrie's New Fiud. Th.£ battery returns from Waitekauri last year were: Komata Mine, 14,6060z bullion from J,7OS tons of stone and 1,705 tons of tailings ; Lowrie's New Find, 1,6320z, from 600 tons of quartz; and the Crown Com: pany, at Karangahake, crushed 4,544 tons of ore, yielding 11,131oz.bullion. The total yield from the Ohinemuri district last year was ,68,6030z of bullion, representing a value of about £107,000; while 454 men were employed in the mines. . !

JBAIININGS OF THE GOLD-MINE]RS,

The total number of miners employed last year was 11,553, as Against 114,197 for the preyious year, showing, a decrease in the number last year of 544. This decrease is principally in the Otago district. Taking the number last year, and the value of gold obtained—viz., £970,220, the average ear Dings of the miners are equal to about £83 19a 7d per annum, while their average earnings for the former year amounted to £75 4s sd.', This shows an increase of £8159 2d over the average earnings for the former year. Taking tho different districts, with the number of mineri:§wpioyed in each, and the value of the goid'obtained, the average earnings in each locality would be as follows:—Auckland/ £161 13s 7d; Marlborough, £36 5s lOd ; Nelson, £38 8s ; West Coast, £75 7s 3d; and Otago, £75 18s lid a man per annum. "."

QUARTZ WORKINGS,

■ Ab the quartz workings may be termed " the permanenb gold-producing mines " of the colony, it is gratifying to find the yield of gold increasing from this source. The returns referred to show thab in the Auckland districb 89,916 tons of quartz were crushed, and 18,900 tons of tailings treated, which gave 54,3850z of gold aud 61,3890z of bullion, representing an estimated value of £219,651. ' Thie would be equivalent to aboub 85,2020z gold, as the average value of the gold found in the North Island is aboub £2 lls 6d por ounce; whereas the value of the gold found in tho Middle Island is aboub £3 19a per ounce. In the Nehon districb 4,561 tons of quartz yielded 9140z of gold, having an estimated value of £3,610. On the West Coast 45,090 tpns of quartz yielded 28,553£0z of gold/ having approximately a value pi £114,214; and in Otago 9,723 tons of quartz yielded 5,573£0z of gold, representing an estimated value of £22,015; making a total of 168,190 tons of quartz and tailings crushed, which yielded 120,2530z, of an approximate value of £359,490. Thiti shows bhaf about 37^ per cepb. otbhe value of the gold obtained laeb year came from auriferous lodes.! The improvements in the appliances for recovering the gold from the crushed pulp have had a greab deal to do with the increased yield from the North Island laab year.

WATORONGOMAI.

There are very few men now working at Waiorongomai. There appears to be a considerable amount of bullion in the ore, but so far it has noc been treated successfully. A fair percentage of the value cannob be recovered by the ordinary battery process, and the ore contains too large a percentage of copper to treat ib economically with cyanide of potassium. There are a large number of lodes in the district known to contain gold, bub most of the miners originally in this locality have left the field, and very little prospecting is done. The total yield from this field last year was 2,5150z bullion, representing a value of about £2,500, while only 29 men were employed in connection with the: mine. lyall, ■ During the past year there were 9,876 feons pf quartz crushed in this locality, yielding 9,1860z of gold, valued at£36,744, while seventy-four men were employed in the mines. i

INAKGAHUA.

Thia ia by far the largest quartz-reefing district) in the Middle Island. It extends for a distance of forty miles, but the claims are greatly scattered, Keef ton being in the centre ; but there are only a few claims working within a radius of three raileß of the town. During the past year 35,214 tons of atone were crushed and tailings treated in the Inangabua district, yielding 19,367J0z gold, representing a value of about £77,470. The total quantity of quartz crushed in tbia district since it was opened amounts to 594,461 tons, which yielded 449,4860z gold, having a value of £1,696,997, out of which dividends have been paid to the extent of £529,429 ; while ttia whole of the calls made by the mining companies amount to £305,379. This shows that there has been £224,050 returned to tho shareholders more than has been paid in calls. The value of the dividends paid last year was £18,832, while 312 men were employed in the mines. OTAGO. The principal quartz-mining districts in Otago are Skippers, Macetown, Old Man Range, Nenthorn, and Bare wood; bub the two principal claims where operations were carried on last year were the Phoenix and the Premier, both of which are now held by English companies. The total quantity of

gold obtained last year from quartz-mining in Otago was 5,573J0z, representing a value of about £22,015. Machinery is now being .ejected to treat Wilson River reefs, and ib is expected thab crushing will soon be commenced. As far as the claim has been opened upl on ;tlie north side of the river some portions ,of ■the lodo are said to be very rich;* but '%ovr far this rich of gold-may go ia-not yet; known.

Mr Cadman also.said that) every mining jjojnpapy.should have a*fund,todrawon for prospecting .purposes when .the day of adversity cornea, instead of paying- away every shilling of profit in dividends. SharehoMors would not then.be so eager to dispose of their shares,,so as :to get clear of calls, and money would1 be available for prospecting and opening oub^tha mines; afresh without having to make calls.

ALLUVIAL SIINIii'S.

Mr-Cadman, in his statement, referred at-1 some length to alluvial mining, which:is i confined to the Middle and Stewart^ 1! Islands. The quantity pf gold produced on i the West Coast last year was ab0ut.98,9300z,j having a value of £395,728, and there were.about 3,860 jinon employed in working .alluvial claims, of whom 990 were .Chinese, j At Maori.Gully, Maori .Creek, Greenstone, Westbrook, Kumarapand Waimqa there are a considerable rmmber of miners employed, especially at Ivuinara, jvhich, is the principal "field for sluicing on the \Yeßt Coast. The Ku'mara field has yielded gold f to.the value of about £U250,000 irom ; an area of not more than 600 acres, and then only on a false bottom, it fills cne with wonder and admiration at thoreaourj3Bs.fabd wealth; which havo lain hidden-for'such a period-from the eyes of man: At (Jallaghan's, between Kumara and Waimea, a party of miners have constructed a tunnel tail-race for drainage purposes of about 3,000 feet in length, and are now.getting sufficient gold.to pay.them fair wages. There.is.also a considerable area of ground jnr the Upper Waimea Valley which has scarcely yet been prospected, and is likely to afford employment for a large number of minors when the branch of the Waimea wator:race is completed. In the Otago district last year, 4,132 miners wore employed in the alluvial working : of these, 1,233 were Chinese. At Maerewhenu 77 men were employed in mining, and the gold obtained was 2,3970z, representing a value of £9,849, which is equal to about £128 11s per man. On ,the .Mount Ida fields 530 miners were employed in alluvial mining last year, of whom. 180 were Chinese, and the quantity of gold obtained was about 13,8800z., representing a value of £55,583. At St. Bath an's, one claim worked by Mr John .Ewing last season yielded from the quartz drift 800oz of gold with only eight men employed. The depth of the quartz drift at St. Bathan's baa never yet been tested. Mr Ewing is now down nearly 200 feet, and no bottom has yet been reached. The gold occurs in bands and layers, and, from the manner in which this deposit lies, it must be one of the oldest auriferous driftß in Otago—being found in some places under 500 feet of "Maori bottom," belonging to the Miocene formation. At "Tinker's' the estimated yield last year was about 2,2000z, representing a value of £8,800, and about forty men were employed on the fieldV Included in the Tuapeka district is a portion of the Clv tha Valley, and also the Waipori and Waitahuna goldfields. The results of the alluvial workings in this district last year were 26,0700z gold, representing a value of £105,233 ; while 763 men were employed in tho mines. Last year there wore about 1,2000z of gold obtained from Cardrona and : 700oz from Criffel.

.COAL MINES.

During fcho last year fcho output froia all the coal mines in the colony was 691,548 tons, as against 673,315 for the year provioue, showing an increase of 18,233 tons. The total quantity ..imported was 117,444 tons.-'.; This makes theltotalquantity raised and imported 808,992 -tons; but of this/ 24,288 tons were oxportecl to other countries, j«»d 50,838 :tohs-were used in coaling direct steamers for Europe. However, this may be taken as consumption within the colony, as it is owing to the extension of our commerce that these steamers are required. The total consumption of coal in the colony, therefore, last year was 784,704 . tons, as against 770,599 tons for the previous year.' This chows the increased consumption for. last year to be 14,105 tons. Last year about 8,000 tons loss than the previous year were imported. Notwithstanding that bituminous coal is tho class wo have to look to for an increased output, tlie last year shows a decrease in the quantity raised of 25,927 tons, while there was an increased output) of 41,526 tons of pitch coal, and 6,694 tons of brown coal. The decrease in the output of bituminous coal last year was in a great measure due to the faults which have been met wifch in the Brunnor mine, and tho flooding out of the Coalpit Heath-mine. Tho outpub from the Brunner mine was 40,065 tonß less than the year previous.

EARNINGS Of THE COiL-MINEKS,

Ib ia very difficult) to get ub the exact earnings of tbo coal-miners. In previous years it has been arrived at on the basis that it cost the mine-proprietors 6s per ton to pit the coal in the trucks or wagon.3 readY to eend ifc away to market or a port of shipment. If the same basis be taken this year, the earnings of the miners ■would be £202,464 Bs. The average number of men employed in ,the coalmines last year being 1,888, thie would give an average of £107 4s 8d a man per annum. The number of men employed in the coal mineß for the previous year, being 1,693, the average wage was equal to £119 7s Id a man per annum. The average output por man lasb year was 366 tone, as against 400 tons for the year previous. The lower output last year is accounted fo?; by the large amount of dead work in opening up the Cardiff, Granity Creek, the.new mine at Brunner, and the Hikurangi miues.

MANGANESE.

There are large quantities of manganese in the colony, but its low value will nob admit of costly transib to a porb of shipment; and it is only when the ore can be gob near the ocean beach, where vessels can come to load, that it can be made remunerative for working. Hitherto mining for this ore has been confined principally to the Auckland districfc^-at Whangarei, Bay of Islands, and Waiheke Island. There is some very rich ore in the .Otagp/district, near the mouth of the taieri Kiver, but it has- nob been fouud in sufficient quantity to work remuneratively. During che last yoar 319 tons were exported, representing a value of £943.

ANTIMONY,

The principal workings of antimony-ore are ab Endeavour Inlet, Queen Charlotte Sound, the present company being the third one to embark in the undertaking. Mr Seagar, iron-founder, of Wellington, has invented a process whereby it is stated that one cord of firewood is sufficient to produce one ton of crude antimony. Thia process has now been working for three months continuously, and, so far, has given every satisfaction. The elinaes of the antimonyore, which were until recently considered a waste product, are'now converted into a marketable commodity.. If the process be' successful, ib has overcome one of the greatest difficulties in the way of the production of antimony from its ore that has been experienced in all the countries of the world where this meta! is obtained. It is stated that the cost of production is so small that, even at the present low price of star antimony, it can be delivered in the Home markets at such a rate as to leave a fair margin of profit. This, process, when it becomes generally known, may have the effect of re-opening other antimony mines, at Waipori and elsewhere. Last year there were 331 tons of -antimony and antimony. ores exported, having a value of £5,467.

-The report also refers briefly,, to the^gros' pectsVof vcinnabar;and scheelite being,, pro' fitably mined. - ': ■

Lasts year 8,317 tons were exported, having a market rvalue-of. £510^5^whofeas in tho former.year-tb*efe*-were exported--8,705 tone, v»6eicl?aifr {£5V1iW.".,. The price of the gum, ias'shown by,~the <3aßtomß're-; turns, gives, however, bub a poor idea of what tne gam-diggef:acbually obtains from the storekeeper; ~"':The:' ; ; .price"' varies Ttf accordance with the"-quality'of thesjiim. The local price for low quality of gum, washed nuts, is from £22 to £26...per, ton; for unpacked ordinary well-scraped gum, from £38 to £40, per eon. .The-best gum (rescraped) brings £80 per ton, and in some cases it is said that special samples have realised as much as £14.0 per ton. What is known as bree^gum is worth aboub £20 per ton in its native state, but when rescraped ib-brings, from £45 to £50 per ton. This industry aflbrds a means of livelihood to a large number, both of the European and native population." If their earnings be estimated at £75 per man per annum, it would show " thab/ aiboub • 6,810 people were: employed in vr guindipging. The gum industry, therefore, forms a very important element in the prosperity of the northern portion of the Norfeh Island.'■■' . ;;..;„ BO4.DS,AN^ TRACKS. .-,^ ,'['{'," , The cost of roads and tracks .authorised lasb ye,ar was £23,958, and the actual expenditnre £18i'275. r Of this ' amount £15,506 %yas expended by direct .grants, £2;719 by iub'sidiesiito1 local; .bp^ie^ J£h& liabilities on works of this character on the 31st March laat wore £18.590.* ")■ During the last twelve years that the Ministor of Bdines has ha;d control of this vote,tba,expenditure has amounted to £215,516. Of this amoanfc, £140,502 was in direob granfca. and £75,014 by subsidies, during, the same period the local bodies having contributed £49.620. Since the Crown and Lands Rabiog Act has been dispensed with even the preoent hight rates are inadequate to maintain the present roads and tracks. It has, therer fore, become absolutely necessary for the Mines Department to come to tho assistance of the local bodiea. ■;.' ' . ■ ??

KAUEI-GPMi V

WATER BACES.

The value of water races on the goldfields, exclusive of tho3e constructed by the Government; is £821,020, while the value of tail-races, dams and reservoirs,, amounts to £379,634. In addition to this the value of water-races constructed by the Govern men jb in the Middle Island is £346,715., -Two of those—namely, the Waimea-Kumara and tho Mount Ida water-races—are controlled by the department. The total expenditure on these two water-races has been £241,29.0, and the neb profit, including the duty en the gold obtained from claims worked with water from water-races controlled byVthe department before tb6 gold duty was abolished, has been £70,357 9s 6d. The Waimea-Kumara waterraco cost £171,683, and the" total value of the sales of water, since it construction about sixteen years ago, has been £132,820; while the total expenditure during this period has been £80,545. This leaves a net profit, exclusive of the duty on gold before its abolition, of £52,375. The neb profit lasb year' waa £3,274, The demand; for water; from, the Waimea portion of the race is gradually . getting less, ..bub a new branch is being constructed, and when this is completed it will enable the miners to work an extensive area of land on which aurifer ous drifts are known' to exist, bub which could hot be profitably 'worked >vithoub Jsa large supply of water. ' Tbo expenditure on this branch up to the 31eb,of< March lasb was £1,908, and another £2;4Q0 will have tobe'spent before it can be brought to a pro-; (itable issue, The sales of water. laßb year from tho Kumara water-race amounted to £5,582, whjle the expendituroon maintenance was £1,917, leaving a net profit on the working of £3,665. -The total amount ex,pended in eubsidie3 foiv prospecting during the past bwolvp yeark.has been £15,713, tho amounli expended last year being £1,592. ■'< ■ ■--r^f,:^:^:

SCHOOLS OP MINES.

The progress madefy the students attending the Schools of Mines ha>. induced the Government to grant a scholarship for a term ot threo yearsat: the Otago University to one atudbnb from each of. the schools at the Thames; Reefton; and Dunedin, on their* getting, the number of marks prescribed by the regulations.. The subjects for examination aier': Minipg, pumping arid winding, ventilation of mines, tho composition and use of explosives, mining and land surveying, geology, and, drawing. To be able to pass in some of these subjects, students will reqqirefco have a good knowledge of mathematics, and* therefore .this subiecb was no;b made poijnpulsory. These scholarships.are'offered a3Jan incentive to young men to continue their studies ab these schools. Ifc is gratifying to know that -most of the students who have attended the Thames School, and passed through a three-years' course,, have readily obtained empioymentrirsome as assayers to mining companies, others boingemployed by the Cassel Company in carrying on leaching operatipns with cyanide of potassium. The total expenditure on Schools of .Mines since their inauguration, exclusive of the amounts contributed towards the School of Mines connectjscj with the Otagp University, has been £ll,89b; of this amouxib £J,604 has been expended on buildings, £943 on chemicals and school requisites, and £10,349 y on salaries of instructors. Last year the expenditure amounted to £lrOs£. The total contribution given towards the Sclipol of Mines afe the Otago Univoraiby, including £500 paid last year, amounts to £'2,056.

IMPORTANT PROPOSALS.

It is intended to ask the House to vote a considerable sum (1) for deep level sinking in reefing: districts, (2) for. construction of water races and etonige reservoirs, (3) pro? clamation of rivers and streams as water courses for deposit of tailings, (4) resiiuiption of occupation license and residence sites. ■ ..'. .. ' '. A hope is expressed thai) the House will see its way to vote sufficient annually to keep tlieaa works going. Attention is also I called to the high rates struck in goldfields countries, showing that nearly all of them strike the maximum of eixiarbhiKga in the pound. - --- ■ -■■ ■; ■-.- ; - : ";.-.-.