NEW ZEALAND MINES STATEMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 237, 4 October 1894, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND MINES STATEMENT.

The Hon. A. J, Cadman, Minister of Mines, delivered bis first statement on the mining industries of the colony to the House on Oct. 2nd. The reporb was a very comprehensive one, dealing with all branches of the mining industry.

MINERAL PRODUCTION.

The quantity and value of gold and silver produced for the year onding the 31st December, 1893, was 259.8870/, of the value of £922,551, while 700,603 tons of other minerals (including 8,317 tons of kauri gum), of the total value of £899,793, wore also produced for the same period, as against 260,1320z of gold and silver, of the value of £958,740, and 657.293 tons of other minerals—including kauri gum—of a value of £907,566 produced for the previous year. The details of the quantities and valuoa of fcho different minerals exported are as follows : — Gold, 226,8110z, value £913,138; (silver, 63,0760z, value £9,743 ; antimony ore, 331 tons, value, £3,467; Maganese ore, 319 tons, value £945 : mixed minerals, S7^tons, value £650; cb'air""&9,'r36" '^'ionii- value £72,699; coke, 51 ton-Walno £53; kauri gum, 8,517, value £510,775 ; while the coal produced and consumed in the colony amountod to 622,412 tons, valued at £511,206; making a total value of all minerals of £1,522,674. Tho value of gold and silver produced up to the end of 1893 was £49,454,886, and the values of other minerals and metalliferous ores, including kauri guru, are a3 follows : Copper, £17,36(> ; chrome, £37,367 ; antimony, £49,507 ; manganese, £56,107; h.-cmatito, £226; mixed minerals, £70,322; kaurigum, £6,860,106 ; coal exported, £659,882 ; coke exported, £23,643. The value of coal raised and consumed in the colony was £3,842,408 ; making a total value of £61,072,410. The quantity of foroign coal imported for the year ending tho 31st December, 1893. und 117,444 tons, of the value of £111,956 ; of this, 6,026 tons of the value of £6,460, was, however, again sent out of the colony.

jNCBEASED GOLD YIELD FKOM AUCKLAND.

The yield of gold for the year ending the 31st March last shows an iucreaee over the previous year of 12.0430Z, representing a ■ value of £52,753. The total yield last year, according to the Customs returns of the quantity entered for exportation—not including tha gold manufactured into jewellery, etc., in the colony — was 247,7020z, representing a value of £970,220; while the' yield for the former year amounted to 228,6590z, having a value of £917,467. Tho increasedyioldlastyoar came from the Auckland and Ocagodistricts,being 11,3740z and 4,7810z respectively; while the Marlborough district showed a decroase in tho yield over the former year of 7930z, Nelson 6130z and &he West Coast 2,7060z, making the total increase in the North Island and Otago ]6,1050z, and the total decrease in the other districts 4,1120z. Of the gold produced last yonr, the Auckland district contributed 52,4260z, or 21-7S per cent, of the total yield ; Alarlborough and Nelson 4,4410z, or 1-84 per cent.; the West Ccf&at; 98,930ez, or 4110 per CGnfi.yOtago 84,9000z, or 35/28 per cent. The yield of gold from Coromandel, including Kuaotunu, lasb your was 10,0196z frpm 10,242 tons of quartz and 2,383 tons of tailings ; showing a decrease of 2,9350z for the lasb year. Recently gold-bearing stone hss been got in the deep levels of tho Kapanga mine: and rich stone was also discovered in the Coromandel Company's property. Tho total yield of gold from tho Kuaotunu tield last year waa 8,0440z. This came from 9.660 tons of quartz and 2,240 tone of tailings. At the Thames duriDg the last year there wore 34,637 ton 3of quartz and 14,970 tons of mullock crushed, also 13,220 tons of tailings treated, yielding 54,6370z of gold, representing an estimated value of £92.050; while 650 men were employed. The principal gold- producing mines hava been the Moanabaiari, 4,5860z ; New Albumin, 5,9920z; iiazoibank, "2,6690z; Waiotahi, 2,7100z ; May Queen, 4,,5690z: and the Cambria, 1,4700z. The total yield was 1,0350z more than the previous year. EARNINGS OF THE GOLD-3IINEES.

The total number of miners employeo* last year waa 11,553, as against 12,197 for the previous 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 earnings of the miners ' aie equal to about £83 19* "d per annum, while their avorage earnings for the former year amounted to £75 4s sd. This shows an increase of £S 15s 2d over the average earnings for the former year. Taking the different districts, with the number of miners employed in each, and the value of the gold obtained, the average earnings in each locality would be as follows:—Auckland, £161 13s 7d : Marlborough, £36 5e lOd ; Nelson, £38 8s; West Coast, £75 7a 3d; and Otago, £75 18s lid a man per annum. QUARTZ WORKINGS. Ab the qnartz workings may be termed

"the permanent gold-producing mines" of the colony, ib is gratifying to find the yield of gold increasing from this source. The returns referred to show thab in the Auckland district 89,916 tons of quartz were crushed, and 18,900 tons of tailings treated, which gave 54,3850z of gold and 61,3890z of bullion, representing an estimated value of £219,651. This would be equivalent to aboub 85.2020z gold, as the average value of the gold found in the North Island is aboub £2 lie 6d per ounce; whereas the value of the gold found in the Middle Island is aboub £3 19a per ounce. In the Neteon district; 4,561 tons of quartz yielded 9140z of gold, having an estimated value of £3,610. " On the West Coast 45,090 tons of quartz yielded 28,553£0z of gold, having approximately a value ot £114,214; and in Otago 9,723 tons of quartz yielded 5,573|0z of gold, represenbing 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. This shows that about 37£ per cent, ot the value of tho gold obtained last year came from auriferous lodes. Tho improvements in the appliances for recovering the gold from the crushed pulp have had a great deal to do with the increased yield from the North Island lasb year.

COAL MINES.

During the lasb year the output from all the coal mines in the colony was 691,548 tons, as against 673,315 for the year previous, showing an increase of 18,233 tons. The total quantity imported was 117,444 tons. This makes the total quantity raised and imported 808,992 tons; but of this, 24,288 tons were exported to other countries, and 50,838 tons 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 734,704 tons, as against 770,599 tons for tho previous year. This shows the increased consumption for last year to be 14,105 tona. Lasb year about 8,000 tons loss than the previous year were imported. Notwithstanding that bituminous coal is the class wo have to look to for an increased output, the lasb year shows a decrease in the quantity raised of 25,927 tons, while there was an increased outpub of 41,526 tons of pitch coal, and 6,694 tons of brown coal. The decrease in the outpub of bituminous coal last year was in a great measure due to the faults which have been mob with in the Brunner mine, and the flooding out of the Coalpit Heath mine. The outpub from the Brunner mine was 40,065 tons less than the year previous.

EARNINGS OF THE COAL-MINERS,

Ib i 3 very difficult to ceb ab the exact earnings of the coal-rninere. In previous yeara it has been arrived ab on the basis that ib cosb the mine-proprietors 6s per ton to pub the coal in the trucks or wagons ready to send it 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 mon employed in tho coalmines losb year being 1,888, tbia would give an average of £107 4s 8d a man per annum. The number of men employed in the coal mines for the previous year boing 1,693, the average wage was equal to £119 7a Id a man per annum. The average output per man last year was 366 tons, as against 400 tons for the year previous. The lower output last year is accounted for by the large amount of dead work in opening up the Cardiff, Granity Creok, the new mine at Brunner, and the Hikurangi names.

kauri orm

Laab year 8,317 tons were exported* having a market value,.of £510,775, where; as in the former year there were exported 8,70| tons, valued ab' £517,678. The price of tKo gum, as show" by the Customs reCurnJ," g»ye.8 f however, bu6 a poor*'idea ~bt wliAVtlSe gum-digger actually dtitains frbin tho'sfcorekcepeV Tho" price varies" in accordance with the quality of the gum. The local price for low quality of gum, washed nuts, is from £22 to £26 per ton ; for unpneked ordinary well-scraped gum, from £38 to £40 per ton. The best gum' (rescrapod) brings £80 per ton, and in some cases it is said that special Bamplos have realised as much as £140 per ton. What is known as tree-glim is worth aboub £20 per ton in its native state, but when rescraped ib brings from £45 to £50 per ton. This industry affords a means of livelihood to a large number, both of the European and nativo population. If their earnings bo estimated ab £75 per man per annum, it would show that aboub 6,810 people were employed in gum digging. Tho gum industry, therefore, forms a very important element in the prosperity of the northern portion of the North Island.

Important Proposals.

It is intended to ask the House to vote a considerable sum (1) for deep level sinking in reefing districts, (2) for copstruction of wator races and storage reservoirs, (3) proclamation of rivers and streams as water courses for deposib of tailings, (4) resumption of occupation license and residence sites. ' ■.'■;

A hop© is expressed that tho Honse will see its way to vote sufficient annually to keep these works going. Attention is also called to the high rates struck in goldfields countries, showing that nearly all of them strike the maximum of cix farthings in the pound.