MINING INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 3

MINING INDUSTRY.

i—. ' MINISTER'S ANNUM. STATEMENT. Tho annual statement of tlio Minister for ' ' itines- (tho lion B. M'Kcnnc) states that nn>rovomcnts in. mnchinory and developments of , lcctrical power promise in tho nniuodiaifl uturo to transform many of tho loir grado , ' ires and poor alluvial deposits <nlo highly pro- , itablo mining propositions, tyiirwg tho jear \ ho mining industry has boon-carried on with absfactory results There is .a slight docroaro, ■ imounting in \aluo to £16,112, in tho bullion, iroduction of tho goldfiolds, which ip more nan counter-balanced by tho substantial mrcase in tho output of coal. Now collieries I m a largo scale aro m process of development m the West Coast, and a suiplus of coal for >xpoit is expected There has been an. unprecedented fall ih tho export of kann gum, mounting to .£207,030. This is atluUullcd to v cheaper substitute being employed in flio nanufacturo of varnish in Euiopo and' Yniorica Inquiries aro being made m tho liope of impioraig tho position ' There lias • vlso been ji Muall decline in tho jiroducboii I it schcehte, copper, manganese, And nnl-mtonj.l Lmpjoycos of tho mining mdustrv during 190S i totalled 12,774, a decreaso of 307 on the pre- ' wous jear Tho value of bullion exported* ' from 1851 till 1908 was .£74,799,991, and^ho-total, inmcnl production up to December 31 last, ) was .£101,058,76,) Gold exported in lflOg totalled 50G,4230z. (.£2,004,925). a decrease of » £22,565 on tho previous y<?ar. Tho valuo-oflallj or mmerals produced during tho' year '.was' Gold. Tho rast year has been -iiblo for alluvial mining, with the highly -tftisfaclorj result that there has been an l 'ncreTsort prodnctiou of gold to tho value of i.101,009 fiom tho alluvial mines and dredges ot tho West Coasl, Gtago, and Southland. It was confidently anticipated that lire Bess Flat would again become one of the most important gold-producing centres in Now Zealand. ■ Considerable activity contmnes m connection, with alluvial dredge mining, the- average yield' being £3039 poi workm* dredge, a decrease of •£239 on tho amount obtained per dredge daring tho previous yeai. At the end of 1908 tlieio were 123 dredges at work in tho Dominion Aunforons quaitz mining maj now bo considered tho most important and permanent ' branch of tho gokr-minuig industry. > On tho ' mora rasntlv discovered goldfiolds at Karanga.' hako, Waihi, Big Rivei, and Black-water, opera, tions on an extensive scale aro lioing earned., on, but on tho older fields of Thames and Coro-1 tuamlcl mining is not in such a satisfactorT position. Active operations in connection with the prosecution of tho driving of a deep lovol tunnel across the Thames goldfiolds would bo commenced in the immediate future. Satisfactory mining operations havo been carried on on tho West Coast, pailiculailv in tho Beef ton district During 1908, 30 per cent, of the bullion «on from quartz mining was paid in dividends. Coal. Tho production of coal for tho past vcar was the highest >ct attained, being 1,800,975 -** %}£• a V„, lncrcaso al 29 .36G tons more than in V 1907 Iho quavtihy would havo been very) ' J» much greater had it not beeh for tho in- 1 creased annual importation of coal from Kcw <-\ South 'Wales, A substantial reduction m the price of coal was anticipated, owing to tho ' addition to tho' number ot collieries. Opera- « tions at tho State colherrcs contimio to bo '* satisfactory, tho output being 289,481 tons, an incrcaso of 48,708 tons, compared with tho out-, put of the previous year. At Scddonvillo, a considerable improvement has taken place, both as regards tho quality of tho coal and ot quantity. Preparations for tho development ot tho new area at' Point Elizabeth aro now . well advanced, and it was expected that coal , - from this section of tho mine would bo placed on tho market within the next eighteen months ■ v •. Tho vast sonrces of wealth in tho deposits ' or lion ore at Parapara and of iron-«sndalong the laranahi Coast aro attracting tho attention of capitalists, and tho negotiations winch havo been m progress for their develop- , ment maj soon bo, brought to a successful issue. Niucty-ono students of tho Schools of Mining i presented themselves at tho annual examination, conducted h\ tho Mines Department. If tho results are to bo commensurate with 3 tne expenditure on prospecting in future it, .„ * would bo most desn lblo to encourage the prospecting of the least explored, portions of ithon? > tuimng districts ~,, j Tho, future of tho gold-mining industry lies , in the deep -ground and unexplored coimtrv, i and tho Miuos Department, by subsidising deep finking and boring operations, is endeavouring to bring about increased prosperity to tho Water for Mining Purposed Tho value of water-conservation for mining and othoi purposes has been recognu=cd hv tic tioyoinmcnt, and tho subject has lcccivcd, closo attention. Survojs have been going on for soino time in Central Otago, and valuable data, in addition to what is already in tho hands of tho Mines Department, has been / collected, with a view to an extensive schomo ?i V"™r-<»nscrvation being undertaken. On tho West Coast suiveys have been mado and a scheme prepared for an extension of tho Kumara Government wator-raco across fto River » Taramnkau to the auriferous terraces situated between that river and tho Hohonu River. Regulations have been framed which will en- ' able tho enormous hydio-cloctric power ob- - - tamable from our mountain rivers and streams * to be available upon very leasonablo terms ' to mining companies and others requiring this power. Tho safctj of life and property demanded tho introduction of regulations controlling tho installation and use of electricity " in and 4 about nunos, and during tho year tho ' inspecting engineei of the Department visited; * the Commonwealth of Australia to investigate and report on tho methods adopted thoro for controlling tho use of electrical energy m ton-" ' nection with mining operations Regulations based on thoso standardised in Great Britain and Vustiaha for the protection of mine-'- v owners and operatives have now been framed, and will soon bo biought into operation. Miners' phthisis, hotter Known as " minors' ■> complaint," is not prevalent in this Dominion. Iho Minister for Labour will submit proposals > dealing with this question during tho present session Tho hvgienic condition of the mines ' of this Dominion is on the vvholo very satisfactory, owing to the cquablo temperature, ' ,' plontitul viator supplj, compulsory sanitary) airangcmonts, and regular inspection by both.] miners' and Government inspectors. Logisla-' • tion to enforco tho use ot sprays in cornice-, ', I tion with rock-drills and coal-cutters may ul. timatclv bo dcirable, but it is not proposed! | to deal with 'this phaso of tho question at! present, pondingthoicsult of further lnvostatho medical examination of persons over llho' age of eighteen voars pngugod in tho mining industry villi bo submitted for tho considera- ' tion of tho House. The medical cxammition, insisted on bv some nime-ovrnors at. presenti as a qualification for eniplovnicnt is consioV ered detrimental to tho mining industry.