OTAGO SCHOOL OF MINES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3035, 15 May 1912, Page 4

OTAGO SCHOOL OF MINES.

The director's annual report for the year 1911, submitted to the Otago University Council last week stated inter aliaY— The Mining School -for the-session of 1911 showed an attendance of 29 students, of whom 12 were entered for the full associate courses and four for.the surveying course, the remaining - 12 attending the classes in geology. At the annual examinations one failed in mathematics, one in | senior surveying, and three in-computa- . tions. ; ?;?•'• I As a result of the New Zealand r University examinations James Allan f Thomson, B.Sc, Oxford, A.0.5.M., obtained tfie D.Sc. degree, and/ William Andrew Alexander first class honours in physics and the senior scholarship in geology..., Dr A. Moncrieff Firilaysoh] IA.Q.SM.,' was awarded the 40 guinea premium of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, for his thesis on "The Secondary Enrichment of the Copper Ores of Rio Tinto, Spain." In 1910 this prize was awarded to Alexander M'Xeod, A.0.5.M., for a paper on " The Efficiency of Steam Condensation." Mr E. Fletcher Roberts and E. Gordon Wilson passed the examinations of the New Zealand Surveyors' Board of Examiners, and obtained their diplomas as licensed surveyors, the former standing at the top of the list for the Dominion. The nuriiber of important appointments secured by your old graduates exceeds that of any former year, and in 1911, as in 1910, the demand for men who have just graduated is greater than the supply, which is mainly due to the small number of students annually entering the Mining School. At the "present time 37 old students are profitably employed in mining and- engineering in New Zealand, and of these no fewer than 14 hold official appointments in connection with the Mines and Geological Departments of the State. Among the more important appointments obtained by old graduates during 1911 are the following:—G. W. Thomson, A.0.5.M., mill superintendent, the Temis Kerning Mining Company, Cobalt, Ontario-; R A. Farquharson. A.0.5.M., petrologist to Geological Survey of Western Australia; Robert A.O.S.M., general manager Kaitangata Colleries; Percy G. Morgan, M.A., A.0.5.M., director New Zealand Geological Surveys; J. Allan Thomson, D.Sc, A.0.5.M., palaeontologist New Zealand Geological Surveys; John Henderson, D.Sc.,* A.0i8.M., geolqgist New Zealand Geological Survey;.John A. Bartrum, field geologist New Zealand Geological Survey; T. Otto Bishop, A.0.5.M., inspector of mines West Coast of South Island; William Gibson, 8.E., A.0.5.M., director Karangahaka School of Mines; H. Lovell, director Coromandel School of Mines; John F. M'Padden, director Reefton School of Mines; Otto Fxiedlander, A.0.5.M., sampler, Messrs Bewick, Moreing, and Co., Kalgoorlie; A. Gordon Macdtanald, 8.E., A.0.5.M., Government Inspector of Mines, Malay Settlement; F. W. Thomas, A.0.5.M.. mine surveyor Abbontiahoon Mines, Gold Coast Colony; E D. E.Isaacson, A.0.5.M., assistant manager Congo Mines, Upper Congo; O. Gore Adams, A.0.5.M., mining engineer to Compania IstanifeTa El Acre, Bolivia; A. Walker, A.0.5.M., assistant manager Grand Junction Mines, Waihi; Harold Hamilton, A.0.5.M., assistant geologist to Mawson Antarctic Expedition; Philip M'Douall, B.E, A.0.5.M., mine surveyor Wealth of Nations Mino, Reefton. During 1911 the number of samples forwarded by the public for examination and valuation bv assay or analysis showed an increase over that of 1910, being as follows:—Number of lots, 133; total number of samples, 273; number of separate esti-' mates, nil. The samples included quartz and quartz ores for the determination of gold arid silver, scheelite for tungstic acid, coals, oils, shales, rock phosphate, limestones, fireclays, bullion, and various ores of iron, copper, etc. The new machines for '■ testing cement, iron and wood in tension and for compression wore erected during the early part of 1911, and have already proved of immense value to the classes in mining engineering and applied mechanics. The report will bo considered at the next meeting of the council.