MINES STATEMENT, BY THE HON. R.J. SEDDON, MINISTER OF MINES.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1892 Session I, C-05

C.—s

1892. NEW ZEALAND.

MINES STATEMENT, BY THE HON. R. J. SEDDON, MINISTER OF MINES.

Mr. Speaker,— In making my second Statement on the mining industry, it is gratifying to be able to show that the production of gold has greatly exceeded the quantity obtained for several years previously, and also that the output from the coal-mines is steadily increasing year after year. The magnitude the mining industry is assuming, and the large population it is the means of supporting, cannot fail to bring it prominently before all classes of the community as a very important element in contributing to the wealth and prosperity of the colony. It affords profitable employment to a large percentage of our population, and has been the means of bringing into the country a class of highly deserving colonists who, by their determination, energy, and perseverance have explored the hitherto unknown mineral lands the colony contains, opened up extensive tracts of land for permanent settlement, have been the means of bringing the waste lands of the Crown into a state of cultivation, filling them with smiling homesteads and populous towns, causing other industries to spring into existence, besides being a class which contributes largely to the revenue. When we look back, Sir, to thirty years ago and compare the colony in its present state to what it was then, the changes it has undergone are something marvellous. The attraction of our goldfields has been the means of causing thousands of people to pour in from all parts of the world to search for the mineral wealth the colony contains. These have had to undergo many hardships, endure privations, and overcome many obstacles; but notwithstanding all these the miner of to-day has not lost that liberal, free, and independent spirit which has characterised him from the earliest period of the gold discovery. They are a class of colonists we are greatly indebted to, and it behoves us to give them every encouragement and assistance in further developing and opening up the immense treasures which are distributed in rich profusion throughout the length and breadth of the land, but hidden from the eyes of man in the bowels of the earth. By so doing we are encouraging an industry which is yearly increasing in magnitude, giving profitable employment to the labouring-classes, and thereby increasing our wealth and future prosperity. MINERAL PRODUCTION. The principal attention of the mining community has hitherto been chiefly directed to the development of the gold, silver, and coal deposits, and, although a certain quantity of other mineral products have been yearly obtained, the number of men engaged in other mines is comparatively small in proportion to those employed in Avorking auriferous and argentiferous lodes, auriferous drifts, and coal, but we may look in the future for more attention being given to the developmont of other minerals. We cannot expect this to be done rapidly, inasmuch that in commencing any new industry there are many difficulties and obstacles to be overcome, not only in opening-up and developing the mines, but also in finding a suitable market for the disposal of the products; and as nearly all the metalliferous and mineral deposits are found in the high lands and mountainous regions not opened up by roads, the question of getting proper machinery and supplies on to the ground, and cost of transit of ore to a port of shipment becomes a serious consideration, as it requires a large amount of capital to be expended before any return can be expected. An instance of this can be given in the case of the Wakatipu Scheelite Company, who some years ago opened out a scheelite mine at the Buckleburn, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, in Otago. On commencing to work their mine they had a good I—C. 5.

C.—s

2

market for their ore in Germany, where the only purchasers could be found for this mineral at that time. This induced them to erect machinery to dress the ore ; but on sending Home again they found that the market was very limited, and the price then obtained would not pay the cost of transit, shipping charges, &c, so that they suspended operations. Recently, however, several inquiries have been made to the Mines Department by London and Liverpool merchants for this mineral, offering £12 and £14 per ton for ore containing 40 per cent. oE scheelite. The same thing takes place in starting any new industry which is depending on foreign markets. It takes a considerable time to get it firmly established, and, unless there is an abundance of capital to work on, it is generally the second and third parties who reap the reward of the original prospectors' labours. The total value of gold, silver, metalliferous ores, and other minerals, including kaurigum, that have been obtained in the colony since the Ist January, 1853, up to the end of December last, amounts to £57,383,520 : of this sum gold has has been obtained to the value of £47,433,117; silver, £140,148; copper-ore, £17,866; chrome-ore, £37,367; antimonyore, £41,140 ; manganese-ore, £53,925 ; hsematite-ore, £226; unclassified minerals, £69,041; coal exported, £506,958; coke exported, £17,899; coal, the output of the mines and consumed within the colony, £3,234,090; and kauri-gum, £5,831,743. During the last year ending same period the value of the mining produce was : Gold, £1,007,488 ; silver, £5,151; copper-ore, £4; antimony-ore, £4,950; manganese-ore, £2,634; other minerals, £7; coal exported, £91,173 ; coke exported, £3,658; coal, the output from the mines and consumed within the colony, £288,565 ; and kauri-gum, £437,056 : making a total value of the mining produce last year £1,840,686, as against £1,524,794 for the former year, showing an increase in the value last year of £315,882, as will be seen in Table I. annexed, while Tables 111. and IV. will give the districts from whence the minerals were produced. GOLD-MINING. In referring, Sir, to this branch of the mining industry it is very gratifying to me to mention that, unlike the Statements of several previous years which showed a falling-off in the yield of gold, there has been a large increase in the production last year. The quantity and value of gold entered for exportation for the financial year ending the 31st March last was 276,5350z., representing a value of £1,107,177 ; while for the former year it was 171,0800z., valued at £685,321; showing an increase last year of 105,4550z., and £421,856. This large increase in the quantity exported is to some extent due to gold being held by the banks pending the abolition of the gold duty, which took place on the Ist Api'il, 1891. By reference to the Customs returns it will be seen that this is patent in the case of gold exported from Otago during the quarter ending 31st March, 1891, which only shows the export to be 640z. Taking the other districts affected by the abolition of the duty, the quantity exported from the West Coast was 20,0920z. ; Marlborough, nil; and Nelson, 80oz. : making the total quantity exported from all districts affected by the abolition of the gold duty during the March quarter 20,2360z., representing a value of £80,931. In order to arrive at the quantity and value of gold held back which ought to be included in the previous year's return, the average for the four quarters previous to the Ist January, 1891, that is the quantity and value exported from these districts during the year ending the 31st December, 1890, divided by four, will give a very close approximation of the quantity that ought to have been exported during the March quarter of 1891. If anything, it will give slightly more to the credit of the March quarter than it really would have been, as that quarter .was very dry both on the West Coast and in Otago, which prevented hydraulic-sluicing operations from being continuously carried on. Taking therefore the average of the four quarters referred to, it shows that the returns from Nelson should have been for the quarter ending 31st March, 1891, 7140z. ; Marlborough, 1,5180z. ; West Coast, 22,2740z.; and Otago, 15,8520z. : making a total of 40,3500z., representing a value of £161,906 : showing that 20,1220z., valued at £80,972, should be credited to the previous year's produce, and deducted from that exported last year, which makes the actual yield last year to be 256,4130z., representing a value of £1,026,145, as against 191,2020z., valued at £766,293 for the previous year ; thus showing the actual value of the increased yield last year to be £259,852. Taking the production of gold from the different districts last year, the West Coast contributed 45"2 per cent.; Otago, 35 per cent.; Auckland, 15 per cent.; and Marlborough and Nelson 4 per cent. It is also gratifying to find the increased yield was from every gold-mining district in the colony; the increased production being from Auckland, 1,8940z.; Marlborough, 4,6870z.; Nelson, 3,6910z. ; West Coast, 31,3660z.; and from Otago, 63,8160z.

0.—5

3

QUARTZ-WORKINGS. In reference to quartz-workings this may be said to be the most permanent branch of the gold-mining industry, and it is satisfactory to find that the extent of the workings is gradually increasing year after year. During the last year the returns from the Coromandcl, Thames, Ohinemuri, Te Aroha, and Reefton Districts, which are the principal places where quartz-mining is carried on, show that there were 110,815 tons of quartz and 21,953 tons of mullock crushed, and 18,660 tons of tailings treated, which yielded 73,4530z. gold and 30,5380z. bullion, representing a value of £269,956; while for the previous year 95,606 tons of quartz and 21,261 tons of mullock were crushed, and 16,065 tons of tailings treated, which yielded 73,0950z. gold and 42,5030z. bullion, having a value of £251,248 : thus showing an increase in the value of the production last year of £18,708. Although the quantity of bullion obtained for the previous year was more than last year, the value was only £26,325, while the bullion obtained last .year was valued at £33,849. In dealing with this branch of mining I will confine my remarks to the principal localities where auriferous and argentiferous lodes are being worked. Puhipuiii. There is very little more known in regard to Puhipu-hi becoming a field where the argentiferous lodes can be made to pay for working than at the time of my last Statement. The reduction and extraction plant erected by the prospectors proved unsuitable for the class of ore there is to deal with on this field. This has not only disheartened the prospectors, who have spent a considerable amount of capital without getting any return, but it has also proved a great drawback to other claims being prospected, as there was no opportunity of getting the ore tested on the field, and there being no other plants nearer than Auckland and Thames, the cost of transit of the ore to either of these places makes the working of low-grade ore prohibitive. During last year two parcels of stone were forwarded to the Thames, and treated at the experimental plant at the School of Mines. One of these parcels had only an assay-value of £1 Bs. per ton, but the other one of 1,9001b. of ore from the Waipu Claim showed an assay-value of £9 10s., there being loz. sdwt. of gold and 330z. sdwt. silver, of which bullion to the value of £8 14s. was extracted, being 915 per cent, of the assay-value. This shows that there is ore on the field capable of being worked at a profit if there were proper appliances to treat it; but until far more prospecting has been done, and the lodes proved to a reasonable depth, it is premature to form a definite opinion as to whether this field will ultimately be the means of affording profitable employment to a large mining population or not. COROMANDEL. Some of the mines in the Coromandel District are not looking so well as they did twelve months ago, although the quantity of gold obtained last year was 2,3830z. more than for the previous one, which is principally due to the mines on the Kuaotunu field being better opened up and developed. The claims on the Tokatea Range still continue to contribute to the production of gold, although not to the same extent as they did in former years. The falling-off in the yield of gold is attributed to the ground being held by companies, who would not employ men on wages to work it, neither would they let any portion of it on tribute without getting a large percentage of the gross yield. The ground belonging to two companies—the Harbour View and Royal Oak—was declared forfeited by the Warden, and again taken up by other parties, and recently 184oz. of gold was obtained from 2001b. of stone taken from the Royal Oak ground, showing that, although this ground has been worked near the surface for the last twenty-six years, there are still some rich patches of auriferous quartz to be obtained. The two English companies—the Kapanga and Coromandel—have amalgamated their properties with the Blagrove Freehold, and are working all of them now under one proprietary; but their mining operations last year were not attended with that success the proprietors deserve. Some steps have been taken to float a company to purchase the whole of the holdings on the Tokatea Range, with the view of opening up the ground and properly testing the main lode going through the range, but this scheme is said to have fallen through. During last year 855 tons of quartz was crushed from mines in the vicinity of Coromandel, which yielded 1,8120z. of gold. Kuaotunu. At Kuaotunu mining operations are beginning to be carried on extensively. There are five crushing, grinding, and amalgamating plants on the field, but neither of them is of the

G.—s

4

most approved construction. At the Try Fluke Company's plant they save the whole of the tailings, and grind and amalgamate it in pans, but there is a large percentage of the gold carried away in muddy water from the buddies. The average return of gold from the ordinary battery process of treatment is about 12dwt. per ton. About an equal quantity can be got by regrinding and amalgamating the tailings, and recently a test was made of the sediment obtained from twenty gallons of muddy water boiled down, which gave about lCdwt. of gold per ton, thus showing that with the ordinary process of treatment not more than about 36 per cent, of the gold in the stone is saved. The owners of mining properties on this field are beginning to see the advantages of treating the tailings, and are more careful about saving the gold than they were when the field was first opened. During last year 10,872 tons of stone were crushed, which yielded 8,3310z. of gold. There are several auriferous lodes on this field on which a large amount of work has been done in constructing adits and carrying on prospecting operations, and from the appearance of these lodes and the average returns of gold in the stone, the field, although not a rich one, is likely to afford permanent employment to a considerable population for many years. Thames. One of the principal gold-producing mines at the Thames having suspended operations at the deep levels, and discharged about ninety wages-men, has cast a gloom.on this place for a time, but, notwithstanding this, there has been 781oz. more gold obtained in the district last year than for the previous one. There was a falling-off to the extent of 1,1990z. in the Thames Borough, but this was compensated by an increased yield of 1,9800z. within the Thames County. The whole of the mines within the Thames Borough are depending on the drainage of the ground by the Big Pump, and as the drainage-rates form a considerable element in the weekly expenditure of each of the holders of these mines, the Saxon Company, who had to pay £97 10s. a month for drainage, suspended operations at the deep levels in order -to get their rates reduced. The principal gold-producing mines in this locality last year, and the quantity of gold obtained, were the Moanataiari, 5,1320z.; Saxon, 4,7650z. ; Sylvia, 1,1520z. gold and bullion to the value of £7,874; Waiotahi, 2,8590z.'; Hazelbank, 2,2130z.; May Queen, 2,0680z.; Cambria, 1,5650z.; Comers, 1,0730z. ; and Fame and Fortune, 1,0350z. During last year 47,197 tons of stone and 21,953 tons of mullock were crushed, and 17,000 tons of tailings treated, which yielded 35,871 oz. of gold. The mullock is merely material quarried in a face from the Kurunui Hill, which yielded 1,1700z. of gold, being an average of about ldwt. 11gr. per ton, which is said to pay all expenses in connection with quarrying and treating this class of material. Ohinemuri. The mines in the Ohinemuri District are looking very promising. There are large lodes containing auriferous and argentiferous ores in this district, but until within the last four years they were looked upon as being of too low a grade to pay for working, but since the principle of assaying and sampling the ores has come into general use at the mines, it is found that there are very rich ores in this district, and that with a proper method of treatment many of the mines are likely to contribute largely to the production of gold in future. At Karangahake the Crown Company have succeeded in opening up a valuable property. They discovered a lode in the Waitewhcta Gorge, which varies from 4ft. to Bft. in thickness, but where the lode is wide only about 4ft. of it is taken at the present time, and this has averaged in value about £15 per ton. This lode has been prospected on both sides of the creek, and at different levels, and the whole of the lode stuff will pay for working when the large plant which is now in course of erection is completed. At Waihi, extensive mining operations are being carried on by the Waihi Company, who are working the Martha, Union, and Rosemont lodes, the former lode being about 24ft. in thickness, all of which is taken out and sent to the crushing-plant for treatment. This company has erected one of the largest and most complete crushing-plants in the colony. There are thirty heads of stamps employed in dry-crushing and thirty heads in wet-crushing, the water from the wet-crushing battery being used over and over again, so that no fine gold or silver can be carried away with the muddy water. They have also large and efficient amalgamating appliances, and they are now erecting a plant to treat the pulverised ore with a solution of potassium cyanide on the Bohm process. At Waitekauri Mr. T. H. Russell took up the ground comprising the old workings, where a large main lode of low-grade ore exists, and erected a crushing-plant similar to the one recently erected by the Waihi Company for wet-crushing; but the ore from this main lode

5

a—s

proved too low a grade to pay the cost of treatment. During last year a new discovery was made at Komata, and after carefully testing the ore from this new find, Mr. Russell purchased the property for £3,000, and is now engaged in constructing a tramway to connect the mine with his crushing battery. He tested 100 tons of the ore, which yielded 4500z. of gold. Several large auriferous lodes are known to exist between Waitekauri and the East Coast, but very little prospecting has ever been done on any of them, although some of them have been considered payable for working with modern appliances. During last year 13,865 tons of quartz was crushed from the Ohinemuri District, which yielded 1,0220z. of gold, and 20,6730z. of bullion. Te Aroha. At Te A.roha very little mining has been carried on last year, most of the miners that formerly were on this field having left the district, owing to the principal ground being held in two large special claims for several years, without much work being done in either of them. The claims referred to are those previously held by the Te Aroha Gold- and Silvermining Company and the Ferguson Syndicate, and although portion of this ground has now been thrown open it is difficult to get men to return to a district when once they leave it in search of employment elsewhere. When once a general exodus from a field occurs it takes some years before men can again be induced to return. There is an auriferous belt of country in this locality of considerable extent, but it requires a good deal of means to open up and develop the lodes. During last year 1,597 tons of quartz was crushed, and 1,125 tons of tailings treated, which yielded 9790z. gold. Mahakipawa. At Mahakipawa the Ravenswood Company, of London, have erected a crushing-plant in the Waikakaho Valley, and connected the mines and plant by an aerial tramway ; but, having had many unforeseen difficulties to contend with, they have only now commenced to crush the stone, so that very little more is known about this field than there was twelve months ago. Inangahua. As the Inangahua District is by far the largest field where quartz-mining operations are carried on in the Middle Island, it may be interesting to honourable members to state that a table has been compiled, and appears in the report of the Inspecting Engineer, which shows the whole of the quartz-mining companies carrying on operations on this field since it was first opened, giving the paid-up capital of each company, and dividends declared. To take the whole of these companies—that is, the amount paid in calls, and that received in dividends, the table shows a profit on the workings of £221,578 ; thus proving that although many persons have lost money in mining on this field the loss was principally due to purchasing shares far above their nominal value, and not by investing money judiciously. The table also shows that £272,029 was paid into the different companies in calls, and £493,607 received in dividends; that 522,250 tons of quartz have been crushed, yielding 410,9020z. of gold, representing a value of £1,542,350. There is an extensive belt of country running through this district, containing numerous auriferous lodes, many of which have not yet been tested ; and even those which have been worked in very few instances have the lodes been systematically prospected, so that it may truly be said that quartz-mining in this locality is only in its infancy. During last year 35,562 tons of quartz was crushed, which yielded 23,3900z. of gold, representing a value of £93,885. Otago. Notwithstanding the large quantity of gold obtained in the Otago District very little of it has come from the quartz-workings. Although one would expect to find auriferous lodes in the high lands, where so rich deposits of gold are found in the alluvial drifts in the valleys, the only locality where quartz-mining is chiefly carried on is in the Lake District, some of the claims at Skippers', the Shotover, and Macetown having given fair returns last year. The quantity of quartz crushed in this district for the past year has been 7,220 tons, which yielded 4,0110z. representing a value of £16,308. Other quartz-workings have been carried on in the vicinity of Nenthorn, Barewood, Deepdell, and the Old-man Range, but no definite returns from any of the mines in either of these localities have been obtained.

C.—s

6

ALLUVIAL MINING. I will now, Sir, refer to the alluvial mining which may be said to include hydraulicsluicing. This class of mining is entirely confined to the Middle and South Island, and, indeed, there are so few mines in the South or Stewart Island, that the alluvial goldfields may be said to be confined to Otago and the West Coast. There are about 10,393 miners actively engaged in this branch of the gold-mining industry, of which number 2,967 are Chinese, and nearly three-fourths of the gold produced in the colony last year was obtained from the auriferous alluvial drifts. Notwithstanding that a large number of miners have been continousiy engaged in this class of mining since the discovery of gold in New Zealand, there are still existing extensive areas of country covered with auriferous ground which will afford remunerative employment to a large population for many years if worked with modern appliances. A great deal of the shallow and easily-worked ground has been gone over; but even after some of these places have been worked two or three times they are found to yield sufficient gold to pay for reworking them by hydraulic-sluicing where plenty of water is available. Ground is now taken up and worked with profit which a few years ago was considered valueless. Indeed it may be said that the number of men who could be profitably engaged in working the auriferous drifts is only limited by the quantity of available water which could be taken to command and work the ground. Mahakipawa. The most recently discovered field —Mahakipawa—suffered very much in prosperity last year by the wet season, which caused a succession of floods in the creek in which the principal workings are being carried on. Notwithstanding this, a considerable quantity of gold was obtained from this field last year for the number of men employed. The whole of the creek claims on Crown lands will be worked out within twelve months if it is moderately fine weather; but the lead or run of gold-bearing drift having been traced out of the creek-bed into the flat, which is comprised in Mr. Cullen's freehold, the field may last a considerable time. However, if the gold continues to go down the flat, heavier pumping machinery will have to be erected than is now used, as it is found there is a large quantity of water to contend with in the ground. A new discovery of auriferous ground was made by four miners in Duncan's Gully, about two miles from Mahakipawa, nearer Queen Charlotte Sound, in February last, the prospectors getting one piece of gold about an ounce in weight, and several smaller pieces, the sinking being about 24ft. This discovery is about two miles and a half back from the Grove—Mahakipawa Road, and about one mile and a quarter up the gully above Mr. Duncan's freehold. Some other claims were bottomed higher up than the Prospectors, and gold got; but the wet weather coming on flooded the whole of them, and very little work has been done since to prove whether there is any extent of ground or not that will pay for working. West Coast. The quantity of gold produced from the West Coast last year was 118,1580z., representing a value of £472,672. Of this quantity, about 90,0000z. was obtained from the alluvial workings, in which 5,080 miners were employed —namely, 3,779 Europeans, and 1,301 Chinese. The whole of the West Coast may be said to contain auriferous-drift deposits, as well as lodes in which gold, silver, and other metalliferous ores are found; but owing to the rough and broken nature of the country, which is also covered with a dense forest, requiring metalled roads and horse-tracks to be constructed before provisions and supplies can be conveyed to those residing in it, the back and south portion of that part of the colony has hardly ever been prospected to any extent. Indeed, there are many parts of the West Coast that have never yet been trodden by man. Yet gold is found in almost the whole of the river-beds between Collingwood and Big Bay. Westport. There are a few miners still working on the ocean-beach between the Buller and the Mokihinui River, but most of the mining population is between Westport and Fox's River, near Brighton. The quantity of gold obtained in the Westport district last year was 14,1480z., valued at £56,540. There is an extensive area of ground, in which numerous leads or runs of gold-bearing drifts have been found—at Addison's, Croninville, and Charleston. At the latter place the Buller County Council is bringing in an additional supply of water for the miners from the Four-mile Creek, as it is considered by those in this locality that, with a plentiful supply, ground which was considered valueless in the early days of the field can now be made,

7

C—s

with modern appliances, remunerative for working. At Addison's Flat there are still some very good claims on the leads of gold discovered when this flat was first opened; and of recent years a new lead has been discovered nearer Cape Foulwind than any of the others by Minogue and party, which is found to give good returns for working. Inangahua. In the Inangahua District the greater portion of the gold is obtained from quartz workings, but there are a considerable number of miners still engaged in working the auriferous alluvial drifts in different portions of the district—namely, at Matakitaki, Maruia, Slab Hut Creek, Snowy River, Antonio's, and in the vicinity of Boatman's. The quantity of gold produced from the alluvial workings last year was, approximately, 5,0000z., representing a value of £20,000; and there were 307 miners employed in this branch of mining, of which 217 were Chinese. Grey. There are a large number of miners employed in the Grey district in working the auriferous drifts, which cover an extensive area. There is a belt of country from the main Grey River, at its junction with Clarke's River, to Maori Creek, and westward to the ocean, where rich deposits of gold have been from time to time found. There are several runs or leads of auriferous drifts running at almost right angles to the present creek-beds, in a belt of country which includes Noble's, Granville, Orwell Creek, Callaghan's, Nelson Creek, Kangaroo, Red Jacks, No Town, Maori Gully, Maori Creek, Limestone, and Rutherglcn Diggings; and this belt joins with one running parallel with the coast-line coming from the direction of the Greenstone and Maori Creek. There are very few places on these belts where alluvial drifts are found—even on the terraces —but which could be made remunerative for working were a good supply of water available ; but, as the whole of the creeks and streams cross this belt at about right angles, forming deep ravines and precipitous gorges, it would be a very costly undertaking to construct a water-supply to command a large extent of country. On the opposite side of the Grey Valley from this belt there is the Moonlight and Blackball Diggings. At the latter place about thirty-seven miners are employed, all of whom are making good wages, notwithstanding the primitive methods adopted in working some of the claims. Very little prospecting has been done in this direction, as there are no roads or tracks leading inland from these diggings, and the whole of the hydraulic plants that are now being used were principally carried for a distance of about two miles on men's backs to their claims. The quantity of gold produced from the Grey district last year was 25,7750z., valued at £103,135, and about 1,425 miners were employed, of which 413 were Chinese. Westland. Westland contains the largest stretch of auriferous country there is on the West Coast, in the southern portion of which scarcely any prospecting has been done with the exception of testing the beach leads along the coast-line. There are four large mining centres in this district which are worthy of notice —namely, Kumara, Waimea, Rimu, and Ross. The quantity of gold obtained from the Westland District last year was 25,7750z., representing a value of £10.3,135, and about 1,525 miners were employed in working in the auriferous alluvial drifts, of which 413 were Chinese. Kumara. Kumara is the largest mining centre on the West Coast, and it may be said to be a field where the miners are making better wages than any other on this side of the main range. There are about 235 miners employed in claims, and these claims are all within a radius of one mile. As near as can be ascertained, the quantity of gold obtained last year from this place was about 13,9890z., representing a value of £54,558. The most of the gold yet obtained from this field has come out of the drift above a false bottom, and it is considered by those acquainted with mining that there is a probability of other leads of gold being found under the false bottom on which the claims are being worked. Taking into consideration the large quantity of gold that has already been obtained from the whole of the claims, which do not exceed an area of 1,000 acres, and that not more than about 550 acres of this ground are yet worked, it must be admitted to be a rich field, seeing that gold has already been obtained to the value of about £1,154,000, and it is a field deserving of being further prospected to see if a deep lead or run of rich auriferous drift exists. The claimholders have combined, and each contributed an equal amount towards sinking a prospecting shaft,

C.—s

8

which is now down 100 ft. below the false bottom they were originally working on. A few colours of gold have been got in one of the layers gone through, but nothing payable for working has yet been struck. The difficulty in sinking this shaft is the quantity of water to contend with, and, as there is about two-thirds of a sluice-head to lift, it is possible that the present pumping appliance—namely, a jet-pump—will not be capable of raising the water from a great depth, and this will necessitate pumping machinery being erected before the ground can be tested. AVaimea. There has been a large quantity of gold obtained about the Waimea; but now the ground is getting worked for a long distance back from the creek, and the creek-bed largely filled up with tailings. The fall for hydraulic sluicing is beginning to seriously interfere with working the ground advantageously. The most of the claims are worked with water from the Government water-race; but, owing to the difficulties there are to contend with here, the yield of gold is small for the number of men employed. At the present time the water-race is being extended to command new ground at the head of Waimea Creek, which, when completed, will open up a much larger field for sluicing operations to be carried on. Kanieri and Rimu. There are a considerable number of miners employed in the vicinity of Kanieri, Blue Spur, Back Creek, and Rimu. At the latter place about the same number of miners are employed as for the previous year, but no new ground has been opened, nor the lead traced for a greater distance in a southerly direction. The Prospecting Association sunk thirteen shafts last year in this locality, having an aggregate depth of 859 ft., and also constructed 208 ft. of prospecting drives, without meeting with much success, the total expenditure upon this work being only £206. Recently I have received intimation that gold has been discovered in payable quantities for working near the Ross Road, in the vicinity of Ogilvie's. A shaft has been sunk, and a layer of drift—3ft. 6in.—passed through, which prospected at the rate of lgr. of gold to the tindishful of stuff; the wash-drift from this layer went ldwt. 2gr. to the load. Ross. There are still a considerable number of miners employed about Ross in working the auriferous drifts, and also scattered along the different ocean-beaches along the coast between this and Jackson's Bay. There is a large area covered with auriferous drifts in the locality of Ross, and some very rich ground has been worked on the deep levels on the flat. These will no doubt be again opened up, when larger pumping machinery is erected to drain the ground; but at the present time the ground is held by the Ross United Gold-mining Company, wdio have not sufficient capital to place machinery thereon, and they are merely working the top levels on tribute. The quantity of gold obtained in the immediate vicinity of Ross last year was 4,2710z., valued at £17,078. With regard to the south portion of Westland, coarse gold has been found in the beds of the Mokihinui, Wataroa, Waiho, Cook's, and other rivers, a considerable distance back from the ocean-beach, but no workings of any extent have been carried on inland; and, until this portion of the colony is better opened, and more facilities given by way of communication and the transmission of cheap and regular supplies, we can never expect to have a large population, nor much prospecting done in this locality. Otago. Next in importance to the West Coast is Otago. The quantity of gold obtained from this field last year was 105,5310z., representing a value of £423,527, and about 5,063 miners were employed in working the alluvial drifts, of whom about 1,573 were Chinese. There are very few places within the Otago goldfield where alluvial drifts exist that do not contain gold. The principal gold-mining centres are Maerewhenua, Mount Ida, St. Bathan's, Tinker's, Tuapeka, Clutha Valley, Bannockburn, Cardrona, Shotover, Nevis, Waikaia, and Orepuki, including Round Hill. Maerewhenua. At Maerewhenua there is a considerable area of auriferous ground, on which about seventy-four miners are employed, but very little of this area can be worked with the available water-supply that can be brought on to the field. During the last year the Maerewhenua River was proclaimed a watercourse for the deposit of tailings ; but it is very

9

C.—s

questionable if this will cause more mining to be carried on than heretofore, owing to the scarcity of water. The notice of the intention to proclaim this river a tailings-channel having been issued previous to my taking office, it was allowed to proceed ; at the same time, it is questionable whether the amount of compensation already arranged for, and that which will still have to be paid, will be recouped from the revenue derived from mining in this locality. The quantity of gold obtained from this field last year was about 2,0000z., representing a value of about £8,000. Mount Ida. There is a large area of auriferous ground in this district, and a considerable number of miners at work in different localities on the field; but in general the ground is very poor, and the water-supply so intermittent that the miners can only make small wages. There is some very rich ground on the top of Mount Buster, but, this being at a high elevation, the claims can only be worked for about six months in the year. The quantity of gold obtained last year in this district, which includes St. Bathan's, was 12,2760z., valued at £49,380. St. Bathan's. There are some very rich claims in the locality of St. Bathan's, where the -workings are carried on in the old quartz-drift or granite-wash. A sludge-channel or tail-race has been in course of construction for the last five years, to enable the claims to be worked to a deeper level, and last year 4500z. of gold was obtained from the excavated material in the construction of this tail-race, which will yet take a considerable time to complete. To show the value of some of the ground in this locality, one of Mr. John Ewen's claims produced last year 850oz. of gold, having a value of £3,400, and only eight men are employed in working it. From seven claims in this locality 2,3500z. of gold was obtained, representing a value of £9,400. Tinker's. The quantity of gold obtained from seven claims at Tinker's last year was 3,3500z., having a value of £13,400, and forty-four men were employed. This gives an average of £303 10s. for every man employed, which is by far the highest average wages on any goldfield in the colony. There is also a large extent of auriferous ground in this locality, but, all the available water being taken up, more claims cannot be opened. Every available stream is taken up that can be brought on to the ground at a sufficient elevation. To show the value that water is held at in this locality, during last year the Undaunted Company purchased the right of four sluice-heads of water from Shepherd's Creek for £1,250, and they will have to construct a water-race for a distance of about twelve miles to bring the water on to their ground. Tuapeka. The mining claims in the Tuapeka District are scattered over an extensive area of country. Although this is the centre of a large mining district, there are very few claims in close proximity to each other. The principal gold-working in the immediate vicinity of Tuapeka is at the Blue Spur, where an English company is working the cement. They hold most of the water rights in the locality, and therefore have the key to the available ground. Last year this company obtained 3,4700z. gold, representing a value of £13,330; but as this was principally obtained from the tailings and alluvial drift leading into the cement, it gives no criterion of the amount of gold that will be got in working the cement by itself. The total quantity of gold obtained in the Tuapeka District last year, including the portion of the Clutha Valley within the Tuapeka County, was 29,5570z., having a value of £118,706. Clutha Valley. The Clutha Valley may be said to contain the most extensive area of rich auriferousdrift deposits there is in the colony. The beds of almost every stream flowing into the Clutha River contains gold, some of which have been remarkably rich. Most of the claims held in the valley of the Clutha are considered good mining properties, and likely to yield fair returns of gold by working them. The Island Block Company were not so successful last year as they were previously, but they have brought in a larger supply of water, so as to be able to work more hydraulic-elevators. The Island Block Extended and Roxburgh Amalgamated Companies are said to have fair ground, and likely to be good investments. Indeed, there are very few claims in this valley that cannot be made to yield fair returns if they have a good supply of water, and are worked economically and systematically. 2—C. 5.

C.—s

10

Bannockburn. There are still a good number of miners working claims at Bannockburn by means of the Pipeclay Sludge-channel, but the ground is said to be getting very poor. A new sludgechannel has been constructed higher up the valley of the Kawarau River than the Pipeclay Channel, and some claims are being worked into it with fair results. Cardrona. The claims in the Cardrona Valley are still continuing to give fair returns. Last year there were about 2,0000z. of gold obtained, and seventy men employed; but no further new ground has been opened up. Craig and party are tracing the lead higher up the range than where previously worked, and are getting coarse pieces of gold. The diggings on the top of Mount Criffcl produced a considerable quantity of gold for the number of men employed, but the ground cannot be worked for more than six months in the year, and the extent of the workings is limited to the available quantity of water brought on to the field. Last season 1,2000z. of gold was obtained from Criffel, and twenty-three men employed in the claims. Shotover. In the localities of the Shotover and Arrow Valleys some of the hydraulic-sluicing claims have yielded a fair quantity of gold. The terraces in the valley of the Shotover will all pay to work with a good supply of water, and the drift, being principally of fine character, almost the whole of it can be sent away in the sluice. Amongst the principal gold-producing claims in this locality may be mentioned Aspinal's, Davis and Moody's, Johnston's, and Davis Brothers. In connection with Davis and Moody's claim, an expenditure of about £10,000 was incurred in bringing in a supply of water from Skipper's Creek, and last season was the first that they were able to work the ground, the results of the working being considered highly satisfactory. The same gentlemen have another claim in the bed of the Arrow River, above the falls, on which they have expended about £7,000, and have now about got it in working order. The total quantity of gold obtained in the Wakatipu District—which includes Criffel, Cardrona, Shotover and Nevis —w f as 19,4910z., representing a value of £78,118. Orepuki. The principal place where most of the miners are working in the Orepuki, District is at Round Hill, where there have been in the past some very rich claims. There are about 160 Europeans and 250 Chinese employed in this district, and some of the Chinese are said to be making as much as £10 per week a man. About two years ago a company w r as formed in London to work some ground at Round Hill, and last year they got the plant so far completed that a commencement was made to open it up, and, from the returns obtained, this company considers they have a valuable mining property. The ground in this locality must be very rich, as the quantity of water used to work the ordinary claims is very small. A sluice-head of water here is the quantity that will pass over a bar in the bottom of a box lOin. wide and lin. in depth, and about four of these heads are used to work a claim. At Orepuki there are a few miners engaged in claims, but in general the ground is getting very poor. During last year about fifty-four miners were working on Coal Island, and on the mainland, near Preservation Inlet, also in the beds of some of the streams about six miles north of Preservation Inlet. It is said that in some instances at the latter place they are able to get over loz. of gold a man per day when the creek is low enough to allow them to work. The quantity of gold obtained from all these localities last year was 6,8290z., representing a value of £27,537. DREDGING. I will now, Sir, casually refer to dredging operations in connection with gold-mining. It may be said that dredges have succeeded in lifting the auriferous material from the beds of rivers, ocean beaches, and wet ground according to expectation, but their deficiency was in the gold-saving appliances, in not being able to extract the gold from the material after lifting it. Improvements in these appliances are continually being made, and the time is not far distant when we may look forward to dredges being employed to work comparatively shallow ground more economically than by any other means, especially where there is little fall to be obtained and a large quantity of water to be contended with. It is very seldom that any new appliance is perfected in the first instance —it is only after using it that its defects are found out; and as these dredges have been worked successfully on the Clutha

11

G.—s

River for a number of years, and more recently on the Shotover River, as well as in working wet ground on Waipori Flat, there is no reason why they should not be made profitable ventures if ordinary care is taken in prospecting the ground before incurrring expense in procuring machinery. COAL-MINING. I now come to one of the most important branches of the mining industry—namely, coalmining, which is steadily progressing year after year in proportion to the increase of our population requiring fuel, and to the establishment of industries using coal for generating motive power, lhe increase in the output from our mines where lignite, brown, and pitch coal are obtained, can only take place as the demand for local consumption increases, for, although the best of these classes of coal can be carried some distance from the mines, its supply is limited to the consumption, it may be said, within a radius of 150 miles, as no large stock of it can be kept on hand on account of its breaking up and crumbling away by exposure to the atmosphere. It is therefore only from bituminous coal-mines that a large increased output can be looked for; and, as our principal bituminous coal-field is on the western slope of the main range in the Middle Island, the yearly increased output from the mines in this part of the colony cannot be expected to be much greater than hitherto until the harbours at Westport and Greymouth are completed to such an extent that vessels carrying 3,000 tons on one bottom can leave these ports, so as to carry the coal to markets outside of the colony. No large sudden increase in the output from our mines need be expected on the completion of these harbours, as it will take some years to open up the mines and find foreign markets for the coal. Seeing that there is now a large number of coal-mines being worked in Japan, where the cost of labour is extremely small, the coal from that country being taken to different ports in India and South America, it is only owing to the superior quality of our coal that w r e may hope to find a market, and this will take a certain time to establish. We may, however, reasonably expect that coal properties in this colony, on the completion of the West Coast harbours, will be able to compete with those in New South Wales in supplying coal to any of the other Australian Colonies. During last year the total output from all the mines of the colony was 668,794 tons, as against 637,397 for the previous year, thus showing an increase in the output of 31,397 tons. The quantity of coal imported was 120,775 tons from New South Wales, and 4,543 tons from other countries, making 125,318 tons, as against 110,939 tons imported for the previous year. This shows an increase in the quantity imported for the previous year of 14,379 tons. In regard to importation of coal from New South Wales, the quantity has varied from 98,241 tons to 144,442 tons per annum. The total quantity imported from New South Wales during the last twelve years was 1,428,309 tons, which is equal to an average annual importation of 119,026 tons. It may be said, taking one year with another, that the importation of coal from New South Wales has varied very little. A great deal of this is due to the coal being carried as back-freight by vessels trading with produce between here and Australia, and also by coal being used to fill up as dead-weight in vessels carrying timber. Taking the output from the mines last year and the quantity of coal imported, it makes a total of 794,112 tons, as against 748,366 tons for the previous year. The quantity exported last year was 99,464 tons, but out of this 70,371 tons is returned by the Customs Department as coal exported to the United Kingdom, which means that it was used for coaling the Direct steamers; this may fairly be termed consumption within the colony on the same basis as supplying coal for the Union Company's steamers in the intercolonial trade; therefore, on this assumption, the net export last year was 29,093 tons, out of which 6,300 tons was of foreign produce. Deducting the quantity of coal exported it leaves the consumption within the colony last year as being 765,019 tons, as against 714,932 tons for the previous year, which shows an increased consumption last year of 50,087 tons. It is, however, very gratifying to find, notwithstanding the quantity of foreign coal consumed in the colony, that the demand is gradually increasing year after year. The consumption last year was 432,574 tons more than what it was in 1878. Of the total quantity of the different classes of coal obtained in the colony since the records have been kept by the department, 3,531,749 tons is bituminous coal, 2,275,364 tons brown coal, 1,112,965 tons pitch coal, and 211,708 tons of lignite—making a total of 7,131,986 tons. During last year the output from the mines consisted of 387,839 tons of bituminous coal, as against 323,712 tons for the former year, thus showing an increase

G.—s

12

in the output of this class last year of 64,127 tons; while the output of brown coal was 161,904 tons, and pitch coal 96,979 tons, as against 171,725 tons and 124,593 tons respectively for the previous year —showing a falling-off in the output of these classes of coal to the extent of 37,435 tons ; while during the same period 22,072 tons of lignite was raised, being 4,705 tons more than for the previous year. The supply of lignite is entirely regulated by the demand in the immediate vicinity of the pits where it is raised, and the demand for brown and pitch coal wdll always depend upon the output of bituminous coal, and the price it can be supplied at in the district where brown and pitch coal are obtained. Any large increased output of coal in future must necessarily be from the bituminous coal-mines, and as these are, as I have already remarked, situated on the west coast of the Middle Island, where the harbours are yet in course of construction, it will take a number of years yet before the coalfield is properly developed and the mines opened up. The districts in which there was an increased output last year were : Westport, 35,788 tons; Greymouth, 26,504 tons ; and Mokau, 2,525 tons; the principal increase being from the Westport and Brunner Collieries. It is to be regretted that the Kawakawa Mine, in the Bay of Islands County, is almost worked out, the old workings being now abandoned. Some new workings are being opened up with a view of taking out a small area of coal left in pillars in the early days when the mine was first opened. There is a large coal-field between Hikurangi and Hukerenui, which is now being opened up by the extension of the railway from Kamo, and when this is completed it will afford a cheap means of transit of the coal to a port of shipment. The coal found in this locality is much superior to that found at Kamo, being somewhat similar in quality to that obtained at Kawakawa. In reference to our bituminous coalfields, it is deplorable to see the waste of coal that is carried on at some of the mines. It will be recollected by some honourable members that when Mr. Kennedy, the managing director of Brunner Colliery, was giving his evidence last year before the Goldfields Committee on some of the measures of the Coal-mines Act which was jiassed last session, he stated that about 500 tons of slack coal was emptied into the Grey River every month from the Brunner Mine alone, which ought to be utilised and converted into a marketable commodity. There is a large market for coke of good quality in the Australian Colonies, and by a proper system of manufacture the slack from the mines on the West Coast would make the finest coke in the world. I called attention to this in my last Statement, and the facts are fully borne out by the statements in a letter addressed to the Hon. John See, the Treasurer of New South Wales, by the secretary of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, which has been published. In this letter it is asserted that the Broken Hill Company is using 1,000 tons of coke per week, but that all the colonial coke that has been tried is far inferior to that of either English or German manufacture, on account of the slack not being washed, prepared, dressed, and burned, so as to make it more dense and hard. Colonial coke is found to contain about 6 per cent, more ash than English coke, and this is stated to be equal to using eighty tons mors of the colonial than the English article every week, reducing the capacity of the furnaces by seventy tons of ore per week, and also necessitating seventy tons more flux being used for the same period, or, as the secretary states, " The use of colonial coke instead of English would mulct the company in the sum of £645 w r eekly, made up as follows : Eighty tons at £5 per ton, £400 ; profit on seventy tons of ore at £2 10s. per ton, £175 ; seventy tons of flux—iron and lime—£7o." The secretary to the company estimates the loss with English coke at 7 per cent., and colonial coke 13 per cent., while he states that most of the colonial coke can stand no burden, but crumbles up quickly in the furnaces, and fills the space around the tuyeres with fine coke, causing large losses in lead and silver, both chemically and mechanically. He further states that they find it inferior to such a degree that its use to a great extent is entirely out of the question, and leaves no other course open to the company but to use either the English or continental manufacture. This is to be deplored, seeing that we have the finest coal in the world for the manufacture of coke. The coal-mine proprietors would find it to their advantage to wash and dress the slack-coal as carefully as they do in Europe before manufacturing it into coke. When coke is friable and easily broken, either in transit or in the furnace, it interferes very seriously with smelting, and becomes embedded in slags, and absorbs the lead. Special care should be taken to remove all shale and earthy matters from the slack, so as to have a less percentage of ash. If this were done there is a large market to be found, both in Australia and Tasmania, for good coke; and what is now being washed down the Grey River into the ocean ought to form an important as well as a profitable industry.

13

C.—s

EARNINGS OF THE MINERS. Gold Miners. The returns furnished by the Wardens of the respective mining districts are comprised in Table 10 annexed, which show the average number of miners employed last year to be 12,724, as against 13,032 for the year previous, thus showing a decrease in the number employed to the extent of' 308. This decrease is principally in Otago, where the returns show 256 less last year than in the former one. Taking the value of gold exported last year — namely, £1,107,117, and deducting the value of the gold held back by the banks for the quarter ending March, 1891 —namely, £80,972 —it leaves the actual value of last year's produce as £1,026,145, which is equal to £80 12s. a man per annum, while for the previous year the value of the gold exported and that held back by the banks was £766,293, being an average of £56 16s. a man per annum. The average earnings of the miners last year was therefore £21 16s. lid. per annum more than for the former year, and also more than for any year since 1881. Coal Miners. The average number of persons engaged in connection with coal mines last year was 1,693, as against 1,846 for the previous year. Of the number so employed last year 1,277 were employed underground, and 416 on the surface, the output of coal being 668,794 tons, and taking the cost of raising this at 6s. per ton, gives a value of £200,638, which would make the average earnings of the miners to be £118 10s. 2d. a man per annum, while for the former year, on the same basis, it was £1(13 lis. Bd.; thus showing that, notwithstanding the number of inexperienced miners that are said to be employed in some of the mines, their average earnings last year was £14 18s. 6d. more than for the former year. Taking the population actually engaged in gold- and coal-mining last year —namely, 14,417, and the value of the produce, it gives an average wage to each man so employed of £85 Is. lid per annum. In comparing this with the agricultural labourers' earnings last year it shows a favourable result. The total value of the agricultural produce for the last season is given in the Registrar-General's statistics as £4,887,351, and, deducting 10 per cent, from this amount for seed, it leaves the net value of £4,398,616 ; and according to the last census there were 59,058 persons employed in this industry, which gives the average earnings of those engaged in agricultural pursuits as £74 9s. 7d. for each person employed per annum, or £8 lis. 4d. less per annum than those engaged in mining. OTHER MINERAL ORES. It is well known that there are a variety of ores in this colony, but hitherto very little has been done in any metalliferous mining other than for gold and silver; ores containing copper, lead, antimony, manganese, chrome, zinc, and quicksilver are abundant in different places ; and also scheelite, sulphur, arsenic, and other minerals will be sought after and worked, and made remunerative mining ventures. There is also lithographic-stone found in the Northern districts which, when the quarries are properly opened up, is likely to compare favourably with the article imported from Germany. Indeed, very little has yet been done to develop the riches which lie buried in the bowels of the earth, and the want of roads in many districts prohibits mining from being carried on for many of these ores and minerals, which require a cheap means of transit to a market to make their working a profitable undertaking. Antimony. Very little antimony-ore was obtained last year. The English company who were carrying on mining operations for this metal went into liquidation, and the whole of their valuable plant and property was purchased by a syndicate of Wellington gentlemen for £600, who have commenced to work the mine again, and it is now expected that the venture will prove a remunerative investment. Antimony lodes are found at Waipori and Barewood, in Otago, but no extensive operations are being carried on at either of these localities. The quantity of antimony-ore exported last year was 413 tons, valued at £4,950. Copper. Notwithstanding the large deposits of copper there are in various portions of the colony, none of the mines that have been opened have proved remunerative for working. Recently a very large quantity of copper-ore—chalcopyrite—has been discovered in the northern portion of the Auckland District, and some of the ore, which was said to be an average sample of the

C.—s

14

lode, on assay proved to contain 31 per cent, of copper. If the whole of the lode material be of this quality this is the most valuable lode of copper-ore that has yet been discovered in New Zealand. Prospecting operations were carried on to some extent at Maharahara last year, but it is questionable if ore of a payable character for working has yet been discovered. Manganese. There are large deposits of manganese in different portions of the colony, but unless it is found close alongside deep water, where vessels can load, the present value of the ore will not admit of it being worked at a profit. A valuable deposit of carbonate of manganese was said to be discovered some years ago near Paraparaumu, in the Wellington District, but no steps have yet been taken to work it. The manganese workings last year were confined to Waiheke Island, Parua Bay, and Mangapai. The quantity exported was 1,153 tons, having a value of £2,634. KAURI-GUM. The large quantity of kauri-gum that has been obtained from the northern portion of the Auckland District would almost lead those not having a knowledge of New Zealand to think that the supply was almost inexhaustible, but it is only a question of time when this article will become a scarce commodity. So far, year after year has passed by —the gumfields having been worked for the last thirty-nine years—and each year the quantity produced, and value, has slightly increased. Last year 8,388 tons of gum were exported, having a value of £437,056, which is equal to £52 4s. per ton; while the year previous the quantity exported was 7,438 tons, representing a value of £378,563, or £50 18s. per ton. The total quantity of kauri-gum produced during the last thirty-nine years amounts to 143,018! tons, having a value of £5,831,743, which gives an average value of £40 14s. per ton. With such an industry as this, confined to a comparatively small portion of the colony, it is bound to be a great assistance to the struggling settlers who have taken "up land in the locality of the gum-fields, as they can always find profitable employment at gum-digging when they are not fully employed on their land. ROADS AND TRACKS. The most essential work to promote the mining industry and develop the mineral wealth is the construction of roads and tracks. These are absolutely necessary, in order to open up the country and afford facilities to have the mineral portions of it systematically prospected. The northern portion of the Auckland District, as well as the southern portion of Westland and Otago, are almost entirely destitute of either roads or tracks, and the whole of these portions of the colony are said to be rich in minerals. The expenditure on works of this character last year amounted to £10,223, of which £8,502 was given in direct grants, and £1,721 as subsidies to local bodies ; and the total liabilities on these works at the end of March last amounted to £17,123. The total expenditure on roads and tracks within mining districts during the nine years that votes for this purpose have been under the control of the Minister having charge of the department has been £178,909, to which must be added £49,432 paid by local bodies. WATER-RACES. The water-races managed and directly controlled by the Government last year were the Waimea, Kumara, and the Nelson Creek, the latter being only for four months. The total receipts for sales of water amounted to £7,780, and the expenditure on maintenance £3,066, which left a profit on the working of £4,714. In regard to the Nelson Creek Water-race, it was deemed desirable to lease it at a peppercorn rent, as the receipts from the sales of water for the last two years and four months it was directly controlled by the department was £1,313, while the expenditure on maintenance for the same period was £2,150, leaving a loss on the working of £837; and, as a number of the bridges and flumes were getting into a decayed state, and the auriferous ground that the race as at present constructed commands getting yearly considerably less, the Government did not feel justified in maintaining the race at a direct loss. In addition to this water-race the Mount Ida Race is managed by a Trust on behalf of the Government, but, although it has been worked by the Trust for the last fourteen years, the receipts from the sales of water have never covered the cost of maintenance ; votes have to be continually taken for the purpose of keeping it in a state of repair. The total receipts

G.—s

15

from sales of water during the fourteen years it has been managed by a Trust amounts to £18,768, while the total expenditure on maintenance for the same period has amounted to £22,374, thus showing a direct loss of £3,606. Taking the whole of the other water-races directly controlled by the department, including the Argyle Water-race, which was handed over to the Buller County Council in November, 1890, the total receipts from sales of water has amounted to £142,713, while the expenditure on maintenance for the same period has been £96,343, which leaves a profit on the working of £46,370. During the last year the Mikonui Water-race was handed over to the Ross Borough Council, who intend raising necessary funds to complete it. With regard to the Mount Ida Water-race, it is intended to do away with the Trust, and to place the management and control directly under the department, when it is expected that some return will be got from the race, and a more constant supply of water obtained for the use of the miners, who have been sadly complaining about the intermittent supply that they have had for the last two or three years. A considerable portion of the ground being worked out that the Waimea Water-race at present commands, it has been deemed advisable to appropriate some of the profits on the working of the races last year towards extending this water-race for about two miles, which will admit of new ground being opened up, and thus keep up the demand for the supply of water, as well as affording the miners in the district an opportunity of making fair wages. PROSPECTING. As pointed out, for the reasons given in my last Statement, it was proposed to ask the House for a small vote for prospecting, to be expended under the direction of local authorities or mining associations, to assist in further prospecting and exploring the country. A vote of £1,500 was accordingly taken; and of this sum £337 was expended up to the end of March last. There are still, however, large areas of auriferous country where scarcely any prospecting has been done, and if the miners on every goldfield were to combine together, and contribute a small amount weekly into a fund to be spent in prospecting, the mining industry would soon be in a more prosperous state. Were such a fund to be formed it would be the duty of any Government to contribute something to it, so as to encourage the miners in carrying out so worthy an object. Another system under which assistance might reasonably be granted would be by treating the individual miner's labour as representing cash on Avhich a subsidy could be granted to such an extent as would be necessary for supplying provisions and equipment. The position would then be that the miner gives his time and labour, while the State finds sufficient to provide for the necessaries of life, and tools. This is only reasonable, seeing that the colony and the individual would equally profit if prospecting prove successful. To carry on prospecting systematically and economically, all prospecting operations should be directly under the control of the miners' association in the district, as they would have a far better knowledge of the respective localities in which they live than any one coming from another district, and they would see that the work was properly carried on, and get value for the money expended. It is accordingly proposed to continue the vote this year to subsidise prospecting in the manner indicated. SUMMARY OF EXPENDITURE ON WORKS. To summarise, the expenditure and authorities given for works constructed and in pro" gress in mining districts since they were under the control of the Minister in charge of the department is as follows : Roads and tracks on goldfields, £237,573; roads and tracks to open up mineral lands, £6,892; water-races, £47,764; drainage channels, £21,402 ; prospecting works, £49,936; wharves, £436; diamond and other drills, £4,449; paid towards the treatment of ores, £1,342; Schools of Mines, inclusive of amounts paid to the University of Otago, £14,357 : making a total of £384,151, out of which £271,801 has been paid by Government; while the liabilities of the Government amounted on the 31st March last to £18,786, the balance being paid by local bodies and milling companies. A detailed statement of these works will be found in the tables annexed to the report of the Inspecting Engineer. SCHOOLS OF MINES. I will now, Sir, direct the attention of honourable members to the useful and important work being done by the Schools of Mines. The technical knowledge imparted to the miners

a—s

16

at these institutions is deserving of the highest commendation; it is beginning to bear fruit, by causing far more attention to be given to the working of auriferous, argentiferous, and other metalliferous lodes, and to their treatment, than was given in former years. The Thames School has been, attended with the greatest success, on account of its being situated in the heart of the gold-workings, and in the centre of a large mining population, where the workmen and others can attend the night-classes and not interfere with their daily avocations. Last year the average attendance, including Saturday classes for boys attending the public schools, was 111, while for the year previous this was ninety-three. The average attendance exclusive of the Saturday classes was fiftyeight, as against forty-five for the year previous. The students attending this- school are not confined to those residing in the district. There are several young men, and also men well advanced in years, who come from different parts of the colony to attend a course of instruction, and in many cases miners come to this district for the purpose of being able to attend the school and take the chance of finding employment in the meantime in the mines. The Reefton School was better attended last year than it was for the two previous years, and more interest seems to be taken generally in technical education than formerly; but there will never be the number of students at this school that there are at the Thames.' Although Reefton is a large mining centre the mines are greatly scattered over a large extent of country, none of them being within less than a couple of miles of the township where the school is situate, so that the workmen employed in the mines have not the same opportunity of attending the night-classes as those residing in the Thames District, where most of the miners are within a radius of two miles. During last year arrangements were made with the Chancellor of the Dunedin University to hold night-classes at the School of Mines attached to that institution, and also to get assays of any ores or minerals forwarded there on the same terms as those adopted at the Thames and Reefton Schools in regard to fees and charges. This will give any one in the Otago Mining District an opportunity of sending ores to be assayed at a minimum charge. I also arranged with Mr. W. Goodlet, assistant to Professor Bhck at the Otago University, to hold courses of instruction in the minor schools on the West Coast for three months last summer, and his services were highly appreciated. The expenditure on this class of technical teaching last year, exclusive of contributions raised locally and fees from students, was £1,371; and I venture, Sir, to hope that honourable members will consider the colony is receiving full value for such expenditure, and that it is greatly benefited by the system adopted, in affording a means of a technical training to those who wish to be engaged in the mining industry. MINING LEGISLATION. It has been deemed necessary to bring in a Bill to amend the Mining Act of last session. Among some of the principal reasons for requiring amendment in the existing law, I may mention a recent decision given by Mr. Warden Rawson at Invercargill, in a case affecting water-rights. The Warden held that no person had any right to pollute such water, or discharge any tailings or debris into any stream, unless it had been proclaimed a channel for deposit of tailings. If this decision were carried out literally it would practically put a stop to mining, as the holders of water-rights could prevent any one from running tailings or debris into a creek, or even in any way to pollute the water between its source and the place from which the holder of such water-right lifted the water into his waterrace. This would have the effect of giving the holder of the first water-right from any stream a key to the whole of the auriferous ground in the locality, and such holder could completely lock up the ground until he was ready to work it. It is proposed to take power in the amending Bill to remedy this defect. It has been found from experience that the yearly title held under a business-license for sites within gold-field townships does not give a sufficiently secure tenure to w r arrant any large improvements. It is therefore proposed to take power to enable the Warden to grant a license for a period not exceeding twenty years, with the right of renewal if there be no objection. There is also a provision in the amending Bill to admit of a Judge of a Native Land Court declaring that any land that has passed through the Court shall be open for mining if the majority of the Native owners do not object. Also, that the agreements already made

17

C.—s

with the Native owners shall not be prejudicially affected by reason of the extinguishment of the Native title or the issue of a Crown grant for any portion of any land comprised within the original boundaries in the agreements with the Native owners. Further, the Amending Bill provides that, in assessing compensation for any damage done to any land in consequence of a river being declared a watercourse for the deposit of tailings, that the value of such damage shall not exceed the valuation made under "The Land and Income Assessment Act, 1891," instead of " The Property Assessment Act, 1885," which is repealed by the previous-mentioned Act. The Bill will also give power to the Governor to grant mineral leases on Crown lands outside a mining district, providing for the same payments of rents and royalties as those prescribed in the Mining Act of last session for leases granted within a mining district. The other amendments are merely of a verbal character. In regard to the amendments in "The Mining Companies Act, 1886," it has been represented that in many instances shareholders are entirely ignorant of the position of the companies they are interested in, and, unless they can personally attend at the manager's office, they cannot get a balance-sheet showing how the affairs of the company stand. Provision is being made in the Bill for the manager or secretary of any incorporated company carrying on mining operations to transmit a list of shareholders in arrears of calls every six months to each shareholder. Representations have also been made by investors in mining companies that " The Mining Companies Act, 1886," is not complied with in respect to the payment of calls and the qualifications of directors. The Act requires that a director shall not be eligible for election, or be qualified to act, if he be indebted to the company in any sum due in respect of shares held by him. It has been stated that, in order to comply with this provision, some directors give a cheque for their calls which the manager holds in his cash-box, and does not present at the bank for payment; in cases of companies going into liquidation, numbers of these cheques are found to be valueless. The Amending Act provides for all cheques and moneys being paid into a bank within three days after their receipt, and it also gives the Governor power to direct the Audit Office to make an audit of any company's books if at any time deemed desirable. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. The annual reports of this department for the previous year were distributed during the recess. The Twenty-seventh Museum and Laboratory Report, which is now in preparation, will, besides the statistical information relative to the museum collections, the library, and the observatory work, give the details of 401 chemical analyses which have been performed for the Government and for the public. The twenty-second volume of the Geological Reports will give a detailed account of the surveys made during the past year. These surveys have chiefly been directed with the purpose of giving information that will lead to the practical development of those mineral resources which have been indicated by previous explorations. In the northern district of Auckland the geological map has been revised, and several special surveys have been made for the purpose of defining possible coal-bearing formations which are known to be very extensive in that part of the colony. This survey will have a very important practical bearing on the profitable use of railways which have been constructed and are in progress. The Hikurangi Coalfield, to open out which the Kamo Railway is being extended, has been geologically surveyed, and from the evidence obtained the area in which coal may be expected to occur has an extent of ten square miles. The seam where it has been cut is from 6ft. to lift, in thickness, and the coal is of excellent quality. The coalfield which is tapped by the Kawakawa Railway has undergone further examination. It has a very large extent, but owing to the manner in which the surface is obscured by recent formations, the discovery of workable seams can only be made by the use of the diamond-drill in well-selected positions. In the same district the mineral lodes of the Puhipuhi Silverfield were investigated. They occur on the flanks of a table-land, which has an elevation of I,looft. above the sea, and formed by a sheet of volcanic rock about 100 ft. thick, resting on greenstone slates, which have become decomposed to a great depth. In this rotten rock quartz-lodes are very numerous and generally carry silver-ore, but none of the mines have yet proved successful. Cinnabar also occurs in the creek beds, but has not been traced to its source. 3—C. 5.

c.—s

18

The same formation, but without the covering of volcanic rock, was also examined further north, between Waikari and the Bay of Islands, where it contains extensive deposits of manganese-ore and fairly well defined lodes of antimony-ore, upon which some prospecting work has been done. The ore is of excellent quality, and has been formed over a considerable extent of country. The rock-formations associated with the mineral belt included massive reefs of white quartz and green crystalline limestone. A siliceous rock, indicating the former action of hot-springs, is also abundant in some localities. Still further to the north solid copper-pyrites of great purity has been found, but no defined lode has been opened up. The survey was extended to include the North Cape and the West Coast, from Mongonui to Hokianga. The gold drifts on the West Coast have been remapped so as to embody recent discoveries which bear on the development of deep-lead mining in that part of the country. Other reports refer to special examination of mines and mineral deposits, and to the collection of information required for the completion of a geological map of the colony, which it is proposed to publish on a larger scale than has been hitherto attempted. CONCLUSION. In concluding my remarks on the mining industry, I have to express my firm belief that the mineral wealth New Zealand contains will become the greatest factor in contributing to her prosperity. The abundance of mineral and metalliferous deposits, the extensive areas of our coalfields, the superior class of our bituminous coal, and the different products that can be obtained from our rocks and clays, will cause different branches of this industry to spring up; as it is well known that in any country where minerals abound it has rapidly increased in wealth, of which there are no more striking instances than Great Britain and the United States of America. We can look forward with every confidence that this colony has a great future before it; not only is it rich in mineral wealth, but its rich arable soil, extending for 13deg. of latitude within the temperate zone, gives it a variety of climate suitable for the production of most descriptions of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and plants. Its situation in regard to the other islands in the Pacific also points to the important position that the colony will occupy. Having all these advantages, we may rest assured that New Zealand will be a prosperous country, rapidly increasing in wealth and greatness, and will rank amongst the foremost of the British colonies.

0.—5,

19

No. 1 Table showing the Comparison in Quantity and Value of Gold entered for Exportation, and also the Quantity and Value of other Minerals produced, for the Years ending the 31st December, 1890 and 1891; as well as the Total Value since January, 1853

Name of Metal or Mineral. For Year ending the 31st December, 1891. For Year ending the 31st December, 1890. Total from the 1st January, 1853, to the 31st December, 1891. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Precious metals — Gold .. Silver .. Oz. 251,990 28,023 £ 1,007,488 5,151 Oz. 193,193 32,637 £ 773,438 6,162 Oz, 12,070,217 582,633 £ 47,433,117 140,148 Total gold and silver 280,019 1,012,639 225,830 779,600 12,652,850 47,573,265 Mineral produce, including kauri-gum— Copper-ore Chrome-ore Antimony-ore Manganese-ore .. Hematite-ore Mixed minerals Coal exported Coke exported Coal, output of mines in colony Kauri-gum Tons. A 413 1,153 A 2 91,664 2,544 577,130 8,388 £ 4 4,950 2,634 1 6 91,173 3,658 288,565 437,056 Tons. - 515 482 14 19 69,614 2,218 567,783 7,438 £ 11,121 1,004 5 273 67,003 3,334 283,891 378,563 Tons. 5,666 2,786 16,456J 52JJ 14,068 510,364 11,486 0,468,181 143,018J £ 17,866 37,367 41,140 53,925 226 69,041 506,958 17,899 3,234,000 5,831,743 Total quantity and value of minerals Value of gold and silver, as above 681,294^, 828,047 1,012,639 648,070 J 745,194 779,600 7,173,472J$ 9,810,255 47,573,265 Total value of minerals produced, including gold and silver 1,840,686 1,524,794 57,383,520

C—s

20

No. 2. Table showing the Quantity and Value of Gold entered for Exportation from New Zealand for the Years ending the 31st March, 1891 and 1892, and the Total Quantity and Value from 1857 to the 31st March, 1892.

Tear ending 31st March, 1892. Year ending 31st March, 1891. Increase or Decrease for Year ending 31st March, 1892. District and County or Borough. Total Quanti from Janui 31st Mai ity and Valiio ary, 1857, to rch, 1892. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Increase. Decrease. Auckland — County of Coromandel County of Thames County of Ohinemuri County of Piako County of Whangarei Borough of Thames Te Aroha Town District Oz. 8,422 15,681 7,331 904 1 8,186 £ • 33,573 62,386 30,563 3,551 4 32,683 Oz. 6,039 13,701 8,761 744 £ 24,427 52,427 36,293 2,902 Oz. 2,383 1,980 Oz. 1*430 Oz. £ 'ico 9,385 37i629 1*199 40,525 162,760 38,630 153,678 1,894 1,696,473 6,330,684 Wellington 188 706 Mablboboug h — County of Marlborough Blenheim Borough Pioton Borough 7,020 28,026 2,333 9,332 4,687 7,020 28,026 2,333 9,332 4,687 73,801 286,535 Nelson — County of Waimea County of Collingwood 1,210 4,091 4,648 15,544 92 1,518 362 6,044 1,118 2,573 5,301 20,192 1,610 6,406 3,091 240,011 950,793 West Coast— County of Buller County of Inangahua County of Grey County of Westland Brunnerton Borough Kumara Borough Hokitika Borough Boss Borough Beef ton Borough .. 14,148 38,201 25,775 29,413 4 4,224 2,122 4,271 56,540 152,856 103,135 117,655 16 16,902 8,490 17,078 12,655 22,548 16,647 29,675 50 1,726 203 3,286 2 50,620 90,195 66,587 118,698 200 6,899 810 13,145 7 1,493 15,653 9,128 *262 46 2,498 1,919 985 2 118,158 472,672 86,792 347,161 31,366 5,231,499 20,779,574 Cantekbuby 48 192 Otago—■ County of Taieri County of Tuapeka County of Vincent County of Maniototo County of Waihemo County of Waikouaiti County of Waitaki County of Bruce County of Lake County of Wallace County of Fiord County of Southland County of Stewart Island .. County of Clutha Unknown Borough of Alexandra Dunedin 917 29,557 22,689 12,276 3,535 1,541 2,553 19,491 6,829 655 5,321 3,673 118,706 91,137 49,380 13,924 6,092 10,340 78,118 27,537 2,641 21,307 659 13,685 7,266 3,175 705 1,410 1,690 49 6,309 3,786 360 2,463 8 21 23 106 2,628 56,280 29,258 12,847 2,784 5,619 6,724 195 25,529 15,005 1,423 9,817 32 80 90 433 258 15,872 15,423 9,101 2,830 131 863 13,182 3,043 295 2,858 49 8 65 94 32 258 382 8 13 "42 "l2 Totals 105,531 423,527 41,715 168,744 63,816 4,889,563 19,310,707 276,535 1,107,177 171,080 685,321 105,454 12,131,583 47,679,191

C.—s

No. 3. Total Quantity and Value of Gold entered for Duty for Exportation from the 1st January, 1857, to the 31st December, 1891. (This return shows the produce of the various goldfields. Gold entered at Nelson from Hokitika, Greymouth, and Westport is put under the head of "West Coast," and from Invercargill and Riverton under the head of "Otago.")

21

Auckland. Nell :on. Marlbi irough. West Coast. Wellij igton. Cantei rbury. Toti .1. 'o. Oz. Value. Oz. Value. Oz. "Value. Oz. Value. Oz. Value. Oz. Value. Oz. Value. Oz. Value. £ £ 40,422 51,272 28,427 17,585 24,552 40,386 37,120 55,841 47,030 29,643 35,918 38,396 42,524 48,692 40,056 32,700 54,786 22,158 17,866 55,862 21,092 17,223 ' 11,424 12,223 13,039 12,494 7,724 8,002 10,337 9,979 10,829 11,320 12,310 11,049 16,896 947,177 £ £ £ £ £ • £ 40,422 52,464 28,427 17,585 751,873 1,591,389 2,431,723 1,856,837 2,226,474 2,844,517 2,698,862 2,504,326 2,362,995 2,157,585 2,787,520 1,731,261 1,987,425 1,505,331 1,407,770 1,284,328 1,496,080 1,240,079 1,148,108 1,227,252 1,080,790 1,002,720 993,352 921,797 948,615 903,569 811,100 801,066 808,549 773,438 1,007,488 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 "308 1,239 4,483 3,448 5,449 5,814 6,637 53,660 132,451 85,534 330,326 104,890 119,449 76,910 69,485 56,057 99,081 55,982 37,901 42,720 35,516 33,059 41,291 36,087 42,989 32,271 30,697 35,223 28,655 31,745 45,392 1,192 4,098 13,853 10,552 17,096 17,463 18,277 168,874 434,687 319,146 1,188,708 369,341 437,123 305,068 262,156 221,905 403,627 220,454 154,295 176,416 141,326 131,007 163,618 143,564 170,416 128,140 121,564 139,556 113,191 125,760 • 181,185 10,437 13,226 7,336 4,538 6,335 10,422 9,580 14,410 12,137 7,650 9,123 5,999 10,631 12,244 10,014 8,175 13,697 5,642 4,577 14,018 5,367 4,463 2,993 3,222 3,453 3,289 2,064 2,159 2,798 2,582 2,914 3,027 3,252 2,856 4,445 24,838 7,952 469 501 404 666 1,852 1,867 2,057 1,274 1,198 1,159 450 870 404 879 1,550 1,378 1,352 636 1,079 540 404 1,041 699 5.189 6,073 5,649 95,231 30,814 1,818 1,978 1,616 2,664 7,408 7,468 8,228 5,050 4,748 4,636 1,796 3,197 1,617 3,460 5,650 4,531 5,400 2,524 4,306 2,160 1,451 3,759 2,547 20,167 24,285 22,576 1,463 289,897 552,572 511,974 405,762 317,169 280,068 232,882 172,574 188,501 157,531 158,678 133,014 153,198 144,634 142,822 144,090 127,544 130,048 116,905 111,686 117,861 112,671 98,774 100,139 101,696 89,096 109,268 5,560 1,127,370 2,140, 946 2,018,874 1,608,844 1,269,664 1,121,525 931,528 690,296 756,442 631,203 635,480 531,274 612,823 578,508 571,061 575,258 509,971 519,978 467,152 446,517 471,325 446,287 395,430 400,405 406,451 356,368 437,126 187,696 399,201 614,387 436,012 259,139 168,871 158,670 171,649 153,364 165,152 154,940 157,674 182,416 135,107 121,423 118,477 113,169 105,003 102,869 113,666 102,670 83,446 87,478 78,810 73,183 79,104 70,443 62,107 64,419 63,410 87,209 727,321 1,546,905 2,380,750 1,689,653 1,004,163 654,647 623,815 686,596 613,456 660,694 619,760 630,696 734,024 542,154 487,632 473,491 455,341 422,277 407,868 457,705 411,923 333,804 352,334 318,932 294,378 317,543 279,518 247,142 256,430 255,926 349,573 30 120 10,437 13,534 7,336 4,538 194,031 410,862 628,450 480,171 574,574 735,376 686,905 637,474 614,281 544,880 730,029 445,370 505,337 376,388 355,322 322,016 371,685 310,486 287,464 305,248 270,561 251,204 248,374 229,946 237,371 227,079 203,869 201,219 203,211 193,193 251,996 io 37 101 380 24 96 47 169 24 96 33 132 Totals .. 239,075 72,430 4,871,177 1,684,749 6,303,658 281,085 5,202,517 20,663,666 19,236,501 22

C—s

22

Note.—Silver ore, 37 tons, £1,225.

No. 4. Table showing the Total Quantity of Mineral Ores (the Product of Mines other than Gold), Coal, Coke, and Kauri Gum, exported from the Colony up to 31st December, 1891.

Silver. Copper Ore. Chrome Ore. Antimony Ore. Manganese Ore. Haematite Ore. Mixed Mi: ;eral Ore. Coal. c Kauri Gum. Totals. Oz. Value. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Tons. , Value. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Tons. Value. Ounces. Tons. Value. £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 15,972 28,864 4,514 18,591 35,251 20,037 20,776 9,851 9,888 11,107 27,026 60,590 46,060 70,572 77,491 72,493 111,307 175,074 167,958 154,167 85,816 79,986 138,523 109,234 118,348 132,975 147,535 242,817 253,788 260,369 336,606 342,151 209,762 257,653 362,449 380,933 329,590 378,563 437,056 5,831,743 £ 15,97! 28,86< 4,51< 18,59: 35,25: 25,06( 23,50: 12,885 11,701 36,85( 31,34' 65,50( 46,06( 72,28' 81,41! 74,68( 115,101 188,08! 192,71! 164,98! 96,32: 91,95' 149,27! 129,37! 137,71: 154,68' 168,00: 275,79! 271,63! 281, Olf 350, 08f 353,02; 362,77! 318,78! 419,84? 459,26: 439, 26( 467, 461 544,63! 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 11,063 37,123 80,272 37,064 36,187 40,566 29,085 12,683 33,893 23,019 20,645 20,005 18,885 5,694 16,826 24,914 16,624 12,108 20,809 403 24,105 32,637 28,023 2,993 11,380 23,145 9,910 9,850 10,380 7,569 3,171 7,556 5,755 4,512 4,500 4,236 1,286 3,785 5,125 3,169 2,946 3,453 71 4,043 6,162 5,151 351 245 137 110 51 246 84 "i 5,000 2,605 1,590 1,300 1,024 2 1700 977 120 3 8 116 52 3,843 595 768 281 i 25 i 120 i 1,440 : 520 124,719 i 4,318 i 4,910 1,315 - ., •• •■ •• .. 2 •• 1 261 973 1,027 750 1,672 1,696 990 724 1,463 3,385 1,854 2,658 6,362 7,144 7,020 6,62l| 3,207i 6,522| 6,104 43,893 46,136 44,129 68,087 86,405 69,614 91,664 4 2 400 1,228 1,210 800 1,508 1,612 855 655 1,363 3,129 1,954 2,071 5,139 6,187 5,977 5,610 2,380 4,879 4,461 51,257 52,133 44,650 64,971 84,347 67,003 91,173 •• .. 21 "50 830 1,661 355 1,440 2,522 1,811 2,010 1,046 856 1,103 1,400 2,228 1,867 2,535 2,685 2,690 3,850 4,391 5,054 4,811 2,834 2,569 2,231 2,888 3,633 3,445 3,229 4,725 5,461 5,533 6,518 6,393 5,875| 4,920| 6,791 8,482 7,519 7,438 8,388 •• 11,063 37,123 80,272 37,064 36,187 40,566 29,085 12,683 33,893 23,019 20,645 20,005 18,885 5,694 16,826 24,914 16,634 12,108 20,809 403 24,105 32,637 28,023 582,633 830 1,661 355 1,440 2,522 2,167 2,263 1,300 1,018 4,997 1,995 2,996 1,867 3,077 3,904 3,801 3,000 6,070 6,750 5,822 3,558 4,119 5,631 7,975 8,6824 12,420 12,722 17,177 15,438 14,019 14,593J 13,071 51,468J 52,41l| 51,6664 79,145" 97,828 80,287| 104, 164 J •• ■• 87 15 53 25J 85 154 87 223 275 1,430 236 267 497 183J 953 2,132 2,218 2,544 228 51 189 72 177 324 135 353 480 2,057 372 385 715 266 1,646 3,407 3,334 3,658 3,180 2,366 2 14,824 9,664! 8; 55 "ll5 1,105 •• 4 "lO2 2,516 2,140 2,611 1,271 2,181 384 318 602 328§ 305" 1,085 1,080 482 1,153 10,416 8,338 10,423 3,283 6,963 1,155 809 1,716 1,316 895 2,404 2,569 1,004 2,634 5 9 46 20 36 41 678 106 •■ 60 2 30 31 6I2! 24 900 804 2,674 1,955 2,784 22 11,335 4,303 8,597 110 ""* •■l2i '20 "2 390 666 62 134 376 493 515 413 5,289 1,784 3,989 6,246 5,319 11,121 4,950 504 '208 "ll4 445 144 162 199 19 2 "993 1,846 4,142 2,955 9,985 273 6 75 ■• '"OfV 5 1 4 Totals I 37,367| 226 14,068 ! 11,486 1 17,899 1 143,0184 582,633| 140, 148 1,394-jgl 17,866| 5,666 ! 2,786j 41,140| 16,4564; 53,925 69,041 1 510,364; 506,9581 1705,391^1 6,716,31!

23

C—s

No. 5. Return showing the Quantity and Value of Coals imported into New Zealand during th e Quarter ended the 31st March, 1892.

No. 6. Table showing the Increased Production of Coal, Year by Year, during the last Thirteen Years, and the Decrease of Coal imported for the same Period.

No. 7. Table showing the Output of Coal from the various Mining Districts, and the Comparative Increase and Decrease, for the Years 1890 and 1891, together with the Total Approximate Quantity of Coal produced since the Mines were opened.

Note.—The approximate total output up to Slst December, 1891, for Southland includes 6,518 tons omitted from last statement.

Country whence Imported. Quantity. Value. ew South Wales Tons. 27,171 S, 24,016

Coal raised in the Colony. Coal imported. Year. Tons. Yearly Increase or Decrease. Tons. Plus or Minus. Increase and Decrease. .878 .. .879 .. .880 .. .881 .. .882 .. .883 .. .884 .. .885 .. .886 .. .887 .. .888 .. .889 .. .890 .. .891 .. 162,218 231,218 299,923 337,262 378,272 421,764 480,831 511,063 534,353 558,620 613,895 586,445 637,397 668,794 + 69,000 + 68,705 + 37,339 + 41,010 + 43,492 + 59,069 + 30,232 + 23,290 + 24,267 + 55,275 - 27,450 + 50,952 + 31,397 174,148 158,076 123,298 129,962 129,582 123,540 148,444 130,202 119,873 107,230 101,341 128,063 110,939 125,318 + + 16,072 33,778 6,664 380 6,042 24,904 18,242 10,329 12,643 5,889 26,722 17,124 14,379 + +

Name ol District. Output of Coal. Plus or Minus. 1891. Increase or Decrease. Approximate Total Output of Coal up to 31st December, 1891. 1890. Kawakawa Whangarei, Kamo, and Whauwhau Waikato Mokau Pelorus West Wanganui Wostport Eeefton Tons. 30,367 19,633 64,729 1,188 Tons. 28,254 16,228 55,869 3,713 2,113 3,405 8,860 2,525 769,246 265,860 596,529 4,901 711 40,114 1,191,867 47,740 1,522,030 274,328 5,442 2,218,982 194,236 + Greymouth Malvern Timaru Otago Southland 4,092 170,406 6,010 118,847 15,083 1,430 176,428 29,184 3,328 206,184 4,556 145,351 14,775 1,488 164,870 24,178 + + 764 35,778 1,454 26,504 308 58 11,558 5,006 + Totals 668,794 7,131,986 637,397 31,397

a—s

24

No. 8. Table showing the Different Classes of Coal from the Mines in the Colony.

Note.—The approximate total output up to 31st December, 1891, for lignite includes 6,518 tons omitted from last statement.

No. 9. Table showing the Number of Coal-mines in Operation, the Number of Men employed, and the Output of Coal per Man.

No. 10. Return showing the Quantity and Value of Coal imported into and exported from New Zealand during the Year ended the 31st December, 1891.

Note. —Foreign Coal: Included in exportation to—United Kingdom, 1,500 tons, value £2,023 ; New South Wales, 2,676 tons, value £3,347; Queensland, 35 tons, value £44 ; Norfolk Island, 1 ton, value £1; Fiji Islands, 212 tons, value £212 ; United States of America, East Coast, 1 ton, value £1; Chili, 407 tons, value £509 ; South Sea Islands, 2,968 tons, value £3,348. The remainder is New Zealand produce. W. T. Glasgow, Secretary and Inspector. Department of Trade and Customs, Wellington, 21st June, 1892.

Name of Coal. Output of Coal. Plus or Minus. Increase or Decrease. Approximate Total Output of Coal up to the 31st December, 1891. 1890. 1891. Tons. 323,712 124,593 171,725 17,367 Tons. 387,839 96,979 161,904 22,072 i lituminous •itch .. Irown .. jignite .. + 64,127 27,614 9,821 4,705 3,531,749 1,112,965 2,275,364 211,908 + Totals 637,397 668,794 31,397 7,131,986

Number of Mines working. Number of Miners employed in each Mine. Total Number of I Men employed. Output of Coal during 1891. Average Output per Man. 96 15 6 16 1 to 4 men in each 5 to 10 11 to 20 21 men and upwards 196 107 95 1,295 Tons. 49,416 30,587 22,141 566,650 Tons. 252 285 233 437 133 1,693 668,794 668,794 395

Imported. Exported. Countries whence imported. Quantity. Value. Countries to which exported. Quantity. Value. fnited Kingdom 'ictoria few South Wales .. jueensland Tons. 962 1,246 120,775 2,335 £ 1,030 1,304 116,320 1,768 United Kingdom Victoria .. New South Wales Queensland South Australia Western Australia Tasmania Norfolk Island Fiji Islands U.S. America, East Coast .. Chili South Sea Islands Tons. 70,371 157 8,952 70 7,701 89 19 74 3,421 2 407 8,201 £ 78,050 102 8,269 81 3,360 45 22 80 2,602 2 509 7,530 Totals .. 125,318 120,422 Totals 99,464 100,658

C—s.

No. 11. Number of Miners employed during the Years ending 31st March, 1891 and 1892.

[Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation (not given); printing, (2,500 copies), £25 lOe.

By Authority: Geobge Didsbuby, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB92. Price 9d.] 4—C. 5.

25

Alluvial Miners. Quartz-miners. Tot :als. Grand Total. Mining District. European. Chinese. European. Chinese. 1891. 1892. European. Chinese. Auckland — North Hauralii and Coromandel .. Thames Ohinemuri Te Aroha Puhipuhi 339 275 724 328 30 50 275 724 328 30 50 275 724 328 30 50 701 311 36 Mablbobough— Pelorus Wairau • .. 1,417 1,417 1,387 1,417 280 60 21 301 60 330 37 301 00 Nelson — Baton .. Wangapeka Sherry and Tadmor Collingwood, Takaka, and West Wanganui Motueka Inangahua Ahaura Charleston Wostport, including Addison's, Northern Terraees,Waimangaroa, North Beach, Mokihinui, Karamea, and Lower Buller Valley Lyell .. Murchison .. .. ) Owen .. .. • ■ i 340 21 361 3C7 361 12 20 7 135 12 20 7 170 28 '223 12 20 7 172 2 "35 2 12 90 360 250 240 217 260 446 10 12 586 370 250 240 217 260 6 681 678 475 295 12 803 630 250 240 50 5 78 128 5 128 133 120 70 120 70 221 190 Wkstland — Ross Stafford and Goldsborough Hokitika and Kanieri Kumara Greymouth .. .. \ Arnold.. .. ■ • J Greenstone Okarito Jackson's Bay 1,296 554 619 1,915 554 2,535 2,469 400 310 400 500 90 150 90 100 10 400 320 400 500 90 150 90 100 228 365 850 620 490 470 490 600 912 313 912 313 1,250 1,225 ioo 35 4 ioo 35 4 "95 36 104 35 2,657 747 10 2,667 747 3,444 3,414 Otago— Hindon Tuapeka Clyde .. Cromwell Alexandra Roxburgh Black's Tapanui Waikaia, Upper Waikaia, Nokomai, Waikaka, and Waikawa • Longwood Orepuki Roundhill Wakatipu G o 1 dfie 1 ds—Arrow, Macetown, Cardrona, Kawarau, Bracken's, and Motatapu Queenstown Naseby, Kyeburn, Clarke's, and , ) Mount Burster Hamilton, Sowburn, &e... Hyde and Fullerton's .. (_ Serpentine Macrae's, Strath-Taieri, Shag Valley, Nenthorn, St. Bafchans, | and Ida Valley J Maerewhenua Wyndham 35 400 40 290 160 340 160 90 30 16 100 60 325 (i 410 10 150 65 70 50 125 30 5 250 80 36 30 "30 14 8 4 50 71 430 46 320 174 340 210 90 30 20 100 60 375 6 410 10 150 14 70 8 125 30 5 - 250 80 161 880 55 490 212 313 211 60 380 110 '360 455 77 840 56 470 188 410 218 215 CO 25 100 310 455 375 100 100 475 100 575 f 345 62 I 85 575 904 540 315 A3 589 315 164 I 70 70 'JO 75 150 70 90 Summaby. 3,133 1,666 315 3,490 1,573 5,299 5,063 Auckland Mablbobough Nelson .. Westland Otago 340 1,296 2,657 3,133 554 747 1,666 1,417 21 619 10 315 1,417 361 1,915 2,667 3,490 554 747 1,573 1,387 367 2,535 3,444 5,299 1,417 361 2,469 3,414 5,063 Totals 7,426 2,967 2,372 9,850 2,874 13,032 12,724