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The Crown, New Zealand Talisman, and Woodstock Mines at Karangahake are now well opened up, and improvements in treatment and extraction have shown a marked increase in the yield of gold. The Waitekauri Company's Mine and the Komata Eeefs Mine have both largely added to the year's return. At Waihi, the Waihi Company continue to furnish excellent returns, and, now that their new mill of one hundred stamps is working, future returns will largely exceed those of the past. The Waihi-Silverton Mine also continues to yield payable returns. The future prospects of this part of the mining district are of a most favourable nature. During the past year 105,126 tons of quartz and tailings yielded 280,708 oz. of bullion, representing a value of ,£300,107. 1,480 men were employed in the gold producing mines. Piako County. The mines in this district have not yet arrived at the gold-producing stage. The low-level tunnel at Waiorongomai and the other workings by the Aroha Company have not furnished any quartz for treatment, and the thermo-hyperphoric process introduced by the Rev. Joseph Campbell has not yet been so perfected as to be in a condition to deal with the quantities of refractory ores for which it is specially intended. Taueanga County. The quartz reefs in the Te Puke District are not yet developed, and goldsaving machinery has not yet been introduced for treatment of the ore. West Coast Disteict. Eeefton, the chief quartz mining centre on the West Coast, has not produced any very rich yields. The Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand (Limited) have, during the year, completed their new battery of forty stamps, and thoroughly developed their mines. A commencement has been made to crush quartz, and it is probable that the returns for next year will show a very large increase from this source. The other mines are receiving attention, and at Paparoa Eange the Croesus Company have erected a small battery to crush the quartz for their mine. The developments at Victoria Eange have not yet demonstrated a value in the reefs equal to the discovery of stone on the surface made in that district last year. The quantity of quartz crushed during the year was 19,742 tons, for a yield of 7,412 oz. of gold, of the value of £27,031. Otago and Southland. The mines in which operations have been most successfully carried on are the Premier Mine at Macetown, the Achilles at Skipper's, the Cromwell at New Bendigo, and those mines situated at Carrick Eanges, Old Man Eange, and McEae's Flat in the northern and central parts of Otago. Prospecting is carried on, and mines are again being opened at Barewood, Waipori, and Table Hill, in the central and southern part of Otago. There is every reason to expect success will attend future developments. The Morning Star Mine at Preservation Inlet, in the extreme south-west of the island, has again yielded rich returns, and as a considerable number of claims have been taken up, prospecting operations may reveal fresh discoveries in the Southland District. The quantity of quartz crushed during the year was 19,820 tons, for a yield of 17,302 oz. of gold, and a parcel of 288 tons of tailings treated for a yield valued at £1,610 : making a total value of £69,510. GBNEEAL. In evidence of the continuance of rich yields of gold from quartz-mines, the returns from sixteen mines in the North Island show that 36,463 tons of quartz and 742 tons of tailings yielded 92,665 oz. of gold and bullion, of the value of £103,317 ; and seven quartz-mines in the Middle Island crushed 8,189 tons of quartz for a yield of 3,910 oz. of gold, valued at £14,728, during the months of

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