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1898. NEW ZEALAND.

REPORTS OF WARDENS AND OTHER OFFICERS ON GOLDFIELDS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

No. 1. Mr Warden Hutchison to the Undee-Secbetaey for Mines, Wellington. Warden's Office, Auckland, 25th May, 1898. ~~ It becomes my duty to report upon the state of the Puhipuhi Gold-mining District during the mst year TdT regret that my report cannot be of a satisfactory character. The hope expressed bvmy predecessor in his report of last year that « next years report might show improvementothi f fieldn the shape of one or two mines employing the fu number of men and being rblftoVavworkina expenses from results obtained " has not been fulfil cd. My report must rather be thatC£ beer no improvement whatever. The majority of claims upon the register are v'rtlllv dead a W S ng on l y £ rma l decrees of forfeiture for non-payment of rent and non-working; JndffiSaifi few B which are not liable to forfeiture have only been kept alive by a system of TOotection and reduced labour. Of effective mining work there has been none. P The claims in existence are: (1.) Three known as the Great Northern Nos. 12 and 3, covering 296 acres These were surrendered claims taken up by a gentleman on behalf of a covenng acres g9 N k n been done upon these claims. They should normalt ZlemlytXtnSly-eigU men. Protection was" granted on the 2nd December, 189? for three months, in order to give time to raise capital for working and developing the Sne's That pS has expired, and there is now pending an application to work with one Tan which is simply an application to keep the claim alive without working The application £ basedupon the Sound that a company has been promoted in England with a large working capital and if required to make arrangements for so doing. The application has been capital ana xime ib *eg \ Two claims, known as the Star of England and the bf L Monte.uma Company of Te These were taken mi.to February last. The usual application for protection is pending. No work has yet been dfne on these claims, but I understand that a quantity of stone has been extracted for testing ™ses In addition to these claims, two applications for abandoned ground have recently bLnianted and some further applications of a similar nature are pending but tha this is to be Lken as a stn of a real revival I should be slow to affirm-indeed, !t xs stated that the cause of t£ activity fs to be found in the report before alluded to that a company has been floated m EIS with a capital of £25,000 to work the Great Northern Claims. Bof whole therefore, I regret to say my report must be that there has been no progress in mining during the past year in the Puhipuhi district. &^ J. Hutchison, Warden. The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington.

No. 2. Mr. Warden Bush to the Undee-Secbetary for Mines, Wellington. Warden's Office, Thames, Ist June, 1898. SlE ' _ I have the honour to submit my annual report upon the Hauraki Mining District :- Thames County. - During the past year very important works have been in progress in connection with the at the Queen of Beauty shaft by the HaX? Company is perhaps the most important, for upon the success of tins company dSendsffiuture of Thames proper. The general opinion founded upon the knowCp that has been acquLd in the carrying-out of similar works in other parts of the world and known 3 exist in the Queen of Beauty section, is that it will turn out a success.

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