C—3.

PROSPECTING FOR GOLD. The following statement shows the expenditure and liabilities on authorities issued in subsidies to prospecting associations and parties of miners recommended by the local bodies in the different counties for the year ending the 31st March last:—

SCHOOLS OF MINES. The schools at Thames, Coromandel, and Waihi, in the North Island, and at the Otago University, Dunedin, continue to do good work. The classes are well attended, and the instruction given is a great help to those who are preparing themselves for examination for certificates as mine-managers and battery-superintendents. The school at Eeefton was closed for some time owing to general indifference and financial difficulties. Some aid having been promised by the Government to the local committee, conditional upon the school being kept regularly opon for a specified term, classes have been commenced, Mr. J. W. Lee being the instructor. Eeports of the year's work at the several schools have been furnished by the several directors, and are as follow : — THAMES SCHOOL OP MINES. Mr. F. B. Allen, M.A., B.Sc, Director, reports as follows : — The school continues to be well attended by those working in the mines and batteries. Much useful work has been accomplished during the last year, and another of our students has carried off a School of Mines University scholarship. Although the experimental plant has not been continuously at work, a fair number of testparcels have been successfully treated for the public; and the metallurgical students have had many opportunities of gaining a practical knowledge of battery-work. There have been no changes in the teaching staff. The duties of Assistant Lecturer and Assayer have been ably and zealously discharged by Mr. W. H. Baker, B.Sc, who has performed his work entirely to my satisfaction, and has proved himself a painstaking and successful teacher. Mr. Baker was a former student of this school, and a winner of a School of Mines scholarship. In 1899 he obtained his B.Sc. degree, and has just gained at the New Zealand University examinations first-class honours in science (chemistry). Mr. E. J. Williams, drawing master, has maintained a large attendance at his classes, and has performed his duties in an able and highly efficient manner. Mechanical drawing and machine design, bearing chiefly on the machinery used in connection with mining and battery-work, is the class of work done by most of the students ; but a few of them take architectural drawing and design. Many excellent drawings have been produced by students during the year. Mr. W. J. Cole has been employed as amalgamator and cyanider in the experimental plant, and has given every satisfaction. The average number of registered students attending the classes was sixty-eight, about the same as last year. The average number of individual students was 113. Although the scarcity of work in this district militates against large attendances, still the school has been comfortably full of students ; and it is rather a matter for surprise that, notwithstanding the lack of employment during the last year or two, the attendance has kept so high. The following shows the number of assays made for the public during the last twelve months:— Number of public assays ... ... ... ... ... ... 211 Number of assays for experimental plant ... ... ... ... 240 Total assays... ... ... ... ... 451 All public assays are made in duplicate in the separate assay-room built for this department of the school-work. To insure accuracy all assays are performed by the staff of the school, and no students are allowed to take part in the work. Samples of the separate parcels forwarded for assay are kept for a period of twelve months, after which they are thrown out; but, in view of the fact that check-assays from these samples are never asked for, this precaution seems unnecessary.

3

Name of County. Expenditure for Year ending 31st March, 1900. Liabilities on Authorities on 31st March, 1900. Bay of Islands Coromandel Buller Inangahua Grey Westland ... Tuapeka ... £ s. 48 10 33 10 7 5 105 15 1,205 9 d. 0 0 0 0 6 £ s. d. 200 0 0 172 1 0 104 0 0 1 15 0 186 5 0 1,033 15 0 86 7 0 Totals 1,400 9 6 1,784 3 0