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OTHER MINERALS THAN GOLD. Nelson. The Minerals Belt Copper-mining Company (Limited) (A. B. Morgan, Secretary, Cashel Street, Christchurch). —This company, having recently acquired a leasehold of 800 acres, is actively pushing developments towards clearing and retimbering the old tunnels formerly driven in the Munster and United sections. Unfortunately plans or records of the old workings are not available, and increased expenditure is thus unnecessarily incurred to complete the varied and difficult works. However, with the efficient care exercised, the works so far completed are substantial and well ventilated. In the Champion Mine, four men were employed for about three months clearing and retimbering, but owing to the expensive and difficult character of the ground, progress in that direction was abandoned, and a new crosscut commenced, which at the time of visiting, was driven 12 ft. and prepared for timber. Thirteen men are employed. Meanwhile, the transit of food and mine-material is a grave consideration owing largely to the rough and unsatisfactory condition of the roads and track leading to the ground. Washbourne Bros.' Works (Collingwood). —Since the yellow paints manufactured from the crude ore were introduced into the market, increased output has been steadily maintained. ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES. Quartz-mines. Golden Ridge Mine. —(22-1-03) : Hugh Evans sustained slight injuries returning to a shot. Golden Fleece. —(6-1-03) : Patrick Breen sustained slight injuries by falling down a pass. Progress Mines. —(3-7-03) : Henry Olsen and Charles Dawson sustained serious injuries by the explosion of a supposed miss-shot. Olsen lost left arm above the elbow, and Dawson sustained injuries to both eyes. Hydraulic and Alluvial Mines. Kumara. —(29-6-03) : Chow Yun was killed by a fall of ground in the face. Capleston. —(l2—ll—o3) : John Mamx was killed by a fall of earth in his sluicing claim. Dredges. Premier. —(1-9-03) : Thomas Freeman was drowned while running out lines. Body not recovered. Greenstone Creek. —(21-4-03) : Moses Barrowman was drowned while boating. Daydawn. —(24-4-03) : John Sim sustained fracture of left leg erecting machinery. Grey River Extended. —(24-4-03) : Edward Geoghan drowned. Greenstone Creek.— Albert Labes lost left arm while oiling machinery in motion. I have, &c, R. Tennent, The Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Inspector of Mines.

Mr. E. R. Green, Inspector of Mines, Dunedin, to the Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Sir, — Office of Inspector of Mines (Southern District), Dunedin, 31st March, 1904. I have the honour to forward the accompanying reports on quartz-mines, hydraulic sluicing, and alluvial mines, and gold-dredges, in the Otago and Southland Districts for the year ending the 31st December, 1903. quartz-mining. Shotover. Achilles Gold-mines, Bullendale. —After lying idle for eighteen months, during which period the , English Company went into liquidation, the property was purchased by Messrs. Robert Lee and party, and work is to be recommenced at an early date. Shotover Quartz-mining Company, Skipper's. —(7-12-1903) : During the year a substantial ten-head battery, designed by and erected under the supervision of the company's engineer, Mr. D. B. Waters, has been installed in place of the old battery which had done duty for over thirty years. A fresh start was made to stope out quartz in the mine in October, although some prospecting-work had been done during the time the battery was being erected. Mr. C. Rillstone, the mine-manager, resigned late in the year and the vacancy was filled by the appointment of Mr. P. T. Ware, an English mine-manager with foreign experience, under whose directions stoping was continued and some good stone sent to the battery. The main adit is in good order and well timbered. The stopes are 30 ft. in length and filling is kept well up, very little timber being used or required in the stopes, the walls being hard and unbroken. The ventilating-fan, water-driven, works satisfactorily and supplies good air to the stopes. Shots are fired judiciously, so that the men do not work in an atmosphere vitiated by smoke and fumes. Ten men are employed in the mine. Two men were attending to the battery, while three men were engaged on surface-works. Explosives are kept in a suitable locked magazine outside the mine. Rules posted. Aspinatt's Reef, Packer's Point, Skipper's. —(B-12-1903) : Mr. Ring took out 10 tons of this stone for battery treatment which yielded at the rate of 10 dwt. per ton. The big reef is 4 ft. 6 in. in width with a parallel leader 6 in. in width 30 ft. apart. The big reef is highly charged with arsenical pyrites. As clean stone the small leader would yield 1 oz. of gold per ton of quartz, Mr. Ring has latterly abandoned the property.