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The quantities and values of the chief mineral products for the past two years are summarised for comparison as follows :—

Total value of production for 1906 ... ... ■•• ■•• £3,871,811. 1905 £3,622,786. Total increase ... ••■ £249,025 The total value of gold, silver, coal, and other minerals (including kauri-gum) produced up to the 31st December, 1906, was £96,747,251. GOLD-EXPORT. The quantity of gold entered for exportation through the Customs for the year 1906 was as follows : Auckland, 295,417 oz. ; Nelson, 2,944 oz. ; West Coast, 104,743 oz. ; Otago and Southland, 160,739 oz. : total, 563,843 oz., valued at £2,270,904. QUARTZ-MINING. The most important mining operations in this country consist in the mining of quartz veins or reefs, and the extraction of the precious metals therefrom by means of stamp and other mills, and by the cyanidation and chlorination processes. The prosperity of the quartz-mining industry may be gauged from the fact that during 1906 New Zealand quartz-mining companies paid in dividends £653,972, being 44 per cent, of the value of the bullion won by them. The Waihi Gold-mining Company declared during the year £347,135 in dividends as a result of treating 328,866 tons of ore, for a return of £781,553 ; the total dividends paid by this company to the end of 1906 amount to £2,271,753. On the Karangahake Goldfield the Talisman Consolidated Mine has developed into a profitable concern, having declared during the year £60,000 in dividends as a result of treating 49,573 tons of ore for a return of £152,011. In the Thames Goldfield, formerly one of the richest in Australasia, and from which about £7,000,000 was obtained' from a narrow strip of ground barely 1,000 yards long, the Waiotahi Mine continues very productive. During the year £183,000 was declared in dividends as a result of treating 18,002 tons of ore and specimen stone for a return of £223,678. The property formerly known as the Queen of Beauty has been secured by adjoining holders, save the reserve whereon is situated the shaft and pumping plant which at present unwaters the drainage-area. It is to be hoped the companies interested will see their way to develop the deeper levels of this area with a view to setting at rest the question of the payable nature of the deeper levels of the Hauraki Peninsula.

Year ending 31st December, 1905. Year ending 31st December, 1906. Product. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. £ £ Gold ... 520,485 oz. 2,093,936 563,843 oz 2,270,904 Silver 1,179,744 „ 120,542 1,390,536 „ 143,572 Copper ore ... ... 4 tons | 17 ... ■•• Manganese-ore ... ... 55 „ 165 16 tons 40 Mixed minerals 632 „ 8,136 1,297 „ 18,241 Colonial coal exported, includ- 122,817 „ 107,062 141,641 „ 122,614 ing that used by Home steamers Colonial coal used in New 1,462,939 „ 731,469 ; 1,587,895 „ 793,948 Zealand Kauri-gum 10,883 „ 561,444 9,154 „ 522,486 Coke ... ... ... 15 „ 15 5 „ 6