c $

44

Haematite. No haematite was raised from the Mataura deposit, but 20 tons were taken from the deposit at Table Hill, Milton. No progress has been made towards opening up the high-grade deposit at Clyde. L t E Phosphate Rock. [ |.| The Ewing Phosphate Company, Clarendon, Otago, continued to quarry and burn the raw material during the year, and over 5,000 tons of phosphate were produced for treatment at the chemical works at Burnside. Limestone. 15,345 tons for building and agricultural purposes were produced by the Milbum Lime and Cement Company, Milbum, Otago, during the year. Considerable quantities of lime were produced at Dunback and Oamaru, in Otago, and at Forest Hill area, Winton, and Ringway, in Southland. Limestone is of frequent occurrence throughout Otago and Southland. Marl. Burnside Hydraulic lAme and Cement Company.— This company purchased a plant formerly in operation at the Wellington and Marlborough Cement, Lime, and Coal Company's works at Picton. At present the erection of this machinery and the necessary buildings is being gone on with at Burnside, near Dunedin. From portion of the deposit the Milbum Lime and Cement Company took 4,820 tons during 1907, making a total production of 7,628 tons for three years. Fireclay. Used for the manufacture of fireclay goods, bricks, and sanitary pipes. It is of frequent occurrence in connection with the brown-coal measures. The following outputs have been returned : Homebush Colliery, Glcntunncl, Canterbury, 122 tons ; Springfield Colliery, Springfield, 35 tons ; Springfield Fireclay Works, Springfield, 735 tons ; Austin's Fireclay Works, Sheffield, 1,073 tons; Benhar Colliery, Stirling, South Otago, 2,500 tons : total, 4,465 tons. LI Building-sand. 16,512 tons of building-sand were produced during the year from the coal-measures of the Green Island Coalfield, for use in Dunedin and surrounding districts. Silver. Several localities in the Lakes district were prospected during the year. Several specimens of native silver in pastjyears. Manganese. Neither of the deposits at Waipori or Taieri Beach were worked during the year. Asbestos. The deposit which exists at Mount Pisa, in Central Otago, was prospected, and samples taken therefrom on behalf of a syndicate formed to exploit known mineral deposits in^Central Otago. Greenstone. A visit was made to the mine at Anita Bay, Milford Sound, in November. The mine was deserted, but that portion visited was in a fair state of preservation. Boulders of superior greenstone are found in the neighbourhood of Big Bay and Martin's Bay. They are collected and shipped to market. I have, &c., E. R. Green, Inspector of Mines.

(6.) REPORTS OF WARDENS. Mr. Warden Bush. Thames, to the Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Sir,— Warden's Office, Thames, 19th Febniary, 1908. I have the honour to furnish the usual annual report on mining matters within the Hauraki Mining District. General Remarks. Although there are so few mines producing gold, yet it is gratifying to report that the production has increased during 1907 from £1,338,395 to £1,421,216. As compared with 1900, this is an increase of £924,496. That portion of the goldfield comprised within the County of Ohinemuri is mainly responsible for this, as the bullion produced by it during the past year was worth £1,241,331, as against £1,079,013 in 1906, being an increase of £162,317. Everything at present points to the yield for the present year being much greater than' those ofjprevious years. I think it may fairly be said that at no time in the life of this portion of the field have the prospects looked brighter.