6

C—2

In the following table the present position of our quartz-mining is summarized :—

COAL-MINING. This branch of our mining industry has had an exceedingly prosperous period during the last year. The most remarkable feature connected with the operations of our coal-mines has been the very large increase in the production of bituminous, semibituminous, and brown coal, and the decrease in the production of pitch-coal and lignite. Doubtless owing to the unfortunate and prolonged strike in the coal trade in New South Wales, there was an abnormal increase in the coal exported from this Dominion, the quantity exported, including that used.by Home steamers, having increased from 100,502 tons in 1908 to 201,685 tons in 1909, and the value from £85,846 to £183,961, being an increase of 101,183 tons and an increased value,',of f£98,115. The total coal-production duringjthe year was 1,911,247 tons, which was a record for the Dominion, and exceeds the output of the previous year by 50,272 tons. The output of bituminous and semi-bituminous coal increased by 52,021 tons, and brown coal by 20,368 tons, whereas the output of pitch-coal and lignite decreased by 22,117 tons. It is very satisfactory to note that the coal-production of this Dominion has doubled during the last decade. This would, in a modest way, indicate a repetition of the history of the coal industry of the United States. Mr. H. St. Clair Putnam, one of America's most eminent engineers, dealing with this and kindred questions relating to motive power, fuel, and light, before a Conference of the Governors of all the States of the Union, says, " The coal-production of the

Dividends paid. Name of Company. Tons of Quartz treated. Value of Bullion. Average Value per Ton. Total Cost Total to P • 1909 E"dofDecember, 1909. Number of Persons ordinarily employed. Northern District — £ £ s. d. £ a. d. £ Waihi Gold-mining Company (Ltd.)* 416,813! 924,1461 2 4 4 + 0 16 214 446,316 Waihi Grand Junction Gold-mining 59,669 99,839 1 13 4| 0 19 2 Company (Ltd.) Waiotahi Gold-minin» Company 1,495 10,116 6 16 0 4 12 5 3,000 (Ltd.) Talisman Consolidated (Ltd.) ... 46,456 208,886 4 10 0 2 0 1 105,000 Komata Reefs (Ltd.) ... ... 13,390 24,417 1 16 5J § May Queen (Ltd.) ' ... ... 1,315 8,520 2 13 6£ ? West Coast District— Keep-it-Dark Quartz-mining Com- 11,163 11,313 10 3 1 0 3£ pany (Ltd.) Progress Mines of New Zealand 35,414 52,030 1 9 4£ 1 4 9-08 13,750 (Ltd.) Consolidated Goldfields of New 15,577 28,359 1 16 5 0 15 11-177 Zealand (Ltd.) New Big Eiver Gold-mining Com- 5,434 26,270 4 16 8 1 18 5 ,15,600 panv (Ltd.) Black water Mines (Ltd.) ... 29,955 73,281 2 8 11 0 16 10-07 I 12,500 Golden Blocks Taitapu Gold-mining 1,299 4,957 | 3 16 4 § 2,105 Company (Ltd.) Southern District — Barewood Gold-mining Company 5,477 6,518: 1 3 9J 10 8-7 (Ltd.) Other quartz - mines throughout 49,549 53,209 1 1 5f § j New Zealand £ s. d. 2 4 4| 1 13 4| f I £ a. d. £ E 0 16 214 446,3163,561,111 0 19 2 3,561,111! 1,500 424 8 16 0 4 12 5 3,000 400,800 400,800 28 1 10 0 1 16 5J 2 13 6£ r 2 0 1 105,000 356,250 § ... 33,333 356,250 33,333 325 70 32 1 0 3 1 0 Si ... 158,667 158,667 45 1 9 H I 16 5 1 4 9-08 13,750 309,375 0 15 11-177 309,375 335 105 1 16 8 1 18 5 , 15,600 S2,689| 82,689 55 2 3 2 8 11 3 16 4 0 16 10-07 ! 12,500 12,500 5 2,105 12,500 190 25 1 I 3 9* 1 0 8-7 ... 2,000 2,000 22 1 1 1 of \ § j § § 571 Totals, 1909 ... 693,006 1,526,861 2 4 Of 598.271 3,727 * The total value of the output of this company at the end of the year was £8,180,218. The divideni income-tax. f Short tons of 2,000 lb. dry weight. J In the annual report of the directors of this company for 1909 the value of the bullion production is st: an average value of £2 13s. Id. per short ton ; but the figures given in the table above are the official returns Inspector of Mines. The ore reserves at the end of 1909 are estimated to be 1,335,586 short tons, as compared end of 1908. § Unknown. Is here given are free o ited to be £959,954, being from the company to the with 1,329,872 tons at the