C.-3

12

VII.—SCHOOLS OF MINES. Expenditure on Schools of Mines. The following table shows the expenditure by the Government on schools of mines since their inception, exclusive of subsidies paid to the University of Otago towards the Scl lof Mines in connection with that institution: —

The schools of mines annual examinations were held in December, 1909, and exactly 100 students, from seven goldfields schools, presented themselves, and contributed 189 papers on some of the twenty subjects examined into. The standard of efficiency desired is to qualify the students for the Government examinations for mine-managers' and battery-superintendents' certificates of competency in New Zealand and other countries, and this object has been well attained during 1909, for all the four successful candidates for first-class certificates of competency as minemanagers under the Mining Act, 1908—viz., Messrs. L. E. Autridge, K. M. Barrance, R. Broad, and G. A. C. Ulrich —were ex-students of these schools, and the three successful candidates for battery-superintendents' Government certificates —viz., Messrs. P. 11. McDonnall, J. McPadden, and Noel Carless —were all ex-students of these schools. The last-named student had the distinction of obtaining nine first-class passes in mining subjects, thus winning the Government scholarship, which entitles him to three years' tuition at the Otago University free, together with £50 per annum for that period. It is to be regretted that the colliery districts of the Dominion and the young miners on the West Coast goldfields do not avail themselves more of the excellent tuition imparted at the schools by the Directors, who are all thoroughly practical men. Probably- in no country in the world do better opportunities exist for a milling student to obtain all-round practical experience in so many different branches of mining in such close proximity to the schools of mines. On the West Coast, within a radius of ten miles of the Westport and Reefton schools, are important collieries with outputs of 1,000 tons a day; quartz-mines, approaching in depth 2,000 ft., and employing hundreds of men; also, hydraulic alluvial mining on the flats and gold-dredgers on the rivers. In proximity to the Waihi, Thames, Coromandel, and Karangahake schools are the great Waihi and Talisman Mines, the important reduction-works at Waikino, and the Taupiri Collieries. Under these favourable conditions it is quite natural that New Zealand is turning out some very promising young mining-engineers, who readily find employment in other countries, as well as within the Dominion. 1 have, &c, Frank Reed, Inspecting Engineer of Mines.

Financial Years. Chemicals Subsidies towards and Apparatus, the Erection of also Mineralogical Schools of Mines, and Specimens Maintenance. supplied to Schools of Mines. Scholarships. Salaries of Teachers, and Travellingexpenses, &c. Total Sum paid by the Department towards the Schools of Mines. 1885-86 1886-87 1887-88 1888-89 1889-90 1890-91 1891-92 1892-93 1893-94 1894-95 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 1899-1900 ... 1900-1901 ... 1901-1902 ... 1902-1903 ... 1903-1904 ... 1904-1905 ... 1905-1906 ... 1906-1907 ... 1907-1908 ... 1908-1909 ... 1909-1910 ... £ s. d. 257 16 6 253 15 9 42 10 0 142 2 0 217 6 6 181 14 0 312 3 4 197 0 5 390 0 0 820 0 0 352 14 11 1,089 18 6 740 15 2 990 3 4 866 10 11 1,155 12 3 1,379 15 6 1,575 15 3 1,401 2 11 1,806 19 5 1,836 6 6 2,428 19 3 2,738 11 1 1,882 2 6 £ s. d. 36 19 9 409 1 4 253 14 1 6 12 9 181 14 10 54 8 0 45 10 10 58 18 6 29 19 9 32 19 7 24 3 8 56 3 4 63 5 1 134 18 8 88 18 8 17 3 0 87 2 1 11 15 8 94 6 2 328 9 3 692 2 8 £ 50 100 100 50 50 98 49 158 92 100 49 100 150 100 100 £ s. d. 1,223 9 10 2,716 9 3 1,714 9 6 1,139 4 1 716 3 10 620 9 9 689 5 9 670 1 0 858 19 4 773 17 8 849 3 0 834 12 8 780 19 0 729 10 11 52 16 3 77 7 10 69 16 4 111 0 0 109 15 10 362 19 6 440 9 4 388 18 5 345 15 11 642 9 4 587 3 2 £ s. d. 1.260 9 7 3,383 7 1 2,221 19 4 1,188 6 10 1,040 0 8 892 4 3 870 19 9 982 4 4 1,055 19 9 1,209 8 6 1,719 3 0 1,346 6 1 2,000 17 3 1,553 5 8 1,117 3 3 1,098 2 1 1,337 13 8 1,783 14 2 1,866 9 9 1,881 5 5 2,383 10 10 2,337 0 7 3,019 1 4 3,809 9 8 3.261 8 4 Totals ... 23,059 16 0 2,708 7 8 1,346 17,505 7 6 44,619 11 2