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Thames Foreshore Dredging-works. —The dredge was worked for about the first six months of the year, when 3,056 tons was treated, for a return of £298 19s. 6d. During the remainder of the year the works have been idle. I visited the works on several occasions during the year, and found them in fair order. Accidents and Fatalities. May Queen Mine (1,000 ft. level).—On the 11th January, 1912, two men —James Williams and Thomas Guy—were suffocated owing to an inrush of CO 2 gas. Both men died. On the 13th April, 1912, William McKee had his back and leg broken by a fall of rock. This accident did not prove fatal. Deep Levels (Waiotahi section). —On the 28th May, 1912, by a fall of rock from the back of the drive, two miners—Andrew Jamieson, contractor, and Robert Aubrey, wages-man —were seriously injured, each having a leg broken between the ankle and the knee. Jamieson has been unable to work since, and Aubrey has had the foot amputated. Golden Hills Mine. —On the Bth January, 1912, H. 0. Massey was seriously injured internally by a pipe in the B. and M. slime-tank.

WEST COAST DISTRICT. Mb. T. 0. Bishop, A.0.5.M., Inspector of Mines. Eeefton. QUARTZ-MINING. Marlborouqh. Dominion Consolidated Development Company. —The development of this company's property in the Wakamarina Valley has proceeded satisfactorily during the year along the lines mentioned in the last report. A 25-stamp mill has been erected and equipped with jigs and Wilfley concentrators for dealing with scheelite, the whole plant being driven by water-power. The ore is transported from mine to mill by means of a self-acting incline tramway. In the mine the developments have been satisfactory, the- reef opening up well as the levels are extended, and maintaining fair average value in gold and scheelite. The plant has been running for the last four months of the year, 3,500 tons having been treated, for a value of £1,839, or about 10s. 6d. per ton, from gold, and £3,259, being 18s. 7fd. per ton, from scheelite ; total value per ton, £1 9s. l|d. Owing to the very favourable situation of the mine for cheap working, this return should leave a satisfactory profit, and this company should soon be on the list of dividend-payers. Jubilee Mine, Top Valley (Owners, the Wairau Valley Gold-mining Company).—The attempt to find the reef at a lower level in this mine has been carried on in a desultory fashion during part of the year, two men having been employed in driving a crosscut. The result of the year's work is absolutely nil. Morayshire Scheelite Claim, Top Valley. —A reef 3 ft. wide, and carrying scheelite, was found in this claim, and at first appeared likely to prove valuable. A winze was sunk 30 ft., from which 2 tons of hand-picked scheelite was obtained. A drive was then started at a lower level, but here the reef has split up in leaders, and for the whole distance driven (180 ft.) is of no value. Prospects do not now appear to be favourable. Nelson. Golden Blocks Mine. —Development in this mine during the year has been confined to driving a level north and south from the bottom of the 90 ft. incline shaft, and very little has been added to the life of the mine. The battery has been kept running mainly on ore from the upper levels, but this supply is getting very small, and if the mine is to continue active more energetic development-work is needed. There does not appear to be any reason why the mine should not be opened out on a bigger scale, and have a long life in front of it. 1,229 tons was treated during the year, and yielded £6-,761, an average of of £5 10s. per ton. Mount Arthur Prospecting Syndicate. —Mr. Clouston rediscovered some small lenses of quartz on the Gordon Pyramid, and, as some of them carried a little free gold, some development-work was undertaken to prove their extent. A. tunnel 400 ft. in length was driven underneath the line of outcrops, but failed to locate anything of any value, and work has been abandoned. Lyell. New Alpine Mine. —For the first six months of the year stoping operations were carried on from the small block of stone mentioned in last report as being discovered above No. 7 level in the foot-wall of the main reef. It was found that very little stone remained in this block, and that the value was less than had been expected. Work was abandoned in July, and since then this once well-known and productive mine has been entirely idle. It is stated that large bocks of ore remain underfoot in the lowest levels, and it is still possible that the property will be further tested by deep sinking. Victory Mine. —Some little development-work was attempted in this old property by a Christchurch syndicate, and various outcrops of reefs in the New Creek Valley were also tested, but without any favourable results. The old Victory No. 2 level was cleaned out, and a winze sunk from it for 40 ft. on a small reef. Some fairly good assays were obtained, but, the reef being very small and the country very hard, it was not a payable proposition, and work was suspended at the beginning ,of the winter.