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was made to divert this channel, and though, the application was granted by the Warden the decision was reversed in the Supreme Court. This held matters up for some months, but, as the Court of Appeal has|now upheld the Warden's judgment, the prospects for the coming year are good, for the rich ground will be accessible. The value of the gold won from the No. 1 paddock during the year was £1,163 3s. During the year a new paddock was opened up by the No. 2 elevator. The amount of ground worked by this elevator during the year was acres, and the value of gold won £4,095 17s. 3d. The total value of gold won by the company during the year was thus £5,259 os. 3d. The company completed during the year a new dam 2J acres in area, and of an average depth of about 10 ft., at a cost of £750. This reservoir will be of great assistance in the suminerj|time. The average number of men employed, including the mine-manager, was twenty-seven. Ourawera Gold-mining Company (Limited). —Bight men were employed during the past year, and the amount of gold won was 426 oz. 5 dwt., valued at £1,717 15s. sd. Peeseevation., The Tarawera Company has done nothing further, and is only holding its claim in the hope of selling the plant and buildings to another company. The Timaru shareholders in the Lady Gladys Mine recently inspected the property. It is their intention to give the reef a thorough test, and the work of development will be carried on as soon as possible. The Tarawera Company has gone into liquidation, and a Melbourne company has taken the property over. They intend working it in conjunction with a copper claim at the Wet Jacket Arm as soon as financial arrangements are made. Wyndham. The Long Beach G-old-mining Company's Claim near Chaslands was worked for some months with indifferent success. Fair returns were obtained at first, but subsequently gradually diminishing. The claim was under option to another syndicate for two months, during which a heavy sea rose and broke up and washed away the tables, whereupon the syndicate threw up their option. The claim is now being again worked, to test a special gold-saving machine by the Long Beach Gold-mining Company. Stewart Island. There has been some prospecting in the Pegasus district by Messrs. Statham and Thomson, and extensive water rights have been granted to them. Oeepuki. A number of individual miners are still at work in the district, but there have been no operations on a large scale. During the coming year twenty men will be employed constructing a race about six miles long to work a claim pegged out by an Orepuki syndicate. It has long been recognized that the ground was good, but the difficulty of getting water to it was always considered insuperable. I have, &c, G. Ceuickshank, Warden.

Mr. Warden Baetholomew to the Under-Secretary, Mines Department, Wellington. Sir,— Warden's Office, Dunedin, 29th April, 1913. I have the honour to present my report for the year ended the 31st December, 1912, on the portion of the Otago Mining District under my charge. Nothing of note has occurred in this district during the year. The hydraulic-sluicing claims had an exceptionally favourable year, owing to the wet weather that prevailed throughout the twelve months. As a result, the mining industry appears to have maintained its position better than its wont in recent years. No new areas are being opened up, and in all the present mining operations in this district it is the well-known auriferous localities of the early days that are still being worked to deeper levels and with 'improved methods. In the Eoxburgh subdistrict the gradual withdrawal of local attention and effort from mining to the profitable industry of fruitgrowing still continues. In the Warden's Court at Lawrence the following business was transacted : Miners' rights ssued, 124; applications received, 70 ; general registrations, 79. Revenue to the amount of £479 11s. 4d. was collected during the year, as against £596 19s. sd. for the year 1911. The details of Warden's Court business in the office at Roxburgh are as follows : Miners' rights issued, 84 ; applications received, 49 ; and general registrations, 103. The revenue from this Court was collected and accounted for in the Clyde district. I have, &c, J. R. Baetholomew, Warden.

Mr. Warden Young, Queenstown, to the Undee-Seceetaey, Mines Department, Wellington. Sic, — Warden's Office, Queenstown, 12th April, 1913. I have the honour to present my report for the year ended 31st December, 1912, on that portion of the Otago Mining District under my charge. Queenstown-Aerowtown . In the Warden's Court eighty-three applications were dealt with ; many of these were for privileges to be used hi connection with existing claims.