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V. MINERALS OTHER THAN GOLD. SOHEELITE. The quantity of seheelite exported during the year amounted to 194 tons, valued at £27,784 as compared with 204 tons, valued at £21,498, in 1914. The following statement shows the quantity and value of seheelite exported since the year 1899 : —

One of the most spectacular advances in commodity-prices occasioned by the war has been in tungsten, both metal and ore, seheelite being one form of the latter.* This advance, has been due to the extraordinary demand for tungsten steel, an essential constituent in. making high-speed-tool steel. The manufacture of immense quantities of military material has required greatly increased quantities of tool-steel, and consequently corresponding quantities of tungstic acid (WO 3 ), hence the advance in price. On the 6th September, 1.915, notice was given by His Excellency the Governor that the Imperial Government had instructed him to requisition all. supplies of seheelite and other ore containing tungstic acid, and from that date the export to other markets was prohibited. All persons having such ore were required forthwith to notify the Mines Department, Wellington. The price fixed by the Imperial Government was £2 15s. per unit (a unit being 1 per cent, of tungstic acid in the sample) delivered at London or Liverpool, the seheelite concentrate, in which form the ore is shipped, to contain not less than 65 per cent, (i.e., 65 units) tungstic acid. Since this notification all shipments have been bought by the Mines Department and shipped to the Imperial Supply Board. Advances have been paid on assay certificates by the Dominion Analyst. Prior to 1915 the market for tungsten-ore was very poor, the price now fixed being an increase of about 80 per cent. In the United States of America, ammunition-makers are reported to have paid during 191.5 a considerably higher price than the above, and an attempt was made in that country to " corner " the supplies, but this was frustrated by the action of the Imperial Government in commandeering colonial supplies. Previous to the war Australia, New Zealand, Burma, and Straits Settlements supplied a very large proportion of the world's production of tungsten. Portugal and Spain are also producers, but the mines there are controlled to a large extent by British, capital. The United States speculators therefore could only manipulate the supplies from Mexico and South America, which in comparison with British tungsten resources are inconsiderable. In the following table is shown the quantity of quartz crushed and seheelite concentrate obtained for the year ended the 31st December, 1915 : —

Year. 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 Quantity. Tons. 32 54 2 39 42 17 28 55 137 68 Value. £ 2,788 2,635 83 1,200 1,439 791 1,848 3,407 15,486 6,055 Year. 1909 1910 1911 .. 1912 1913 1914 1915.. Quantity. Tons. 58 143 138 135 221 204 19-1 Value. £ 4,263 15,070 11,853 13,347 22,933 21,498 27,784 Totals 1,567 152,480

Name of Mine or Company. Locality. Quartz crushed. Scheelite (TungsticTrioxide) Concentrate obtained. Value. Dominion Consolidated Company . . Statute Tons. 17,484 Tons cwt. lb. 110 0 0 £ s. d. 14.133 2 3 Glenorchy Scheelite Company and fourteen parties of miners Golden Point Wakamarina, Marlborough Glenorchy, Lake County 682 60 2 34 8.520 0 0 Macrae's, W a i lie m o County Ditto 569 27 4 28 4,080 16 10 Morning Star Berry Syndicate McGregor and Innes A. A. Cockerell A. Phelan Stoneburn Mining Company 9 11 16 8 2 978 0 14 0 0 16 45 0 19 93 1 4 25 0 5 65 7 8 56 130 0 0 140 II 5 185 0 0 234 18 1 50 19 6 1,425 1 10 ,, Marebum Gold and Scheelite Company ,, . . . . Stoneburn, Waihemo County' Mount Highway, Waihemo County Barewood.Taieri County 641 3 1.7 12 616 4 8 Buckland and Ewart H. S. Molynoaux 20 i 3 0 0 0 4 103. 430 0 0 42 9 4 >> ?! Totals, 1915 20,42L 216 9 13 29,989 3 11 Totals, 1914 In addition, certain of the abo 1 ! £12,472 ; Golden Point, £686 ; McGrej 21,745 221 18 0 '21,824 18 6 jws : Dominion Consolidated. 150; Mareburn, £246. ve mines" produced gold gor and Innes, £20 ; Stoi as foil leburn, I * Tungstic acid was first discovered by t Scheelite is very heavy. ;he Swedish chemist Scheele, the word " tungsten " meaning heavy stone.