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the best mining practice in the Commonwealth. The officer has recently returned to the Dominion, and I am sure that the valuable information he has gained will be of the greatest use to the mining community in New Zealand. At a later date I hope to send him on a similar tour of the United States, as I am confident that the information he will gather will amply repay the time and expense involved in obtaining it. To further assist the mining industry I have undertaken a partial revision of the mining law, and have already introduced Bills to amend the Mining Act, the Coal-mines Act, the Stone-quarries Act, and the Miner's Phthisis Act. I am fully aware that the whole mining law is much in need of consolidation and improvement, but there will not be time for so extensive a task as that this session, but I trust to be able to take it in hand during the recess and to be able to bring down consolidation and amending Bills next session. I am also arranging for the issue of a series of mining leaflets, each one dealing with some branch of the mining law or mining methods or practices or procedure, as the need of authoritative information in a handy form is much felt by miners, who are quite justified in looking to the Mines Department to supply them with what is needed in this respect. I will now proceed to furnish the usual official and statistical information customarily contained in the Mines Statement. Owing to the abnormal conditions prevailing during 1918 there has again been a decrease in the production from metal-mines and collieries. In addition to shortage of labour and the increased cost of all material used in the mining industry the output has been considerably reduced owing to complete or partial cessation of work for two or three weeks during the influenza epidemic which occurred in the latter part of the year. MINERAL-PRODUCTION. The following table shows the quantity and value of a portion of our mineral export during the years 1917 and 1918, also the quantity of native coal consumed in the Dominion during the same periods. I regret that I cannot go into the matter more in detail, but the Imperial authorities are of opinion that it is still inadvisable to give exact information regarding the production and export of gold, and hence the reason for the curtailment of the information usually supplied.

There has been a decreased production of most minerals during the past year. There has, however, been an increase in value of the output for 1918, which is due to the value of the coal-output being now for the first time estimated at the value placed upon it by the Customs Department for coal exported. During previous years it has been estimated at the very inadequate value of 10s. per ton.

Year ended Product, 31st December, 1917. 31st December, 1918. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. lilver Quicksilver 1 ungsten-ore liscellaneous minerals view Zealand coal exported ... lew Zealand coal used in New Zealand [auri-gum Joke 787,152 oz. 105,299 879,383 oz. 4£tons 170 „ 2,300 „ 182,603 „ 1,851,647 „ 2,419 „ 70 „ £ 171,456 2,122 37,922 5,882 227,228 2,303,449 157,313 146 161 tons 2,357 „ 221,125 „ 1,847,294 „ 4,594 „ 119 „ 28,972 6,844 236,063 923,647* 291,917 240 * This is the figure given in last ■ear's Statement, bui it is much bi ilow the true value.