a—2

The value of minerals, including kauri-gum, exported and of the coal used in the Dominion, which is shown in table No. 1 accompanying this statement, amounted to £2,919,453, a.s compared with £3,431,391 during 1920. The total value of such minerals exported to the end of 1921 amounted to £146,673,152. GOLD AND SILVER MINING. The following statement shows the quantity and value of bullion-production, the dividends paid by registered companies, and the number of productive claims and gold-dredges during 1921 and 1920 : —

The production of gold-silver bullion from quartz and alluvial-gold mines and by gold-dredges increased from 474,650 oz., value £528,317, during 1920 to 551,875 oz., value £547,105, during 1921, being an increase in quantity of 16 per cent, and in value 3-5 per cent. This increase may to a large extent be attributed to the encouragement given to work low-grade ore bodies or deposits by the higher value paid in England for gold owing to the low exchange on the paper pound sterling. During 1921 the average price per ounce fine, unfortunately, declined ; otherwise the value of the considerably increased gold-production during that year would have been much greater. During the year no ore bodies or deposits of importance were discovered, mining operations being confined to known ore reserves. MINERALS OTHER THAN CxOLD AND SILVER. The Onakaka Iron and Steel Company having laid down a blast-furnace installation upon its lease at Onakaka, near Parapara, in the Nelson Provincial District, on the 26th April of the current year, the furnace was blown in for a trial run on the ore. The result was very satisfactory, a soft grey marketable foundry pig iron being produced comparable by test and analysis with that imported. The following is the analysis by.the Dominion Analyst of a sample then produced: Iron, 92-10 ; graphitic carbon; 2-89 ; combined carbon, 0-19 ; silicon, 3-92 ; phosphorus, 0-22; sulphur, 0-04 ; and manganese, 0-64, per cent, respectively. The iron-ore deposits in the form of lirnonite which occur on the surface at Onakaka and Parapara have been estimated in the " Iron-ore Resources of the World," published by the International Geological Congress, to be 64,000,000 metric tons. Owing to the low price paid for 65 per cent, tungsten (scheelite) concentrate, which has fallen from £3 Bs. per unit during the war to 9s. per unit, there was no exportation during the year, although tons of concentrate was produced. Operations in connection with cinnabar-mining were confined principally to development and prospecting. The New Zealand Quicksilver Mines produced .1,575 11). of quicksilver at Puhiptihi. Drilling in search of petroleum produced negative results at Waipatiki and Waitangi, near Whatatutu, in the North Island, and Kotuku, near Greymouth. At Rotorua 873 tons of fumarolic sulphur was taken from a Crown lease.

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Class of Gold-mining. Production i of Bullion. Dividends Number of Producpaid by Registered tive Claims and Companies. Dredges. 1921. 1920. 1921. 1920. 192 2 !1. 1920. Quartz Alluvial Dredging Oz. 527,855 16,718 7,302 £ 433,488 77,438 36,179 Oz. £ 451,122 415,! 16,576 77,' 6,952 34,( £ 415,868 77,777 34,672 868 777 672 £ 53,791 2,337 600 £ 100,981 4,445 23 150 11 23 122 12 Totals 551,875 547,105 474,650 528,: 528,317 317 56,728 105,426 184 157