0.—2

16

(2.) Government Prospecting Drills. The following table gives details of the drilling done and the results obtained :— Drill Superintendents: VV. H. Warburlon, G. E. D. Scale, S. W. Ford, T. Williams, I'\ Carter, and H. Butland. Drills used: Schram-Harker diamond and Keystone drills.

(3.) Subsidized Roads on G-oldfields. The expenditure in tho form of subsidies and direct grants upon roads on goldfields amounted, to £2,867, as compared with £4,850 during the previous year. (4.) Government Water-races. The Waimea-Kumara and Mount Ida water-races, which greatly assist alluvial gold-mining in the localities of Kumara (Westland) and Naseby (CentralfOtago), but which showed a loss of £798 13s. 9d. to the Government, have during the year ended 31st March, 1924, supplied with water for sluicing auriferous gravel claims employing an average number of 17-91 persons, by which gold to the approximate value of £5,618 13s. was obtained. The following is a statement showing the cash received by the Government for water sold, and the expenditure on the upkeep of tho races, together with the average number of miners supplied with water, and the approximate quantity and value of gold received for the year ended 31st March, 1924 :—

The amount outstanding on the Waimea-Kumara water-races on the 31st March, 1924, was £722 13s. 2d., an increase of £27 9s. 4d. on the previous year. No money for water supplied was owing on account of the Mount Ida water-race. (5.) Schools of Mines. The total expenditure on schools of mines during the year ended the 31st March, 1924, amounted to £3,816 13s. 3d., against £4,456 16s. 3d. during the previous year. The schools continue to do very useful work, but the students who take advantage of the facilities which the schools offer are increasingly from occupations other than mining. This is markedly the case in schools, like the Thames School of Mines, which are situated in districts where mining has seriously declined, and where other industries have taken its place. In that particular school the students engaged in mining or likely to follow mining comprise less than 12 per cent, of the total number of students attending the school, so that the institution is now a technical school rather than a school of mines. I have, &c, J. A. 0. Bayne, Inspecting Engineer of Mines.

rtlMes d™h, Dimeter Mineral Charactor of Rooks drlTled Sleet. ol Hole ' am « hL drilled through. To whom lent. Cost per Foot of Drilling. Cost per Foot of Transport. Cost per Foot of Carbon's wear. Results. 1 1,345 Inches. 2. 1 , Coal Gravel, mudstone, sandstone, and grits Ditto Gravels Dobson Coal Co., Ltd. s. d. 4 8 s. d. 0 5$ s. d. I 1 -35 21ft. of coal at 1,323 ft. 2 8 1,908 1,218 2,i 5 Gold J. Taylor *\Vaikaia Gold Syndicate *Ngahere Dredging Syndicate ♦Ohristchureh Municipal Electricity Dept. *Rimu Gold Dredging Co. * Westland Prospecting Association "Westland Dairy Co. 4 10 7 6 0 6 2 0 ! 0-3 12 ft. of coal at 902 ft. Pour holes carrying fair gold. Sovoral holes carrying fair gold. 'I'esting bed of Waimakariri River for power-project dam. Gold averaging 0-94d. per cubic yard. No gold; hole not completed. II) 794 6 25 4 7 311 4,3 Gravels and greywacke 15 1-145 9 613 6 Gold Gravels 1 150 6 Moraine gravels 1 110 6 Water Clay and gravel 4 0 Satisfactory. * Drill Superintendent supplied ly hirer.

Receipts. (Sales of Water.) Expenditure. Debit Balance. Average Number of Miners supplied with Water. Approximate Quantity and Value of Gold obtained. /aimea-Kumara Water-raoes ount Ida £ s. d. 758 13 0 471 4 10 £ s. d. 1,314 19 11 716 11 8 £ s. d. 556 6 11 242 6 10 10-91 7-00 Oz. 944 497 £ a. d. 3,705 4 0 1,913 9 0 Totals 1,232 17 10 2,031 11 7 798 13 9 17-91 1,441 5,618 13 0