C—2

The total value of the bullion produced in 1932 was greater by £362,625 than that produced in 1931. Bullion from quartz-mining increased by £226,079, from alluvial mining by £80,944, and from dredge mining by £55,602.

(1) Quartz-mining.

The average value per ton of ore treated during 1932 amounted to £2 16s. 3d., as compared with £2 2s. 4d. during 1931. At the Waihi Mine 184,254 long tons of quartz was mined, from which 70,784 oz. of gold was recovered, valued at £416,056. 485,257 oz. of silver, valued at £38,922, was obtained also. The dividends for the year amounted to £99,181, bringing the total dividends to date to £6,040,646. No new exploratory work was done in the lower levels, but branch lodes were followed in the No. 12 and higher levels. A considerable amount of low-grade ore was sent to the mill, and, with the help of the gold premium, it paid the cost of breaking, treatment, and its share of the general expenditure. The Waihi Grand Junction area (also worked by the Waihi Gold-mining Company) produced 22,746 long tons of ore, from which 9,912 oz. of gold, valued at £58,852, and 61,997 oz. of silver, valued at £4,973, were recovered. Intensive prospecting of the Republic, Dominion, and Martha lodes and 103 ft. reef above No. 7 level in the Grand Junction Area, and of the Dominion lode in No. 6 level, was continued during the year by the Waihi Gold-mining Company. At the Blackwater Mine 41,402 tons of ore was crushed, yielding 24,474 oz. of gold, valued at £145,091. The total yield of gold to date is 464,554 oz., valued at £1,905,419. At the Alexander Mine 5,527 tons of ore was crushed, for a yield of 6,680 oz. of gold, valued at £38,917. At the Mount Greenland Mine 625 tons of ore was crushed, and yielded 526 oz. of sold, valued at £2,106. At the Golden Progress Mine, Central Otago, 441 tons of quartz yielded 1,004 oz. of gold, valued at £6,263. (2) Dredge Mining. The following is a statement showing the capacity, production, and dividends declared of bucket gold-dredges during 1932. (Note.—The dividends declared by privately-owned dredges are not obtainable for publication.)

19

Statute Tons of Ore treated. Value of Bullion. Dividends paid (by Kegistered Companies only). Inspection District. 1932. 1931. 1932. 1931. 1932. 1931. £ £ £ £ Northern .. .. 216,563 200,033 555,994 401,623 106,188 106 087 West Coast .. .. 47,887 49,619 189,802 118,567 69,198 Southern .. .. 5,247 1,931 12,435 11,962 1,844 Totals .. .. 269,697 251,583 758,231 532,152 177,230 106,087 I

S5 I» 4 8 "Sβ gg> '«o u o'a - «i -a™ 3' c Dividends declared. si j* s| .ij is Same ol Dredge. Locality. I *o≤ "SB 1 ,; o I o>9 n S «» f|| III II £3£ II :|g Darin, _J I O i=i S »HW -al > : Otogro and Southland. Ft. £ £ £ Golden Terrace Extended.. Shotover Rirer .. 8 18 305 E 20 < 3,821 Wesi Coast. Rimu .. .. .. Rimu Flat .. 10 19 325 E 50 92,079 .. 24,622 Okarito Five-mile Beach .. Okarito .. .. 5 10 .. H 20 13,969 7,000 7,000 Awatuna .. .. Awatuna Beach .. 7 10 250 E 22 I 660 Totals, 1932 .. .. 110,529 7,000 Unknown Totals, 1931 .. .. 54,927 . Unknown