C.—2,
11. PERSONS EMPLOYED. The following statement shows the number of persons ordinarily employed in or about the metalliferous mines* of the Dominion during the year : —
111. ACCIDENTS. During 1935 five fatal and three serious but non-fatal accidents occurred in or about metalliferous mines, at which 6,746 persons were ordinarily employed.
In the Northern Inspection District no fatal accident occured at the mines during 1935. In the Southern District there were four fatal mining accidents, all at alluvial gold-mines, and one fatal accidentjat a quartz mine in the West Coast District. An account of the five fatalities follows :— At a sluicing-claim on the Shotover River on 2nd February, 1935, a young man, who was dipping water with a kerosene-tin from a large flume, overbalanced and fell into the swiftly flowing stream. He was drowned and his body carried down-stream for three-quarters of a mile. □©While working at a sluicing-claim at Blue Spur, Otago, a miner was fatally injured on 14th February, 1935, by a fall of clay overburden at the 10 ft. high face of the claim. He died eight days later from the injuries he received. On, 15th April at German Gully, Blackstone Hill, in Central Otago, a subsidized gold-miner was killed by a large fall of the 10 ft. sandy overburden, which was above the 2 ft. of alluvial wash he was prospecting. He was working alone and was completely buried by the fall, under which he lay for five hours before being found. At the Prohibition Shaft of the Blackwater Mine on 9th May, a miner, engaged at dismantling the old head-gear, was struck by the end of a long beam of timber which he had loosened. He was knocked off the platform on which he was standing and fell about 20 ft. to the ground. In falling he must have struck a diagonal stay, for his skull was fractured and the left lower ribs broken. He died within an hour without regaining consciousness. While prospecting alone for gold in a claim on the bank of the Manuherikia River near Alexandra, a subsidized miner was killed on 29th November, 1935, by a large fall of the sandy silt and loamy material which formed the overburden of the 4 ft. of alluvial wash. Where his body was found the cut made into the bank was about 12 ft. in height. IV. GOLD-MINING. The following statement shows the value of the bullion-production, also the dividends declared, number of persons employed, and the number of gold mines and dredges : —
22
Inspection District. Classification. Total, 1935. Northern. West Coast. Southern. Gold, silver, and tungsten .. .. .. .. 1,217 3,486 2,038 6,741 Cinnabar .. .. .. .. ,. .. 5 .. , g Totals for 1935 .. .. .. .. 1,222 3,486 2,038 6,746 Totals for 1934 .. .. .. .. 1,273 2,951 2,318 6,542 * In addition four persons were employed in oil-boring operations.
Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. ® ause- Number of Nll > - Number of Number of Separate "S™?? 1 " 01 Separate Persons Accidents. ueatns. Accidents. injured. Falls of ground.. .. .. .. .. .. 3 3 1 1 Explosives Miscellaneous, on surface .. .. .. .. 2 2 2 2 Miscellaneous, underground Totals .. .. .. .. .. 5 5 3 3
Production of Bullion, 1935.* (All Mines.) Number of Persons Number of Dividends paid, 1935. ordinarily employed Productive QuartziBvRegistered Corn- at Productive and mines, Alluvial panies only.)f Unproductive Mines, Mines, and Quantity. j Value. 1935. Dredges, 1935. Oz. £ £ Quartz-mining .. 534,048 778,517 89,081 1,572 72 Alluvial miningj .. 37,134 269,106 7,279 4,902 4,411 Dredge mining ... 32,062 252,423 34,920 241 17 Totals, 1935 .. 603,244 1,300,046 131,280 6,715 4,500 Totals, 1934 .. 542,863 1,195,840 207,727 6,520 4,442 * In addition to the gold produced from the gold-mines, silver was obtained from them, hence the word " bullion " is used in preference to " gold." t The profits of privately-owned dredges and mines are unobtainable, which renders this statement incomplete. X The bullion-production is from 4,411 alluvial claims, but the dividends are only obtainable from those few that are the property of registered companies.