C.—2

At the Blackwater Mine, Waiuta, the " Prohibition " shaft was sunk another 150 ft. to the No. 13 level, and by the end of the year preparations for the new electric winder were well advanced. During 1935, 45,660 tons of ore was mined from the Blackwater Mine, being 13,798 tons more than in 1934, and 21,216 oz. of gold, valued at £173,541, was recovered. In 1935 about 2,500 ft. of development work was done in the Nos. 10, 11, 12, and 13 levels and 150 ft. of shaft-sinking. The work in No. 10 level was rather disappointing, but in the Nos. 11, 12, and 13 levels it was very satisfactory. From the Alexander Mine 3,008 tons of ore was treated, from which 2,552 oz. of gold, valued at £20,304, was obtained. Owing to losses the furnace was closed down in October, and since then the concentrates have been sent to Australia for treatment. The Big River Mine produced 2,431 tons of ore for a yield of 2,323 oz. of gold, valued at £19,028. The battery at the Mount Greenland Mine crushed 391 tons of ore, which yielded, by amalgamation alone, 330 oz. of gold, valued at £1,961. At the Golden Progress Mine, near Oturehua, operations were confined to stoping on the 200 ft. level. Work ceased altogether in September, 1935. The low-level tunnel in the New Bendigo Gold-mining Co.'s Mine, which was driven in 1910 to 650 ft. in from the portal, was extended in 1935 to the 1,960 ft. mark. No payable stone having been met and indications of faulting being encountered, work ceased pending a further report on the area. A winding plant was installed at the Bendigo Rise and Shine Gold-mining Co.'s shaft, and, between the crosscut and the rise on the 60 ft. level, stoping was commenced. An adit has been driven into the hill, on the line of the North-South lode, for a distance of 100 ft. and crosscuts put out east and west without exposing anything of value.

At the end of 1935 fifteen dredges were being worked and three that had previously been operated were idle. Of seven other dredges under construction, the one at Alexandra and another at Clyde were ready for launching, but for months the Molyneux River did not rise high enough to permit the launching being done. Of the seven dredges operating in the West Coast in 1934, six worked continuously during the past year, but the Brian Boru dredge ceased working at the end of February, 1935, and has not been operating since. The Mossy Creek, Argo, Maori Gully, and Bundi Tin (Camerons) dredges were brought into commission, and have proved valuable additions to the list of operating dredges. Another dredge is almost completed and six are being built. During 1935 the eleven West Coast dredges recovered 29,287 oz. of gold, valued at £231,996, and the four southern dredges 2,775 oz. of gold, valued at £20,427. Of the West Coast return the Rimu dredge recovered 13,634 oz., valued at £114,274, and paid a dividend of £13,814 for the year. Of the five dredges operating in the Southern District in 1934, four continued during the past year. The Nevis-Diesel dredge was not worked, but further drilling was done on the area early in the year.

24

*******(2) Dredge Mining. The following is a statement showing the capacity and production of bucket gold-dredges and dividends declared by dredging companies during 1935. (Note. —The dividends declared by privately-owned dredges are not obtainable for publication.)

Ô CO fc* I TJ1 • rgH bcjs "g 9 £ o o ,5 i -5 • o j= c Dividends declared. £0 o o fcD Q .3 re's w r§ •" 5 Quantity and „ „ -p. , qm Value of Bullion Name of Dredge. Locality. o| og« o §$!%«■§ obtained during _ . . f „ 111 lis IS Sf| 1935. During ™,° §££ lis § a ®s l935 - was. o fe j<5 f»HB «> TFesi Coast. Ft. oz. £ £ £ Mataki .. •■ Murchison .. 7 20 120 S 16J 1,972 14,633 1,406 4,218 Worksop .. .. Antonio's .. 4 12 140 D 17 2,045 13,871 4,800 8,000 Mossy Creek .. Hukarere .. 4 26 225 E 15 1,784 13,382 3,750 3,750 Brian Bora . . • • German Gully . . 9 20 250 E 45 114 842 .. 1,350 Argo . . . . Blackball .. 5 18 210 E 30 588 4,000 Maori Gully.. .. Maori Gully .. 4 20 205 E 17| 1,440 10,677 2,400 2,400 BundiTin' .. .. Cameron's .. 10 18 500 S 32 2,242 17,480 Stafford .. .. Stafford .. 8 12 220 E 18 2,181 18,518 3,750 3,750 Rimu .. •• Rimu .. ..12 23 922 E 41 13,634 114,274 13,814 77,882 Okarito (Five Mile Beach) Okarito .. 5 10 .. H 20 1,665 12,354 7,000 31,500 Gillespie's Beach .. Gillespie's Beach 5 13 225 E 19 1,622 11,965 1,750 4,667 Otago and Southland. Aitken's .. Maitland .. 6 10 32 S 14 1,190 9,084 Goldfield's .. .. Shotover River .. 8 18 305 E 23 503 3,543 Rainbow .. . . Waimumu .. 2J 12 38 D 7 121 744 Nevis Crossing .. Nevis .. .. 3-| 10 12 S 10 379 2,803 Bendigo-Goldlight .. Bendigo .. 7J 9 20 S 55 70 499 Waipapa Beach .. Otara .. .. 2J 14 70 D 18 512 3,754 Totals, 1935 .. .. ■■ •• •• 32,062 252,423 38,670 Unknown Totals, 1934 .. .. .. •• ■■ .... 24,092 190,319 41,406 Unknown