C.—2.

Maniototo County. Golden Progress Quartz Mining Co., Oturehua (E. Gaytan, manager).—Eight men were employed and operations were confined to taking out the ore on the 200 ft. level. Finally, when operations were being carried on at a loss, on account of the expensive and laborious methods of mining, operations were discontinued, this being early in September. Prospecting operations will probably be resumed during 1936. when the east end of the 150 ft. level will be driven ahead. One hundred and eighty tons of quartz was mined and treated at the battery, yielding 244 oz. 11 dwt. 12 gr. of gold, valued at £1,739 6s. 4d. The Wilson Earl Party continued prospecting operations in the Ophir area, and located some auriferous leaders and a reef, carrying specimen ore, on the boundary of Small Grazing Runs 2440 and 244h, Tiger Hill Survey District, apparently in the locality of an earlier discovery by a prospector named Green in 1896 ; shaft sinking, trenching, and driving have been done, and a small battery will be erected in 1936. Reef prospecting was also carried out in the Serpentine during the summer months. Driving operations were in progress until weather conditions became too severe. A subsidized reefing party was also employed, when weather conditions were suitable, on the Mount Highlay area near to the boundary between the Maniototo and Waihemo Counties. The Kildare Consolidated Gold Mining Co., Ltd. (W. J. Wade, manager).—Mr. Johnsen left in the latter part of the year to take up an appointment in New Guinea, and was succeeded by Mr. W. J. Wade. Work has been carried on throughout the year at the Surface Hill Claim, and the dewatering operations were continued until the debris was reached. The major portion of this debris was removed, but the bottom of the elevator, in use by the Scandinavian Water Race Company when the claim was flooded in 1904, has not yet been reached. The material dealt with consists of quartz drifts and has to be elevated 100 ft. Eight men have been employed during the year working three eight-hour shifts daily. The gold won during these reopening operations amounted to 165 oz. 4 dwt. 6 gr., valued at £1,212 16s. lid. The various privately owned alluvial mines in the, Cambrians, Vinegar Hill, St. Bathan's, Kyeburn, Naseby, and Patearoa areas were working steadily during the year whenever weather conditions were favourable and water was available. Prospecting operations have also been carried on in the Hamiltons area. The chief producers were M. and J. Brown, Kyeburn Diggings; Roche and George, Naseby; Carr Bros., Patearoa; S. Weatherall, Serpentine ; T. C. Hore, Naseby ; A. and G. Brown, Naseby ; and N. Nicholson, St. Bathan's. British Developments, Ltd., Cambrians.—The driving operations were discontinued during the early part of the year and drilling operations will be carried out in this area during 1936. A total of 246 men, inclusive of the above-named companies, was employed winning 2,471 oz. 16 dwt. 22 gr. of gold, valued at £17,862 13s. 2d. Tuapeka County. New Gabriels Gully Sluicing Co., Blue Spur, Lawrence (J. Hore, manager).—Seven men employed working three shifts daily. Active mining operations have been carried on during the year. However, the hardness of the conglomerate slows up the sluicing and elevating operations. The cement, on account of previous driving, comes down in large blocks which have to be blasted, eruptite being used for this purpose. Jackliammer drills are used for drilling purposes. In order to speed up the sluicing operations a 24-in. Jaques jaw crusher, belt driven by a Pelton wheel, and capable of treating up to 25 yards per hour, was installed during the latter part of the year for the purpose of crushing the pieces of cement unreduced by blasting and nozzle pressure. It is possible that a second crusher will be required to reduce the cement material to sand in order to obtain the full gold content in the sluice-boxes. At the commencement of the year and towards the end of the year a water shortage was experienced, but during the greater part of the year a good supply of water was available. The gold won during the year amounted to 166 oz. 3 dwt. 18 gr., valued at £1,252 7s. 4d. The Wetherstones Gold Mining Co., Ltd., Wetherstones (G. C. Scott, manager).—Work was resumed in the main incline shaft in April and water was encountered at 830 ft. and debris at 850 ft. By the end of June this Shaft was cleared to 1,232 ft., the main sets and lagging having been repaired where necessary. The hauling plant was overhauled and a more powerful motor and an emergency brake were fitted. A dip drive was started from the foot of the main incline shaft in July through the first schist jump-up. After driving 66 ft. contact was made with cement. A second jump-up started at 1,312 ft. and extended 168 ft. to 1,480 ft., where contact was again made with cement. After driving 31 ft. the schist contact became almost vertical, leaving the floor of the drive which was driven at as steep an angle as possible, and which reached the 1,672 ft. mark at the end of the year. Driving operations are being continued. Nine men have been employed since operations were resumed in April. Sluicing and elevating operations were carried on by Mr. R. S. Thompson, of Wetherstones, in his freehold land adjoining the old Wetherstones School grounds. 1. O. Walker, manager. Five men employed. Paddy's Point Gold Mining Company. Forsyth. (R. Webb, manager).—Work has been carried on continuously throughout the year in the freehold land alongside the Lawrence-Waitahuna Main R.oad. On account of the shallow ground a large area has been sluiced and elevated, and the payable auriferous area is rapidly being exhausted. Seven men have been employed working three shifts daily and 470 oz. of gold, valued at £3,435, has been won. Areas of freehold and mining reserve have been obtained in Waitahuna, and preparations are being made to open up these areas when mining operations are concluded at Paddy's Point. Sailors Gully Sluicing Company, Waitahuna (A. W. Eaton, manager).—Sluicing operations have been carried out during the year in the remaining portions of the exposed cement in the old Scandinavian Claim. The cement is very hard and difficult to break down. Seven men have been employed working three shifts daily. The gold won amounted to 263 oz. 6 dwt-., valued at £1,908 os. 2d. Tallaburn Sluicing Company, Horse Shoe Bend. —Operations have been suspended at this mine on account of the exhaustion of the available sluicing area. The Riverside Sluicing Company also ceased operations during the year. The Fifty-Five Gold-mining Company has been inoperative during the year on account of litigation. Sluicing and elevating operations were carried on by Messrs. A. and R. Brown in the Tuapeka Mouth Sluicing Company's Claim when sufficient water was available to work the low pressure turbine in the Tuapeka River. Driving operations were continued when water was unobtainable for sluicing purposes. The Tuapeka Mouth Sluicing Company has now been reorganized and operations will be resumed in 1936. The Fourteen Mile Beach Gold-mining Company (A. Donnelly, manager). —Sluicing and elevating operations were continued until it was proved that the lead had either cut out or run into the Clutha River. Pour men were employed winning 69 oz. 8 dwt. 6 gr. of gold, valued at £524 7s. 4d. Operations have been discontinued and the plant dismantled preparatory to being sold. The Molyneux Deep Lead Co., Coal Creek, Roxburgh (H. A. de Latour, manager).—This claim was equipped with electrically-driven haulage and pumping plant. A treatment plant and bins were erected, together with the necessary incline and tramways. Drives were put in to the north (210 ft.), to the south (73 ft.) and to the west (94 ft.). Work was discontinued in the north drive as no bottom could be located and in the south drive, in the maori bottom, as values were too low for driving and blocking. Work was concentrated on the west drive at a lower elevation but progress was slow on account of heavy water seepage ; also rock bottom could not be located. As a result face-boards had to be used. Auriferous wash was located in this drive, but driving operations were suspended in October on account of lack of finance. This shows the necessity for a thorough systematic prospecting of any deep lead or dredging proposition, in this case what might be termed scout boring only having been carried out. This failed to reveal a deep boil hole where the main west and the north drives wpre located. The difficulties of driving through the boil hole- caused unforseen expenditure and, as a result, operations had to be suspended as the working capital of the company was exhausted before the area was opened up. Ten men were employed and the gold won amounted to 27 oz. 12 dwt., valued at £197 os. 9d.

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