C—2.

22

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 :—

The total value of the bullion produced in 1936 was less by £27,459 than that produced in 1935. From quartz-mining and alluvial mining the value of the bullion produced was less by £45,648 and £24,466 respectively, but from dredging the increased value of the bullion recovered in 1936, compared with the recovery in 1935, was £42,655.

(1) Quartz-mining.

The average value per ton of ore treated during 1936 amounted to £2 15s. 7d., as compared with £2 18s. Bd. during 1935. At the Martha Mine 172,622 long tons of quartzjjwas]minedjand treated, from which 53,108 oz. of gold, valued at £371,762, and 382,400 oz. of silver, valued at £-34,746, were recovered. The dividends paid during the year, £99,181 Bs., were double those of the previous year. The total dividends paid to date from the Martha Mine are £6,387,780 16s. 6d. Except for 28 ft. driven in the No. 11 level and 91 ft. in the No. 9 level, all the developmentwork done during 1936 in the Martha Mine was above the No. 9 level. Driving was continued on the north branch of the Martha lode in Nos. 4, 6, 7, and 9 levels and above the No. 1 level. Further development-work was also done on the Royal lode in No. 6 level and on the Bell Reef in No. 2 level. From the Waihi Grand Junction area, worked by the Martha Gold-mining Co., 27,004 long tons of ore was mined, from which 7,620 oz. of gold, valued at £53,338, and 28,117 oz. of silver, valued at £2,554, were recovered. Exploratory work on the Royal lode was done in No. 6 level and in an intermediate level below No. 8, and on the George and Empire lodes in intermediate levels below No. 7 level. In the No. 3 level of the Golden Dawn Mine at Owharoa driving was done, during 1936, on the westwall branch of the No. 1 reef, on the No. 1 reef itself, and on the eastwall branch of the No. 3 reef. In the intermediate level, 70 ft. above the No. 3 level, driving was done on the Nos. 1 and 2 reefs and on the eastwall branch of the No. 3 reef. 9,247 tons of quartz was mined and treated for a return of 4,987 oz. of gold, valued at £42 136 and 9,719 oz. of silver, valued at £601. From other mines in the district, but chiefly from the Talisman-Dubbo Mine, the Golden Dawn battery treated 2,347 tons of ore from which 2,439 oz. of gold, valued at £21,250, and 10,694 oz. of silver, valued at £1,210, were recovered. During the year £4,000 was paid in dividends by the Golden Dawn Gold-mines, Ltd. At the Talisman-Dubbo Mine, Karangahake, driving and stoping was continued in the Talisman Nos. 1 and 2 levels, and the Talisman No. 4 level is being cleaned up and retimbered. Stoping was done also in the Dubbo level. From the Talisman-Dubbo Mine 2,272 tons of ore was mined and it was treated at the Golden Dawn battery and yielded 2,344 oz. of gold, valued at £20,576, and 10.296 oz. of silver, valued at £1,171. From four other small mines in the Karangahake District 240 tons of ore was mined which yielded 95 oz. of gold, valued at £589, and, from the old Talisman battery site, 61 tons were treated from which 67 oz. of gold was recovered, valued at £552. From driving and sinking at four mines at Tokatea 209 oz. of gold was recovered, valued at £1,125. In the vicinity of the old Komata Gold-Mining Co.'s No. 2 level' driving has recently been done to prove the worth of a 4 ft. reef that was not worked in former years. A battery and a cyanide plant have been installed and 51 tons of ore from a rise at No. 4 level was treated and vielded 137 oz of gold, valued at £525.

Production of Bullion, 1936.* (All Mines.) .. Number of Persons Number o( Dividends paid, 1936. ordinarily employed Productive Quartz(By.Registered Com- at Productive and mines, Alluvial ,7 , panies only.Jf Unproductive Mines, i Mines, and Quantity. Value. 1936 . | Dre a g es. 1936. ! I Oz. £ £ Quartz-mining .. 526,661 732,869 151,336 1,387 77 Alluvial miningf .. 33,618 244,640 16,436 3*495 2 928 Dredge mining .. 37,269 295,078 62,335 '279 ' 21 Totals, 1936 .. 597,548 1,272,587 230,107 5,161 3,026 ~~ Totals, 1935 .. 603,244 1,300,046 131,280 6,715 ~~4~5(X) ♦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 t The bullion-production is from 2,928 alluvial claims, but the dividends are only obtainable from those few that are the property of registered companies. uy

Statute Tons of Ore treated. Value of Bullion Dividends paid (by BegiSr Inspection District. tered Companies only). 1938. 1985. 1936. 1935. 1936. | 1935. „ T , £ £ £ £ Northern .. .. 213,388 211,425 543,052 556,855 110,087 60 332 West Coast .. .. 48,091 52,233 182,239 215,960 41 249 28'749 Southern .. .. 2,146 1,606 7,578 5,702 .. j. Totals .. .. 263,625 265,264 732,869 778,517 151,336 89^081