C.—2.

(2) GOVERNMENT PROSPECTING DRILLS. The following table gives details of the drilling done and the results obtained for twelve months ended 31st December, 1936 :— Drills used : Diamond and Keystone drills. Percussion and Hand-placer drills.

(3) Subsidized Roads on Goldfields. The expenditure in the form of subsidies and direct grants upon roads on goldfields amounted to £3,132 lis., as compared with £1,051 18s. lOd. during the previous year. (4) General Remarks. Finding it necessary to add to their staff of mining engineers, the Labour Department during 1936 engaged the services of additional qualified men, one of them, Mr. R. F. Landreth, taking over the duties of Mr. S. W. S. Strong, whose tragic death near the end of the year I very much regret. He died after a very short illness and within a few weeks of having been appointed to supervise the whole of the field-work of the Labour Department's mining activities. When alluvial and lode mining were at a low ebb Mr. Strong was out in the hills seeking new areas on which to place unemployed men at prospecting, and his unbounded energy and optimism must have renewed hope in many a disappointed miner. The increasing activity in mining in the West Coast District reflected itself also in the work of the Inspector of Mines for that district. As a consequence it was decided to appoint another Inspector to act with Mr. G. W. Lowes, and Mr. A. W. Turner took up duty at Reefton. Their help and co-operation throughout the year, as well as that of the Northern and Southern District Inspectors and of Mr. J. F. Downey, who was transferred from Waihi to Wellington in 1935, has been much appreciated. I have, &c., George Duggan, Inspecting Engineer of Mines.

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U nnW TvSJfh Diameter Mineral Character of Country Tri , , . Foot P of „ . P ' of Hole <*oii<Tht rtriiipd thrnncrh lo whom lent. Foot of Foot of fnrhnno' Remarks, drilled, in Feet. 01 uole ' sou = Bt - drilled through. Drilling. Transport. Ft. In. s. d. s. d. s. d. 4 921 6 Gold Clay and sand .. Argyle Mining Co. 9 9-33 0 3-956 13 660 6 Gold Gravel .. Austral Malay 9 7-9 11 Tin, Ltd. 8 687 6 Gold Gravel .. Austral Malay 14 7-56 0 2-64 Tin, Ltd. 11 585 6 Gold Gravel .. Austral Malay 8 6 14 3 Tin, Ltd. 20 1,599 6 Gold Gravel .. Clutha River .. .. .. In progress. Gold-dredging, Ltd. 3 83 6 Gold Sand and gravel Consolidated Gold- 6 6-94 3 4'08 fields of N.Z., Ltd. 10 270 6 Gold Gravel .. Consolidated Gold- 8 6-89 2 3-77 fields of N.Z., Ltd. 4 181 6 Gold Gravel .. Consolidated Gold- 10 1-99 5 11-59 fields of N.Z., Ltd. 3 411 2J Gold Andesite and CoromandelGold- .. .. .. In progress. quartz mines, Ltd. 72 1,957 6 Gold Soil and gravel .. Labour Depart- 3 10 0 2-1 ment (Employment Division) 18 564 6 Gold Soil and gravel .. Labour Depart- 13 9 0 0-66 ment (Employment Division) 109 1,178 6 Gold Soil and gravel .. Labour Depart- .. .. .. In progress. ment (Employment Division) 2 68 41 Gold Gravel .. Labour Department (Employment Division) 14 489 6 Gold Gravel .. Learmont and 10 7 3 6 party 8 187 6 Gold Silt and gravel .. Mataki Gold- 11 4 4 6 dredging, Ltd. 3 159 6 Gold Gravel .. Mines Department 10 11-12 2 4-07 11 964 6 Gold Gravel .. N.Z. Prospecting 8 6* 0 3 and Mining,Ltd. 24 1,842 6 Gold Gravel .. N.Z. Prospecting .. .. .. In progress. and Mining, Ltd. 5 946 2J Gold Andesite and Ohinemuri Gold 17 3-75 0 2-5 3 4 quartz and Silver Mines, Ltd. 258 8,317 6 Gold Gravel .. EimuGold- .. .. .. In progress. dredging Co., Ltd. 4 1,348 2£, 3, Coal Shale and sand- State Coal-mines .. .. .. In progress. and 3f stone 604 23,416 * Includes cost per foot of holes bored with private, drill. / CI \ ri TH _ /~i .