C.—2.

The following statement shows the value of New Zealand minerals (other than coal and coke) and allied substances exported during 1937 and 1936, and since Ist January, 1853 : —

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 1937 two fatal and nine serious but non-fatal accidents occurred in or about metalliferous mines, at which 3,913 persons were ordinarily employed.

One of the fatal accidents occurred in a Northern District mine and the other in a sluicing claim in the Southern District. It is pleasing to record the total freedom from fatal accidents in the West Coast mines during 1937. Accounts of the two fatalities follow : — On 2nd June, 1937, an old Chinaman named Yew Kui was instantaneously killed in a cutting he had made into a very large block of clay which had been left in old alluvial workings near the bank of the Tuapeka River. The cutting was about 20 ft. in length and 7\ ft. high. Kui had been undercutting the clay and then levering it down from the top with a fencing-standard. Apparently, while he was undercutting, a mass of the clay came away, for he was found buried to the shoulders by the fall and lying face downwards. He held no title to the land, nor, as far as is known, did he hold a miner's right. His spine was fractured and his chest crushed. On 27th August, 1937, a shaft-repairer named Milos F. Zenovich was killed by falling down the No. 6 shaft at the Martha Mine, Waihi. He and his mate were installing a new knocker line in the shaft and were using a platform, which had been built on top of the skip to get from one place to another in the shaft. In order to take out a kink in the new knocker line, the deceased climbed up a few feet above the stationary skip and stood with one foot on the centre timber of the shaft and the other on a wall plate. He signalled for the skip to be hauled up to enable him to take out another kink higher up the shaft. His mate then noticed that Zenovich was jammed between the skip and the shaft centre. The skip continued ascending, and when clearing the point where Zenovich was jammed his body fell down the shaft into the sump 115 ft. below. He was dead when picked up, having suffered an extensive fracture of the skull as well as many other injuries to the body. After an examination underground the connections between the new knocker line and the engine-room were examined. It was found that a coach screw had worked loose from adjacent timbers, and it had fouled a buckle, or straining piece, and thus had rendered "the knocker line inoperative.

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Total from the 1st !937. 1936. Increase or Decrease. t^Tls^bSber, 1937. £ ! £ £ £ Gold .. .. .. .. 1,423,348 i 1.385,003 Inc. 38,345 102,682,874 Silver .. .. .. .. 48,087 i 55,574 Dec. 7,487 3,505,558 Tungsten-ore .. .. .. 7,248 5,563 Inc. 1,685 337,361 Kauri-gum .. .. .. 151,589 96,161 „ 55,428 23,513,752 Sand, lime, and building-stone .. 8,057 8,881 j) p eo _,g., Other minerals .. .. .. 31 .. j) Totals .. .. , 1,638,360 1,551,182 Inc. 87,178 130,680,259

Inspection District. Classification. , Total, 1937. Northern. ! West Coast. Southern. Gold, silver, and tungsten .. .. 1,024 1,894 992 3,910 Cinnabar .. .. .. .. . .. 2 .. ,. 2 Iron-ore .. .. .. .. ■. .. i 1 .. .. 1 Totals for 1937 .. . 1,027 1,894 992 3,913 Totals for 1936 .. .. 1,068 2,652 1,463 5,183 ■ ■ I 1 ] I *In addition four persons were employed in oil-boring operations.

Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. ause ' Number of 1 V , 11T1 , , Number of Number of Separate Separate Persons Accidents. JJeatns. Accidents. injured. _ i_ I I I Falls of ground.. .. •. .. .. 1 i 1 5 5 Explosives .. .. .. .. . ■ .. .. .. Miscellaneous, on surface .. .. .. . . .. .. i 4 Miscellaneous, underground .. .. .. 1 1 .. Totals .. .. .. ■. .. 2 2 9 !)