C.—2.

Both the deceased and his mate had neglected to use the body chains which had been provided as required by section 274 (35) of the Mining Act, 1926, and the fatality was due to that neglect. A conviction was recorded against the other workman on 17th November, 1937, for his failure to use the safety chains. A very unusual fatality, which, however, cannot be classed as a mining fatality, occurred on the sea-coast at Whananaki, in the North Auckland district, on 25th January, 1937. Two Maoris, Mr. N. Toki and Mrs. T. Nehua (sometimes assisted by her thirteen-year-old daughter), had dug a hole 20 ft. deep and 2 ft. wide and 3 ft. long about midway between high- and low-water mark, and the bodies of the man and woman were found in that hole. Earlier that day the child had been instructed to descend into the hole to remove water and gravel while the others remained on the surface. Getting no response to her signals, after a while she climbed out and went to the male Maori's hut and stayed there for some time. Later, becoming anxious at the non-appearance of her mother and Toki, she returned to the shaft and found both of them in the hole and under water. It is surmised that Toki and Nehua returned to the shaft and, finding that water had risen to a height of several feet in it, had become concerned for the child's safety. Toki then dived into the water, and, while he was doing so, Nehua, who weighed 17 stone, fell on top of him and blocked the hole. Neither of the deceased held a miner's right, nor had a mining title been granted" to either of them. 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 : —

(1) Quartz-mining.

The average value per ton of ore treated during 1937 amounted to £2 145., as compared with £2 15s. 7d. during 1936. At the Martha Mine 183,518 long tons of quartz was mined and treated, from which 54,553 oz. of gold, valued at £383,233, and 412,073 oz. of silver, valued at £36,910, were recovered. The dividends paid during the year, £99,181 18s., were the same as for 1936. The total dividends paid to date from the Martha Mine are £6,486,962 4s. 6d. No development-work was done during the year in the Nos. 10, 12, 13, and 14 levels, but stoping was continued from these levels as well as those above. Some driving was done in the No. 11 level on the Dreadnought, Edward, and Royal lodes. The north branch of the Martha Lode was investigated further in the Nos. 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 levels and the south branch of the Martha lode in the open-cut level. A small lode called the " H branch " was met in Nos. 4 and 5 levels and driven on in both levels. It was found to be payable for 86 ft. in the No. 5 level, but unpayable in the No. 4 level. From the Waihi Grand Junction Mine, worked by the Martha Gold-mining Co., 16,797 long tons of ore was mined, from which 4,723 oz. of gold, valued at £33,178, and 16,603 oz. of silver, valued at £1,487, were recovered. £6,906 ss. 4d. was paid in dividends in 1937. In the Martha Co.'s No. 8 level exploratory work was done on the Royal lode. Stoping was done from that level also, as well as in the Grand Junction Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 levels. At the Golden Dawn Mine, at Owharoa, a considerable amount of driving was done in the No. 3 level and in the 70 ft. intermediate level above No. 3, but the results were, in many cases, rather disappointing. However, some driving on the west wall of the wide No. 5 reef gave rather promising results, as well as that done on the narrow No. 4 reef in the crosscut off the north drive. Quartz weighing 7,511 tons was mined and treated for a return of 3,307 oz. of gold, valued at £28,889, and 4,845 oz. of silver, valued at £325.

22

Production of Bullion, 1937.* (All Mines.) Number of Persons Number of : Dividends paid, 1937. ordinarily employed Productive Quarfcz(By Registered Com- at Productive and mines, Alluvial panies only.)t Unproductive Mines, Mines, and Quantity. Value. 1937. Dredges, 1937. Oz. £ £ Quartz-mining .. 534,424 710,421 126,088 1,358 77 Alluvial miningj .. 27,142 200,024 14,683 2,168 2,753 Dredge mining .. 50,902 409,298 55,533 351 22 Totals, 1937 .. 612,468 1,319,743 196,304 3,877 2,852 Totals, 1936 .. 597,548 1,272,587 230,107 5,161 3,026 * 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. i The bullion-production is from 2,753 alluvial claims, but the dividends are only obtainable from those few that are the property of registered companies.

Statute Tons of Ore treated. | Value of Bullion. "tS&SS&fSSgr Inspection District. 1937. 1936. 1937. 1936. 1937. 1936. j I I £ £ ! £ £ Northern .. .. 211,852 213,388 511,585 543,052 106,088 110,087 West Coast .. .. 49,234 48,091 191,807 182,239 20,000 41,249 Southern .. .. 2,097 2,146 7,029 7,578 Totals .. .. 263,183 263,625 710,421 732,869 126,088 151,336