C.—2.

As in 1936, fifteen dredges were worked in 1937 on the West Coast district, but the Brian Boru dredge ceased working in December, 1936, and the large dredge at Barrytown was given trial runs in May, 1937, but, owing to lack of power, it did not reach full capacity until about two months later. The Brian Boru dredge was then sold, transported, and is being rebuilt at German Gully for the Blackball Creek Gold-mining Co. It will soon be at work there. Three large and powerful all-steel dredges are under construction, one at Ikamatua, another at Kanieri, and the third at Arahura, while preparations are well under way for another such dredge to work Montgomery's Terrace, Ngahere. The Ikamatua dredge will have buckets of 16-eubic-feet capacity, while the other three will have buckets of 18-cubic-feet capacity and be capable of digging from 75 ft. to 85 ft. under water. In the Southern District there were seven dredges at work during 1937, two of them being new all-steel dredges, one near Alexandra and the other near Clyde. The Clutha River dredge near Alexandra is equipped with 12-cubic-feet buckets, while the Molyneux dredge, a few feet shorter in length than the Clutha, has 9-cubic-feet buckets. Between Ist May, 1937, when dredging commenced, and the end of the year, 6,192 oz. of gold was recovered by the Clutha dredge, but operations on the Molyneux dredge were less fortunate for during practically the same period 1,429 oz. of gold was recovered by that dredge. The Bendigo-Goldlight dredge was not working during the year. Some time in the severe winter the Nevis-Diesel dredge sank, and the greater part of the plant and equipment have since been removed. A large dredge is in course of construction at Lowburn for Austral (N.Z.) Mining, Ltd. (3) Alluvial Mining. The following is a statement showing the value of production of, and dividends declared by alluvial gold-mines during 1937 : —-

24

Dividends declared. fiT.o-, r n„r„Estimated Quantity and Value Name of Owner. of Qold prod > cedi ; — During 1937. Total to End of 1937 ___ I : ■ - J West Coast. oz. £ £ £ Diamond's Flat Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 10 66 Glenroy Gold, Ltd. .. .. .. 48 352 Addison's Flat Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 872 6,540 1,300 4,095 Waitahu Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 684 5,149 Hukawai Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 44 363 Mount David Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. 63 462 Moonlight Goldfields, Ltd. .. .. 826 8,422 991 991 Deep Lead, Ltd. .. .. .. 18 136 .. 500 Golden Sands, Ltd. 760 6,177 1.867 7,167 Addison Exploration, Ltd. .. .. 1,172 7,495 Hohonu Gold-sluicing Co., Ltd. .. , 27 197 Kumara Goldfields Syndicate .. .. j 266 2,186 .. I.aw.son's Klat Gold-mining Co., Ltd. 317 2,357 All other claims .. .. .. .. j 6,314 44,902 Otago and Southland. Ben Lomond Gold-mining Co., Ltd... .. 2 17 Central Shotover Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 341 2,407 Fruidburn Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. . . I 10 Golden Arrow Mining Co., Ltd. .. .. ] 383 2,840 825 2,200 Jones Nevis Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. ! 155 1,149 .. 813 Kildare Consolidated Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 264 1,899 .. 1,000 King Solomon Deep Lead, Ltd. .. .. 536 4,030 .. 19,500 Macraes Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 1,555 11,439 2,500 j 7,500 Maerewhenua Goldfields Development Co., Ltd. 110 926 .. j Mining House Concessions, Ltd. . . .. 109 798 Mountain Terrace Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 32 212 Nevis Sluicing Claims, Ltd. .. .. 240 1,820 N.Z. Prospecting and Mining, Ltd. .. .. 2 12 New Gabriels Gully Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 219 1,608 Nokomai Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 1,258 8,810 Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 436 3,210 .. 2,102 Round Hill Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 1,812 13,911 6,000 15,929 Sailors Gully (Waitahuna) Gold-mining Co.,Ltd. 340 2,454 .. 13,925 Sea Beach Gold, Ltd. . . . . .. 28 202 Short and Party, Ltd. .. .. .. 131 938 Sandhills Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 345 2,413 Skippers Ltd. .. .. .. .. 177 1,232 .. ., Try Again Sluicing Claim .. .. .. 18 129 .. 116 Tuapeka Mouth Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 281 2,077 1,200 1,800 Upper Arrow Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. 66 470 .. j Waimumu Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. 292 2,196 .. j All other claims .. .. . .. .. 6,588 48,011 .. j Totals, 1937 .. .. .. 27,142 200,024 14,683 j Unknown Totals. 1936 .. .. •• 33,618 244,640 16,436 Unknown