C.—2.

Collingwood County. Diamonds Flat Gold-mining Co., Ltd. (W. G. Mouat, Manager).—Early in the year this company acquired the mining privileges and extensive water rights held by Mouat and Sons, also their mining-plant and pipe-line. The necessary race diversion was effected, and a pipe-line laid on the upper end of the claim prior to commencing hydraulic elevating from the old buried channel of Slate River. An average number of four men was employed, and 9 oz. 18 dwt. 12 gr. of gold valued at £66 Is. 3d., was recovered. The major portion of gold won in this county was by subsidized miners. The total number of men employed in this branch of the industry numbered eighty-one, who produced 233 oz. 17 dwt. 19 gr., valued a £1,548 Os. 6d. The Diamond's Flat Co.'s employees and gold return are included in these figures. Talcaka County. Glover's Flat Gold Syndicate.—Manoy Bros., who are now the sole proprietors of the claim, employed three men ground sluicing. The claim is connected with the Anatoki River by a tail-race which drains the paddock and carries the lighter debris. Mechanical appliances are required to lift the heavier material out of the paddock. Alluvial miners in the county numbered fifty-seven, and they produced 117 oz. 12 dwt. 22 gr., valued at £764 7s. Bd. Waimea County. The number of alluvial miners in this county has decreased, and now only twenty-four men are employed on small claims on the Wangapeka and Baton Rivers. They produced 92 oz. 3 dwt. 20 gr., worth £681 7s. 7d. Murchison County. Glenroy Gold, Ltd. (Thornton and Sons, Tributers). —Three tributors worked this claim and recovered 48 oz. 3 dwt. 7grs., worth £351 18s. 6d., making the total amount produced since the commencement of operations 462 oz. 7 dwt. 4gr., valued at £3,537 14s. lid. It is stated that further capital is being raised to resume operations on a larger scale after constructing a new race through which the tailings will be transported to the Glenroy River. Gold-bearing areas in the Maud and Louis Creeks are being actively worked, and a considerable amount of prospecting by drives, shafts, and boreholes has been carried out, with the object of locating new deposits in the area and maintaining the field's output, which, in the past four years, has been substantial. The drag-line plant at Narrow Neck, Buller River, patented by Mr. E. W. Tait, and financed by a Nelson syndicate, assisted by the Mines Department, commenced digging operations late in the year and proved conclusively its efficiency as a digging unit. Buried timber was considered a serious obstacle to successful working, but the winches and gear were found equal to the task of removing tree-trunks and rocks of considerable weight. Under such conditions, the yardage dug was gratifying, and the plant was severely tested for strength and reliability. Two hundred and sixty-three men were employed in the county, and they won 1,881 oz. 6 dwt. 5 gr. of gold, valued at £13,570 19s. lid. These figures exclude dredge returns, but include those of Glenroy Gold, Ltd. Buller County. Addison's Flat Gold-mining Co. (J. M'. Powell, Manager).—This company employed ten men in hydraulic sluicing and elevating a cemented wash, and during the period worked 12 acres of ground of an average depth of 9 ft. and recovered therefrom 871 oz. 17 dwt. 12 gr. of gold, valued at £6,540 ss. Shortage of water during the year seriously affected the output and profit of the company. Since commencing operations the company has produced 2,723 oz. 7 dwt. 8 gr., valued at £20,541 Is. 3d. Dividends paid during the year amounted to £1,300, making a total of £4,095 distributed to the end of the year. J. H. Powell and Sons sluicing on the Charleston Flats recovered 9 oz. 3 dwt. 7 gr. of gold, valued at £70 6s. Bd. Most of the partners' time was taken up in repairing damage to dams and tail-races by floods. Totara Gold-mining Co., Ltd. (D. Harthill, Manager).—This company is preparing to work a sluicing claim near the mouth of Totara River, and employed seven men on construction work. Alluvial mining in this county continues to decline, and the number of men now employed is reduced to 141, who produced 1,304 oz. 11 dwt. 23 gr., valued at £9,611 13s. 9d. These figures include all alluvial gold won and men employed in the county. Inangahua County. Waitahu Gold-mining Co. (P. P. Thomas, Manager).—Notwithstanding a shortage of water during the latter part of the year, the company employed nine men and mined 3 acres of ground from Nos. 12, 13, and 14 paddocks for a yardage of 312,000 cubic yards, which yielded 683 oz. 12 dwt. 4 gr. of gold, valued at £5,149 ss. 7d. The total amount of gold won since the commencement of operations is 2,810 oz. 3 dwt. 1 gr, valued at £20,860 19s. lOd. Mount David Sluicing Co. (W. G. Baird, Manager).—This company employed an average of four men and produced 62 oz. 11 dwt. 3 gr. of gold, valued at £461 16s. 5d., making the totals since the commencement of operations 561 oz. 16 dwt. 7 gr., valued at £3,867 os. 7d. During the year 620 ft. of race-tunnel was driven to replace sections of open ditch that had become unserviceable, in addition to carrying out repairs to race in various parts. When this work was completed, shortage of water from the Big River further curtailed operations. Hukawai Gold-mining Co. (H. Mills, Manager).—This company was formed for the purpose of exploiting a sluicing claim on the north side of Snowy River near the Hukawai Township. A 10 in. Kelly-Lewis gravelpump driven by a 60 h.p. motor was installed to elevate the alluvial mass from paddock sump to sluice-boxes containing gold-mining appliances. A 9 in. high-pressure Kelly-Lewis pump with a capacity of 100,000 gallons per hour supplied water to the hydraulic monitor, and it absorbed the output of a 100 h.p. motor when under a full load. Power was supplied by the Blackwater Gold-mining Co. from the hydro-electric plant situated a short distance below the Blackwater battery. After operating for a short time the company closed down ; during the period worked, 44 oz. 2 dwt. 15 gr. of gold was recovered, which realized £363 4s. lOd. During the year ninety-six men were engaged in alluvial mining in the Inangahua County, and the production was 1,204 oz. 9 dwt. 13 gr. of gold, valued at £8,964 ss. 9d. These figures include all the small alluvial claims, together with the production from the Waitahu Gold-mining Co., the Mount David Co., and the Hukawai Co., but not the dredges. Grey County. Deep Lead Elevating Claim, Nelson Creek (H. Lowther, Manager).—This company operated for approximately one month at the beginning of the year and treated 7,800 cubic yards for a yield of 17 oz. 17 dwt. 9 gr. of alluvial gold, valued at £135 15s. Bd. The total yield of gold from this claim since the commencement of operations amounts to 1,259 oz. 16 dwt. 2 gr., valued at £8,968 9s. lOd. One dividend amounting to £500 has been paid since the inception of operations. The claim was worked by sluicing and elevating with dredge buckets driven by an electric motor. The company is considering a different method of working. Golden Valley Syndicate, Gow's Creek (Thos. Donnellan, Manager). —This syndicate completed its developmentwork, and commenced operating at the end of the year, obtaining 16 oz. 2 dwt. of alluvial gold, for a return of £112 Is. 9d. The average number of men employed while sluicing was three.

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