C.—2.

Two other large all-steel dredges are now under construction, one at Arahura and the other at Ngaherc. The Arahura dredge will be completed about August and the Ngahere dredge towards the end of the year. The Maori Gully dredge ceased operating in August, 1938, as the claim was worked out; and the Stafford dredge was holed by a submerged log and sank in March, 1938, becoming a total loss. In the Southern district only six dredges were worked in 1938, the Bendigo dredge again being idle throughout the year. A large all-steel dredge is under construction at Lowburn, in Central Otago, but owing to difficulty in obtaining delivery of the steel parts it will be some months before the dredge commences operations. (3) Alluvial Mining. The following is a statement showing the production of, and dividends declared by, alluvial gold-mines during 1938 : —

lii the West Coast and Southern Inspection Districts 1,374 men were employed at alluvial mining in 1938, as compared with 3,495 men in the previous year. In the West Coast district the number engaged in alluvial work dropped from 2,131 to 858, and in the Southern district from 1,364 to 516. The 225 men in the Grey district alluvial mines produced 3,138 oz. of gold in 1938. In the Murchison district 160 men produced 1,417 oz., in the Buller district 76 men produced 853 oz., and in the Westland district 161 men produced 1,167 oz. of gold. The three-compartment shaft commenced at Waikakaho in 1937 was completed in 1938, having been sunk in schist for 100 ft. A chamber has been formed at the shaft bottom, and a 300 ft. crosscut is to be driven to intersect the lead. The drag-line plant which had been working on a bank of the Buller River was shifted in 1938 to an area at Maud Creek which had been unprofitable to work by manual labour. A paddock was stripped and cleared, but the test was not completed by the end of the year. At the Waitahu sluicing claim 324,000 cubic yards of dirt of an average value of 4-37 d. was treated in 1938.

23

Two other large all-steel dredges are now under construction, one at Arahura and the other at Ngahere. The Arahura dredge will be completed about August and the Ngahere dredge towards the end of the year. The Maori Gully dredge ceased operating in August, 1938, as the claim was worked out; and the Stafford dredge was holed by a submerged log and sank in March, 1938, becoming a total loss. In the Southern district only six dredges were worked in 1938, the Hendigo dredge again being idle throughout the year. A large, all-steel dredge is under construction at Lowburn, in Central Otago, but owing to difficulty in obtaining delivery of the steel parts it will be some months before the dredge commences operations. (3) Alluvial Mining. The following is a statement showing the production of, and dividends declared by, alluvial gold-mines during 1938 : — Dividends declared. During 1988. Total to End of 1988. West Coast. oz. £ £ £ Addison Exploration, Ltd. .. .. 190 1,104 Addison's Flat Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 591 4,564 650 4,745 Giles Terrace Sluicing Co., Ltd. .... 4 28 Glonroy Gold, Ltd. ...... 9 63 Golden Sands, Ltd. .. .. .. 295 2,427 .. 7,167 Golden Valley Syndicate .. .. .. 95 691 Hohomi Gold-sluicing Syndicate . . .. 97 797 Kumara Goldfields Syndicate .. . . 124 938 Lawson's Flat Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 24 181 Moonlight Goldfields, Ltd. .. .. 1,192 10,485 1.480 2,477 Mount David Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. 25 180 Newton Flat Gold-sluicing Co., Ltd. .. 8 50 Totara Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .... 32 201 Waitahu Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 558 4,274 1,333 1,333 All other claims .. .. .. .. 4.820 34,945 Otago and Southland,. Central Shotover'Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 297 2,190 Golden Arrow Mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 203 1,478 .. 2,200 Jones Nevis Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. 83 640 .. 813 Kildare Consolidated Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 200 1,538 . . 1,000 Macrae's Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 1,420 10,442 1,500 9,000 Mining House Concessions, Ltd. .. .. Ill 907 New Gabriels Gully Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 195 1,403 Nevis Sluicing Claims, Ltd. . . .. 93 091 Nokomai Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 1,239 9,007 Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co., Ltd. 401" 2,988 700 2,802 Round Hill Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 1.707 13,870 0,000 21,929 Sandhills Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. 547 3,990 2,000 2,000 Short and Party, Ltd. .. .. .. 112 827 .. ... Skippers Ltd. .. .. .. .. 20 140 Sailors Gully (Waitahuna) Gold-mining Co., Ltd. 135 1,007 Tuapeka Mouth Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 120 974 .. 1,800 Vinegar Hill Hydraulio Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. 167 1,210 150 1,200 Waimumu Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. 23 186 All other claims .. .. .. ... 4,726 34,924 Totals, 1938 .. .. .. 19,929 149,580 13,819 Unknown. Totals, 1937 .. .. .. 27,142 200,024 14,683 Unknown. In the West Coast and Southern Inspection Districts 1,374 men were employed at alluvial mining in 1938, as compared with 3,495 men in the previous year. In the West Coast district the number engaged in alluvial work dropped from 2,131 to 858, and in the Southern district from 1,364 to 516. The 225 men in the Grey district alluvial mines produced 3,138 oz. of gold in 1938. In the Murchison district 160 men produced 1,417 oz., in the Buller district 76 men produced 853 oz., and in the Westland district 161 men produced 1,167 oz. of gold. The three-compartment shaft commenced at Waikakaho in 1937 was completed in 1938, having been sunk in schist for 100 ft. A chamber has been formed at the shaft bottom, and a 300 ft. crosscut is to be driven to intersect the lead. The drag-line plant which had been working on a bank of the Buller River was shifted in 1938 to an area at Maud Creek which had been unprofitable to work by manual labour. A paddock was stripped and cleared, but the test was not completed by the end of the year. At the Waitahu sluicing claim 324,000 cubic yards of dirt of an average value of 4-37d. was treated in 1938.