c.—2

Long Drive SyniUcate.l—The stone drive was continued for a short period. Operations were then suspended, as suitable labour for hand steel-raining could not be obtained. Homer Mine, Gee's Flat, and the McCormack-Austin Mine, Upper Gee's Flat, operated for a short period only, and than ceased operations. W. Thomas and Son, Lower Cairnmuir. —Opening-out operations have been continued. Water-race and fluminge have been kept in good order, and repair and virgin gravels are now being opened up by sluicing methods. Shine Again Gold-mining Co., Ltd. —Driving operations were carried out in what is known as the "big lode," from the foot of the main shaft. A distance of 73ft. was driven to the east. Operations ceased at the beginning' of the winter, and had. not. been resumed at the end of the year. In the Nevis the Williamson Mine is operating in the Upper Nevis near the stone huts on a section of the Nevis deep lead. The McLean Bros, are operating by sluicing and elevating at the upper end of the old township workings. Sluicing operations have been carried out at Blackmans, Matakanui, and Gorge Creek. Dredging. LaJce County. The dredge owned by the Gold field Dredging Co., at the Rig Beach, Arthur's Point, was sold to Australian buyers, who were dismantling the dredge wlnen a heavy flood occurred in the Shotover River and silted up the pontoons. Dismantling operations ceased, and what remains of the dredge is now the property of the underwriters. Vincent County. Nevis Crossing Dredge, Lower Nevis. —Thi% dredge has been purchased by a small company, who have been unable to commence operations owing to the shortage of labour. Bendigo GoUlight Dredge.—This dredge is still beached near the Bendigo Township. Austral New Zealand Mining, Ltd.—The large dredge operated by this company has continued dredging the area known as the " Athenreum Reserve," Low-burn, near Cromwell, and during the year 2,983,0f10 cubic yards of alluvials have been dug. During the company's annual period, -Ith October, .1941, to 4th. October, 1942, this dredge operated for 5,734 hours and dredged an area of 42$ acres, digging 3,267,000 cubic yards. The area worked was, in the main, low grade, and recovery was consequently tower than the previous year. This dredge is electrically operated, and power is supplied by the Otago Central Electric-power Board, who have now acquired the Wye Creek hydro-electric power plant, and are also constructing another hydro-electric plant in the Mid Roaring Meg Basin to enable them to supply this and the electricallyoperated dredge of the Clutha Gold-dredging Co. at Alexandra with an adequate supply of electric power. Molyneux Gold-dredging Co., Ltd.—'This dredge has operated for 4,919 hours in the Kawarau River upstream from Richard's Beach for a distance of 245 chains, and the dredging depth has varied from 28 ft. to 18 ft. The river bottom was soft pug during the first half-year, and then soft sandstone. Many large boulders have been located, and some have had to be blasted in order to enable the dredge to negotiate the river under the Bannockburn Bridge in the winter low river-level period. Approximately 550,500 cubic yards have been dug, but no virgin gravels wero_ met with, on account of the comparatively shallow depth the previous dredges had been able to work this river-bed effectively. This dredge is electrically operated, and also has a Diesel-operated stand-by set for use in cases of emergency. Clutha Jtiver Gold-dredging Co., Ltd.—During the year the work of reconstructing and refitting the dredge as a paddock dredge has been carried out as rapidly as possible, but the shortage of skilled labour has .slowed up the work and it, will be some time yet before the dredge is operating in the Alexandra Flats. Southland. Aitlcen's Dredge, Chatton District. —This steam-driven sluice-box paddock dredge continued to operate on freehold land in a shallow valley on the eastern Mataura River flats near Chatton until the dredgeable ground was exhausted, and litis since been sold and dismantled. Rainbow Dredging Co., MaitUnd, Waikalca Valley, Southland.—Dredging operations have been continued in a narrow valley at Maitland west of the Gore-Wikaka Road and Railway. The ground is shallow, and this small dredge is operated by a 38 b.li.p, Gardner Diesel engine. Minerals other tttan Gold. Platinum. —The Round Hill Gold-mining 00. produced 15 oz. at their Round Hill Mine, and IT. Sorenson, of Orepuki, produced (i oz. 8 dwt. from the old township workings at Orepuki, Southland, valued, at £189. Silver. Valued at £30 Is. 3d., 287 Joss. of silver was recovered by the Austral New Zealand dredge At —Valued at £1,428, 1,412 tons of silica sand .have been mined in the Hyde district, Central Otago, and Mount Somers and Pleasant, Valley, in Canterbury. Diatomite. —Valued at £112, 74 tons of diatomaceous earth suitable for insulating purposes was mined at Foulden Hill, in the Strath-Taieri district, near Middlemarch, Otago. Valuable Clays (other than for llrkkmdkir-gjVa 1 ued at £.1,462, 1,647 tons of clay have been mined at Kakahu and Mount Somers, in Canterbury. Tungsten. During the year, 1,304 tons of scheelite-bearmg ores have been treated or crushed for a yield of 07 tons of scheelite concentrates (504 tons from the Glenorchy district and 10-i tons from the Macrae's district), with an approximate value of £32,309. Accidents. There were no fatal or serious accidents at the mines in the Southern District during the year. * Stone-quarries Accidents. One accident which proved to be fatal occurred during the year in the stone-quarries. A quarry worker suffered severe injuries to his back and chest through being hit by a fall of clay when employed on stripping operations at the New Snowdrift Lime-quarry at Milburn on the 16tli April. He died in the Dunedin Hospital on the 21st, September. Subsidized Mining Scheme. On account of the small number of men remaining on the gold-mining scheme, the store at Cromwell Wcis closed. Some of the Glenorchy scheelite-mines a,re now self-supporting, and others are in receipt of a repayable wages subsidy.

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