C.—2

APPENDICES TO THE MINES STATEMENT

APPENDIX A REPORTS RELATING TO METALLIFEROUS MINES AND STONE-QUARRIES

The Inspecting Engineer of Mines to the Under-Secretary of Mines Sik >~' Wellington, 15th May, 1945. 1 have the honour to present my report on metalliferous mines and stone-quarries for the year ended 31st December, 1944.

ACCIDENTS In 1944 three fatal and two serious non-fatal accidents occurred in or about metalliferous mines, at which 1,314 persons were ordinarily employed.

Of the fatalities two were of men drowned off the Barrytown Dredge, one in August and the other in October. The third fatality occurred in the Waikino Battery, a workman being struck on his head by a fast travelling belt driving a rock-breaker. One of the serious non-fatal accidents also occurred in the Waikino Battery. A workman repairing the stamper gear was struck on the head and fell to a lower floor level The other serious accident occurred to one of the workmen on the Atarau Dredge. He sustained broken ribs from a wire rope being tightened. GOLD-MINING No new quartz mine was opened during the year. Of the fifteen dredges operating in the West Coast District, twelve worked throughout 1944. The Maori Gold Dredge worked until the end of September and then collapsed. The company afterwards went into liquidation. 1 y The Slab Hut Dredge suspended operations in June, but recommenced dredging about two months later. ° b The Waipuna Dredge operated intermittently in 1944. In the Southern District the Austral Dredge, at Lowburn, continued to operate throughout 1944 The refitting of the Clutha Dredge was completed in February and it has been working since! Ihe Molyneaux and Rainbow Dredges were tied up all the year. PROSECUTIONS No informations were laid by the Inspectors of Mines during 1944. MINERALS OTHER THAN GOLD AND SILVER Arsenic. Nearly 16 tons of arsenic was recovered at the Blackwater treatment plant recovered to lom 386 Upp6r TakakU MU 17 tOIIS ° f asbcst °s'fib™ was Bentonite and Fullers Earth.—At Porangahau 360 tons of bentonite, worth £1,640, was mined. At Ivamo 106 tons of Fullers earth, worth £387, was produced. Diatomite.—At Ngongotaha 11| tons of diatomaceous earth, worth £54, was produced. In Otago 43 tons of diatomite, valued at £40, was produced. a trrllT Kamo tons limonite, worth £2,893, was mined ; and at Okaihau North Auckland, 2,568 tons worth £7,882, was won. In the Onakaka district 443 tons of limonite' valued at £775, was quarried. ' Talc-magnesite and laic. From the Upper Takaka district 103 tons and from Aniseed Vallev 25 tons was quarried, together worth £102. Manganese. None was produced in 1944, but 475 tons was shipped from Clevedou.

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Fatal Accidents. Serious Non-fatal Accidents. Cause. AT ' Separate Number of Number of Number of _ _ AeS Deaths. | Persons Falls of ground Explosives Miscellaneous, on surface . . . , ., ., 3 '3 " 0 •' Miscellaneous, underground .. ., ., ,, ■ Totals ~ 3 ~~ 3 2 2