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1948 NEW ZEALAND

MINES STATEMENT BY THE HON. A. McLAGAN, MINISTER OF MINES

Mr. Speaker,— I have the honour to present to Parliament the annual statement on the mining industry of the Dominion for the year ended 31st December, 1947.

MINERAL PRODUCTION The following statement shows the quantity and value of the production of metalliferous mines, quarries, and coal-mines during 1947 and 1946 :

Mineral. 1947. 1946. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Fueli 1 £(N.Z.) £(N.Z.) Coal | 2,751,725 tons 1 4,127,588 I 2,793,870 tons I 4,190,805 Metals Gold 112,260 oz. 1,210,537 119,271 oz. 1,262,524 Silver 221,984 oz. 53,840 224,341 oz. 59,707 Platinum 14 oz. 312 Arsenic 8 tons 143 18 tons 316 Iron-ore 6,226 tons 13,841 7,406 tons 16,422 Copper-ore 580 tons 6,255 Tungsten-ore 22 tons 10,500 27 tons 6,350 Manganese-ore 402 tons 1,686 Non-metallics Bentonite 215 tons 1,049 154 tons 777 Clay for bricks, tiles, &c. 150,808 tons 33,893 109,809 tons 26,179 Clay for pottery, fillers, &c. 11,970 tons 9,970 9,425 tons 5,186 Diatomite 436 tons 709 348 tons 574 Dolomite .. 7,034 tons 3,517 3,893 tons 1,946 Fuller's earth 31 tons 120 75 tons 318 Limestone, marl, &c., for cement 399,335 tons 73,769 Limestone for agriculture 1,020,810 tons 407,759 Limestone for industrial uses 18,401 tons 6,859 Sand, gravel, &c., for roads and 1,617,953 tons 478,308 ballast >2,701,462 tons 741,162 Sand, &c., for building aggregate 375,435 tons 137,123 Dimension stone for building 14,528 tons 11,143 Stone dust for coal-mines, &c. .. 1,298 tons 270 Rock for harbour-\york 41,347 tons 6,451 Magnesite 362 tons 253 374 tons 262 Phosphate 200 tons 100 11,047 tons 3,314 Pumice 3,389 tons 2,635 3,409 tons 12,347 Quartzite 13 tons 33 18 tons 33 Serpentine 31,935 tons 11,803 20,058 tons 3,966 Silica sand 14,443 tons 30,358 16,949 tons 38,921 Totals 6,638,826 6,373,107