C—2

This scheme, which originated with the Miners' Phthisis Act, *1915, is administered by the Social Security Commission, and the following is a summary of the operations for the year ended 31st March, 1949 : £ Payments from Ist November, 1915, to 31st March, 1948 ..• 1,878,548 Payments from Ist April, 1948, to 31st March, 1949 .. 113,659 £1,992,207 Number of new grants for the year 1948-49 — 1 Males .. .. .. .. .. .. 15 Pemales (widows of miners) .. .. .. .. 10 25 Number of benefits in force at 31st March, 1949 — Males .. .. .... .. .. .. 575 Females (widows of miners) .. .. .. .. 85 660 Annual value of benefits in force at 31st March, 1949 .. .. £108,900 Dissection of benefits in force at 31st March, 1949 Single miners .. .. .. .. .. .. 262 Married miners . _ .. .. .. .. 313 Widows .. .. .. .. .. .. 85 660 MEN EMPLOYED IN MINING AND QUARRYING The table shows the numbers of men employed in each inspection district during 1948 and 1947

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Inspection District. Totals. Northern West Coast Southern 1 QJ ft 1 QJ.7 (North Island). (South Island). (South Island). xy^to. Gold, silver, and scheelite 459 434 165 I 1 1,058 1,191 Coal 2,156 2,490 936 ■ 5,582 5,442 Bentonite 7 7 4 Clays 69 14 57 140 119 Diatomite 1 1 2 Dolomite .. 4 4 7 FullerVearth 1 Iron-ore 13 . 3 16 17 Limestone 212 79 271 562 621 Magnesite 2 2 3 Pumice 11 11 10 Quartzite 4 4 3 Rock, sand, &c. i^020 32 391 1,443 1,361 Serpentine 7 2 9 8 Silica sand 5 1 10 16 9 Totals 3,959 3,063 1,833 8,855 8,798