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ANNEXURE A SUMMARY OF REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF MINES NORTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (E. J. Scoble, Inspector of Mines) Quartz Mining Martha Gold-mining Co. (Waihi), Ltd. (A. E. Waite, Manager).—The ore won for the period amounted to 81,388 tons, which yielded 26,603 oz. 19 dwt. of gold and 232,449 oz. 10 dwt. of silver, worth £307,180 16s. 7d. In New Zealand currrency, the gold was valued at £9 9s. lOd. an ounce and the silver at 4s. 8 • 326 d. The heading value of the ore per ton was, gold 6 dwt. 5 gr., silver 3 oz. 1 dwt. 7 gr. The extraction per ton was 94-1 per cent, of the former and 81-4 per cent, of the latter, representing 91-2 per cent, of the value. The mill crushed for 187 days. The ore was got chiefly from the Martha, Royal, Welcome, and Empire Lodes, and was raised through Nos. 4, 6, and the Grand Junction shafts and No. 7 Footwall pass. Development operations comprised 3,097 ft. of driving and crosscutting and 405 ft. of rising and winzing, or a total of 3,502 ft. Generally, this consisted of reopening old workings and driving sub-levels and gangways for the extraction of ore from pillars and supporting arches. The pumps were operated on night shift and occasional Saturdays up to the 6th May, when they were stopped in view of the impending shut-down of the mine. This not eventuating owing to an increase in the price of gold, they were later started up and kept running as hitherto. The total quantity of water raised to the surface for the year amounted to 103,142,000 gallons. The amount of ore given—namely 81,388 tons —contains 585 tons of residues from the company's old Union mill. The average number of men employed was 394, and dividends paid amounted to £8,265 2s. 4d. Old Talisman Mine, Karangahake.—Gaghan and Thomson report having found a payable block of stone, 3 ft. wide, on No. 8 level. They are now busy taking out a trial parcel of the ore for treatment at the School of Mines battery, Thames. Tui Mine, Te Aroha Mountain (J. B. McAra, Manager).—This property was transferred from Mr. Dunsheath to the Auckland Smelting Co. during the year, and the new owners are now engaged at bulldozing a road to the site of a proposed tunnel, which is situated at an elevation of 1,650 ft. When constructed the tunnel should intersect the Champion and Ruakaka lines of reef, and be approximately 1,200 ft in length. Provided prospecting work on the reefs is successful, plant will be erected by the company and the ore treated for gold, silver, and base metals. Sylvia Mine, Thames.—Sylvia Mines Consolidated, Ltd., crushed and treated 80 tons of ore from a stock-pile. Ten tons of concentrates were obtained as a result, and these, together with If tons got from the retreating of some other old concentrates, were sent to the Port Kembla Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Co., Australia, for further treatment. Gold and silver to the value of £135 9s. sd. and copper worth £26 3s. were recovered therefrom. In addition, the same company shipped 1| tons of concentrates from the old Monowai battery site, and these returned values of £22 os. lOd. for gold and silver and £1 18s. for copper. The amount of copper obtained from all concentrates was about 4 cwt. There was also an estimated lead and zinc content of If tons, worth £l2O, but these were treated as penalties and nothing was received by the company for them. Golden Spur Mine, Thames.—Five tons of ore were crushed for a return of 13 oz. 14 dwt. of bullion, worth £96 4s. Id. Progress Mine, Thames. —Bullion amounting to 22 oz. 11 dwt., worth £l6O, was recovered from the treatment of 2 tons of ore and 50 lbs. of specimens. Charlton's Claim, Kuaotunu.—Some 950 tons of residues from the old Try Fluke battery were treated and gave a return of 118 oz. of bullion, worth £576. Mr. Charlton gave up operations towards the end of the year. Prospecting Continued work of this description was undertaken at Karangahake, Thames, and Coromandel without anything of importance being found. Metallic Ores Copper.—Cloudesley Mine, Pakotai: Work was resumed about November, and a shipment of 1,000 tons should be ready for export to Australia early in 1950. Limonite.—Okaihau Quarries, Ltd., won 2,441 tons, valued at £7,628 2s. 6d. A mechanical loader was installed during the year, and this has proved a thorough success. The limonite (crushed to a fine state) is used for top-dressing, chiefly for its cobalt content. W. Whitelaw, Kamo, produce 1,503 tons, valued at £1,690 I7s. 6d. It was used in the cement industry.

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