C—B.

No. 2. Statement showing the Comparative Returns from the Reefton Quartz-mines for the past Twenty-one Years, ending the 31st March each Year, and a similar Return for the Year ending the 31st December, 1901.

New Inkerman Mines (Limited). —Mr. E. W. Boyd, legal manager of the above company, reports as follows : Practically no crushing has been done during the year; a small' test parcel of 81 tons, which yielded 43 oz. of gold, was the total put through the battery. The whole attention has been given to the development of the ore-body below and. above No. 5 level, with fairly satisfactory results. The winze has been sunk a further distance of 100 ft. vertical, making a total of 200 ft. Total footage for the year : Driving, 737 ft.; crosscutting, 149 ft.; stopes, 37 ft. ; sinking, 115 ft. ; uprising, 126 ft. : total, 1,164 ft. Last Ghance (private company).—Messrs. Fleming and party supply following particulars of work done : (1.) Work done on the sandstone-formation block: Driving tunnel 150 ft.; stoping same 30ft. in depth ; put up a rise 30ft. to connect with airway; crushed 150 tons of stone from this block. (2.) Work done on leader stone : Driven tunnel 150 ft.; stoped same 25 ft. in depth. Extended No. 2 tunnel 40 ft. Future operations : Driving and stoping, should results warrant same. Kinvan's Reward Gold-mining Company (Limited). —Mr. P. N. Kingswell, legal manager of the company, furnishes the following report: During the last twelve months the developments have been most satisfactory. A very large quantity of payable ore has been opened up, and future prospects are very encouraging. Owing to the large quantity of ore opened up, it is intended forthwith to increase the present battery from ten to fifteen heads. This is estimated to cost about £750, and, besides reducing the cost of production proportionately, will insure regular monthly dividends being paid. Tenders are now being called for driving a prospecting-tunnel a distance of 200 ft. on a reef-track in the Earl Brassey Claim. This reef-track carries stone of low grade for a depth of 1,000 ft. down the sideling, and it is hoped that this tunnel will prove a solid and better-quality lode further south and under the crown of the bill. With the exception of about eight weeks' stoppage last winter owing to an exceptionally heavy fall of snow, and through one of the main passes carrying away, necessitating the erection of an incline tram, the battery has worked almost continuously, and for the year 2,821 tons has been milled, yielding 2,299 oz. 13 dwt. of gold. This enabled the company, after prospecting and opening up the mine and setting aside £600 towards cost of additions to battery, to pay four dividends amounting to Is. 6d. per share during the year, The shareholders are to be congratulated on possessing an exceptionally valuable property, and one that, it is believed, will pay for many years to come. Victoria Range Gold-mining Company (Limited). — Mr. P. N. Kingswell, legal manager, reports as follows: The work done by this company during the year ending the 31st December, 1901, has consisted of driving a prospecting-tunnel a distance of 502 ft. This is a low-level tunnel driven into the Victoria Eange, and it was expected that some of the outcrops on the surface would have been cut, but so far no stone was met with. Keep-it-DarJc Quartz-mining Company (Limited). —Mr. W. Hindmarsh, legal manager, supplies the following report on the year's operations : —Mine department : The quartz crushed during the year has been stoped out of Nos. 2 and 3 levels, and the reef in these levels has continued fairly regular. The stone being worked is fully 220 ft. long in No. 3 level, and there is also a block

128

Year ending 31st March. Dividends declared. Quartz crashed. Yield of Gold. Value of Yield. Galls made. 881 .882 .883 .884 .885 .886 887 .888 .889 .890 .891 .892 .893 .894 .895 896 .897 .898 ... .899 .900 .901 £ s. d. 10,218 17 6 25,504 3 4 64,345 0 0 49,456 0 0 29,333 0 0 24,565 0 0 21,596 0 0 30,432 0 0 38,919 0 0 27,531 0 0 20,404 0 0 25,956 0 0 18,800 0 0 14,350 0 0 10,153 0 0 8,418 0 0 9,033 6 8 7,859 3 4 5,920 6 8 10,747 8 9 5,826 9 7 £ 19,650 37,643 32,600 16,500 34,100 14,500 33,450 17,550 16,688 18,250 27,325 30,743 16,900 18,832 11,012 25,925 4,900 50 900 47,050 35,300 Tod a. 25,926 14,894 18,928 23,433 34,349 27,198 23,930 24,403 28,564 32,394 39,643 35,562 37,693 34,518 26,602 29,816 13,270 9,751 42,305 58,277 82,618 Oz. dwt. gr. 17,597 14 10 20,154 0 0 19,194 0 0 16,547 0 0 23,997 0 0 14,591 0 0 21,143 0 0 16,775 0 0 18,663 0 0 17,780 0 0 23,347 0 0 23,390 0 0 20,171 0 0 18,413 0 0 13,426 10 0 22,025 0 0 8,365 4 20 4,266 7 1 21,487 18 15 26,693 3 18 33,979 5 5 £ s. d. 68,630 13 10 78,600 12 0 74,856 12 0 64,533 6 0 93,588 6 0 56,904 18 0 83,171 15 5 66,030 11 5 72,720 18 0 69,676 12 1 91,998 8 10 95,885 5 1 80,894 5 1 73,752 14 11 53,509 5 1 87,935 18 4 33,824 7 1 18,253 7 3 87,587 1 0 108,455 17 8 134,557 7 11 fear ending 31st Dec, 1901 Year Ending . '1st Decei iber, 190. ' I 186,719 6 7 I 6,233 6 8 I 58,199 I 97,870 I 46,066 16 12