C—3.

last year by an amount of between 4,000 oz. and 5,000 oz. The total yield of gold, as far as can be ascertained from reliable sources, was—for the year 1900, 71,579 oz. ; and for the year 1901, 65,963 oz. There is every probability that there will be a marked increase at the end of this year. Public confidence in dredge-mining has no doubt been recently injuriously affected by the want of success attending the operations of many of the new companies which came into existence during the last two or three years, but the steady and satisfactory returns from so many dredges now at work in various parts of the district are a convincing proof of the value and possibilities of this class of mining.

Returns of Fifty Dredges, showing the Average for each Working-week and the Dividends paid, for the Year ended 31st December, 1901.

1 have, &c, F. J. Burgess, Warden.

The Under-Secretary for Mines, Wellington.

152

Name of Company. Average Eeturn per Workingweek. Number of Weeks working. Amount of Gold Number of Shares. Dividends paid. won. Matau Monte Christo Unity Dunstan Lead Leaning Eock Perseverance No. 1 ... Perseverance No. 2 ... Earnscleugh No. 2 ... Earnscleugh No. 1 ... Manuherikia Golden Beach Alexandra Eureka ... Enterprise No. 1 . ... Enterprise No. 2 Clyde (Moa) Molyneux Hydraulic Olrig Chicago Sailor's Bend Golden Link Fourteen-mile Beach Golden Eiver Oz.27 72 33 19 50 6233 61 31 . 67 35 27 26 27 48 13 20 22 71 15 48 167 41 10 20 9 3 41 14 37 30 31 32 38 36 33 19 45 42 35 10 38 10 2 Oz. dwt. gr. 1,111 10 0 723 1 0 659 17 0 174 15 0 151 0 0 2,563 15 13 ■ 472 17 21 2,279 19 12 925 17 11 2,080 1 14 1,110 1 6 1,034 12 0 932 13 3 890 17 10 923 16 8 868 2 6 864 4 9 762 0 21 715 18 0 594 1 20 483 5 14 335 14 0 7,000 10,000 10,500 17,500 12,700 I 14,000 } 11,000 12,000 13,000 12,000 £ a. d. 1,750 0 0 1,430 0 0 1,400 0 0 275 0 0 2,400 0 0 1,300 0 0 1,500 0 0 J 7,000 2,625 0 0 4,000 6,000 7,000 5,000 8,000 7,000 16,000 40,000 at 5s. 11,000 11,000 2,500 4,500 13,000 2,876 11,000 6,500 10,000 10,000 11,000 9,000 10,500 26,000 7,000 700 0 0 300 0 0 750 0 0 First Chance Bendigo Golden Gate Otago Golden Bed Golden Treasure Golden Bun Majestic Gold Queen Teviot Endeavour ... Long Valley Gold King ... Electric Cromwell ... ... Junction-Electric No. 1 Junction-Electric No. 2 Hartley and Eiley Electric Extended ... Meg and Annie Alpine No. 2 Magnetic ... Eoyal Maori Alpine Consols Ngapara No. 3 Central Electric Nevis Second Magnetic 22 19 32 24 24 21 31 21 21 19 26 16 15 143 92 57 110 40 55 38 39 26 56 38 15 32 19 20 8 4 47 42 37 39 23 28 19 12 9 10 4 36 24 32 7 30 21 26 17 23 10 14 32 15 19 18 179 12 0 76 3 0 1,489 17 13 1,018 19 4 886 16 0 821 3 3 724 0 0 589 3 0 404 18 0 234 10 20 240 5 6 164 4 3 61 9 0 5,143 8 10 2,213 7 6 1,824 4 0 774 2 0 1,205 0 6 1,161 2 0 937 10 14 674 11 14 609 0 0 560 18 0 535 10 13 495 18 7 483 12 4 374 3 0 372 7 0 2,500 0 0 500 0 0 1,653"14 0 14,300 0 0 4,375 0 0 J 26,000 3,900 0 0 7,000 10,000 7,000 6,500 7,000 8,000 7,500 7,000 7,000 4,500 9,000 1,625 0 0 1,000 0 0 800 0 0 275 0 0 44,913 18 3 472,076 45,358 14 0