7

C—2

is now long past its zenith, and continues to decline at a rapid rate, as is shown by the following table giving the result during the past seven years : —

Of the above eighty-seven working-dredges, fifteen are operating on the west coast of the South Island, and seventy-two are in Otago and Southland. The dividends paid by twenty-eight dredges the property of registered companies amounted to £38,841 during 1912 ; the profits of privately owned dredges are unobtainable.

The following is a statement regarding the most productive dredges owned by registered companies :—

The fifteen West Coast dredges are situated in the following localities —namely, two each on the Buller Eiver and Nelson Creek, and one at each of the following places : Greenstone Creek, Blackwater, Antonio's Flat, No Town Creek, Slab Hut Creek, Capleston, Cronadun, Moonlight Creek, Brennan's Creek, North Beach (Cobden), and Waimea Creek. The most profitable dredging operations in the Dominion were carried out by the Worksop dredge at Antonio's Flat, which obtained gold to the value of £16,284, and paid £9,300 in dividends. The No Town Creek earned £7,486, of which £5,400 was distributed in dividends.

Year. Total Number of Dredges working. Value of Production. Average Production per Dredge. Dividend-paying Dredges owned; by Registered Companies. Number of Persons employed. Number. Dividends. 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 167 128 ... 123 111 104 .. 93 87 £ 505,199 419,634 373,818 327,676 315,237 297,900 257.333 £ 3,025 ' 3,278 3,039 2,952 3,031 3,203 2,958 66 65 47 37 35 31 28 £ 103,722 89,707 75,800 56,788 51,918 45,318 38,841 1,150 1,013 893 838 775 694

Dividends paid by Dredges owned by Registered ConipHnies. Production during Name of Dredge. 1912 o£ all Dredges. During 1912. To West Coast District — £ Stafford ... ... ... ... 3,599 Hessy, Cameron, and Tacon (Limited) ... 5,488 Worksop ... ... ... ... 15,159 North Beach... ... i 2,630 Pactolus ... ... ... ... 5,877 Blackwater River ... ... ... 4,393 Southern District — Crewe (2) ... ... ... ... 5,699 Waikaia ... ... ... ... 4,474 Koputai ... ... ... ... 3,707 Earnscleugh (3) ... ... ... j 12,437 Masterton ... ... ... ... j 4,609 Hartley and Riley ... ... ... 910 Golden Bed ... ... ... ... 4,455 Kohinoor ... ... ... ... ! 2,455 Rising Sun ... ... ... ... 6,367 Magnum Bonum ... ... ... 4,873 Electric (2) ... ... "... ... 7,702 Paterson's Freehold (2) ... ... 7,032 Ngapara ... ... ... ... 4,216 Manuherikia... ... ... ... 2,965 Bruce ... ... ." ... 2,721 Willowbank ... ... ... ... ; 2,947 Lower Nevis ... ... ... ... j 2,519 59 other working-dredges (registered or | 140,099 privately owned) £ 759 1,560 8,400 350 2,500 947 2,250 1,225 1,225 1,100 1,750 650 637 1,424 2,400 2,000 2,600 4,500 525 600 738 400 300 4^046 6,255 24,300 65,000 12,441 8,625 14,700 13,810 25,850 33,250 84,337 15,911 1,424 18,400 10,875 128.692 19,500 525 34,181 788 2,400 1,260 Totals ... ... ... 257,333 38,841 * Unrecorded.