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WALLACE COUNTY. Round Hill Mining Company. —This company purchased the Ourawera Company's claim, water-races, and plant, and is opening up a block of ground on the boundary of the two claims, which should yield payable returns. Two elevators were in operation during the year, producing 1,085 oz. gold, valued at £4,593. Orepuki and Pahia. —Four small parties were engaged in working blocks of ground which had been left by former miners. The total yield of gold amounted to 124 oz., valued at £492. Dredge-mining. Six gold-dredges were in commission during the year. Thirty-nine men were employed, and gold valued at £9,389 was produced. The Rise and Shine Gold-dredging Company went into liquidation, and the dredge was sold to a Cromwell syndicate. This company, which was registered in 1900 with a capital of £10,000, produced gold valued at £211,000, and paid £53,700 in dividends. The Rising Sun Gold-dredging Company was also wound up and the dredge dismantled. Minerals other than, Gold. Scheelite. —A small quantity of the mineral was obtained from the quartz-mines at Macrae's, where it occurs with gold in the reefs. The total production amounted to 5 tons 9 cwt. Phosphate Rock. —2,383 tons of phosphate rock, valued at £2,383, were produced at Clarendon and Milburn by the Ewing Phosphate Company. Accidents. No serious accident occurred at metal-mines or dredges in the Southern Inspection District during 1923.

ANNEXURE B. SUMMARY OF REPORTS OF GOVERNMENT WATER-RACE MANAGERS. Waimea-Kumara Water-races (Mr. James Rocheop.d, Manager). Waimea Water- race. The cash received from sales of water from this race for the year ended 31st March, 1924, was £516 2s. 4d., and the expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £808 9s. 9d., showing a debit balance of £292 7s. sd, on the year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water during the year was 5-25, a decrease of 3-50 on that of the previous year; and the approximate quantity of gold obtained by them was 443 oz., valued at £1,738 15s. 6d., a decrease of £474 18s. 6d. on that of the previous year. The sales of water amounted to £560 16s. 4d., a decrease of £309 10s. sd. as compared with the previous year. The falling-off in the sales of water, although large, is more than accounted for by the fact that the Linklater Sluicing Syndicate only used water to the value of £188 14s. 2d., as against £723 16s. for the previous year—a decrease of £535 Is. lOd. Although the sales of water show the decrease previously mentioned, a redeeming feature of the position, however, is that the ca,sh received shows a decided improvement, and this, coupled with a reduction in expenditure, makes the loss on the working of the race £239 16s. lOd. loss than the previous year. The cash received was £184 17s. 2d. greater than the previous year, and the expenditure showed a decrease of £54 19s. Bd. Although the last three months of the year were exceptionally dry, there was an excellent supply of water, and the Waimea inverted siphon was running full all the year. Branch Rare to Callaghan's and. Middle Branch Flat. The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended 31st March, 1924, was £115, and the expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £484 4s. Bd., showing a debit balance of £369 4s. Bd. on the year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water was 2, a decrease of 3-41 on the previous year; and tie approximate quantity of gold obtained was 288 oz., having a value of £1,130 Bs., a decrease of £647 12s. (id. on that of last year. Tho cash received was £47 15s. 3d. less than for the previous year, and the expenditure showed a decrease of £63 12s. 9d. Kumara Water-race. The cash received from sales of water from this race for power-development purposes amounted to £127 10s. Bd., and for royalty from timber out on the Reservoir Reserve £429 lis. 3d., making a total revenue of £557 Is. lid. The expenditure on maintenance and repairs amounted to £22 ss. 6d., thus showing a profit of £534 16s. sd. on the year's transactions. No miners were supplied with water from this race during the year, the whole of the revenue derived from sales of water being received from the Okuku Sawmill Company. This mill was formerly held by Larsen and McGrath, and this company should purchase from £120 to £150 worth of water annually for some years to come. The royalty on timber cut on the Reservoir Reserve should show an increase of at least £200 for the ensuing year. Kumara-Trans-Taramakan Water-race. The only party supplied with water from this race was the Payne's Gully Sluicing Company, who carried out sluicing operations intermittently during each month of the year. This company has to maintain the trans-Taramakau pipe-line at its own expense, and in consequence is being supplied with water at a reduced rate. The maintenance of this line has proved very costly to the company, and has been a very great drawback to the working of the property, particularly during the last four months of the year, when, owing to breaks taking place in the steel sections of piping, sluicing was only carried out on forty-two days. Notwithstanding the serious disabilities under which this company carried out operations, the gold returns for the year were highly satisfactory. Although the water supplied to this company is entered in this office as free water, and is not included in the sales shown on the attached tabulated statement, the water is being supplied in lieu of cash expended by the company in repairing the Government pipe-line ?ome years ago. The gold returns for the year from the Payne's Gully Claim were so satisfactory for the small quantity of material treated that there is every probability of the company issuing a. number of shares to raise sufficient funds to replace all the steel piping in the trans-Taramakau line with iron, and otherwise enlarge their mining operations generally. The average number of miners supplied with water was 3-66, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained was 213 oz., having a value of £836 os. (id.