C.—2.

28

Accidents. —On the 3rd February, 1928, a miner named James Thomas Nieholls, employed at the Alexander River Mine, had the thumb and two first fingers of his left hand shot off by an explosion of gelignite. On the 16th April, 1928, Charles Stoop, manager, Woodstock Sluicing Co., was employed dragging the large stones into the sluice-box, when a small stone, which appeared to have fallen away from the high left face (after ricocheting off another stone), struck him on the head, stunning him, and causing him to fall into the tail-race, down which he was swept. On the 27th May, 1928, Frederick McCarthy, labourer, employed on the Rimu dredge, was engaged in removing one of the chafing-beams of the digging-ladder, when the beam fell, striking McCarthy, causing severe scalp wounds, fractured left leg, fractured left collar-bone, severe contusions, and sprains of chest and back, left side, and severe shock. On the 7th September, 1928, Fred Prince, quarryman, employed at Tarakohe Quarry, was struck by a piece of stone, which flew high after the firing of a charge, causing a fracture of the left forearm. SOUTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (Mb. A. Whitley, Inspector of Mines). Quartz and Alluvial Mining. IVaitaki County. Livingstone and Maerewhenua. —Sluicing has been carried on by small parties of miners in these localities when water was available. Returns show that six men were employed, producing 259 oz. gold, valued at £1,006. Waihemo County. Golden Bar Mining Co., Stoneburn. —In the early part of the year 100 tons of ore were broken out of an open cutting on the Middle reef and crushed at tho company's battery, for a yield of 4 oz. 7 dwt. gold, valued at £17 ss, 9d. The mine was closed down in March pending the reconstruction of the company. The Ounce Mine, Stoneburn.—Mr. E. B. Callery, owner of this mine, crushed 20 tons of ore, for a. return of 3 oz. 19 dwt. gold, valued at £15 Bs. Id. Maniototo County. Kildare Consolidated Gold-mining Co., St. Balkan's. —This company was formed to take over and work the claims formerly held by the St. Bathan's Gold-mining Co. and the Scandinavian and United M and E Water Race Companies. Part of the sludge-channel from the claims to Dunstan Creek was cleaned up, for a return of 217 oz. gold, valued at £802. Elevating has been resumed in the deep ground on the Kildare lead. St. Bathan's Syndicate, St. Bathan's. —Part of the St. Bathan's sludge-channel was worked by the syndicate, for a yield of gold valued at £1,166. Cambrian. —A few small parties of miners continue to work the auriferous deposits on this field by sluicing and hydraulic elevating. Morgan Bros, were the principal producers, with 179 oz. gold, valued at £689. Patearoa. —Johnson and McLean's claim at Linnburn has been purchased by Mr. T. Ledingham. The main pipe-line has been lengthened to give an additional 50 ft. of pressure for breaking. down a face of gravel 40 ft. high. Golden Progress Quartz-mining Co., Oturehua.—This company was formed to reopen the old Progress Mine on Rough Ridge, which has been abandoned for forty years. An incline shaft which was sunk by the old company has been cleaned out and timbered to a depth of 80 ft. from the surface. Naseby and Kyeburn.—Returns from these localities show that twenty-five men were employed and 542 oz. 2 dwt. 11 gr. gold, valued at £2,038 195., was won. The largest producers were A. and G. Brown, with 269 oz., valued at £1,052, and Hewitt and Young, with 142 oz., valued at £555. Tuapeka County. Blue Spur.—The Lawrence and Gabriel's Gully Sluicing Companies, with their combined water-rights and plant, were engaged in prospecting the bottom layers of the auriferous cement. A paddock was sunk 50 ft. through hard cement, which did not contain sufficient gold to pay for working. Sluicing and elevating are being continued in the upper layers of cement in the Lawrence Co.'s claim. The yield of gold amounted to 461 oz. 5 dwt., valued at £1,608 3s. Dividends amounting to £1,000 were paid by the Gabriel's Gully Co., and £375 by the Lawrence Co. Golden Crescent Sluicing Co., Wetherstones. —This company, which was formed in 1898 with paid-up capital of £3,500, has been working the auriferous cement deposit at Wetherstones Flat for twenty-eight years. The gold produced during that period amounted to 13,792 oz., valued at £54,717, and the sum of £14,861 has been paid in dividends. The company's operations were very profitable while work was being carried on within 12 chains of the fault which forms the northern boundary ,of the cement deposit, but as the workings extended to the south-west it was found that the cement was not payable. The limit to which sluicing and elevating could be carried on within the payable area having been reached, it was decided to prospect the deep ground by driving in the cement on the schist bottom. This work is in progress, and the company's high-pressure water-supply is used for supplying power for working the air-compressor pump and winch. Golden Rise Claim, Wetherstones (W. R. Smyth, Owner). —Sluicing and elevating have been carried on continuously throughout the year. Four men were employed, and 354 oz. 13 dwt. gold, valued at £1,367 6s. 4d., was produced. Evans Flat Gold-mining Co., Evans Flat. —This company ceased operations during the year, and the claim and plant were taken over by Treacy Bros., who are ground sluicing a face of clay and gravel 30 ft. high on the east side of the Tuapeka River. Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co., Forsyth.—This company was formed to work the auriferous-cement deposit and the alluvial surface at Forsyth. Good prospects were obtained from a number of holes which were sunk in the alluvial. Water for sluicing will be brought on to the claim from the Waitahuna River. Sailor's Gully Sluicing Co., Waitahuna.—The upper layers of the Waitahuna cement deposit are being removed by ground sluicing to a depth of 60 ft. from the surface. The cement, which is soft and weathered, is easily worked with the company's high-pressure water. The yield of gold for the year amounted to 447 oz. 15 dwt. 19 gr., valued at £1,712 13s. lid. The sum of £210 was paid in dividends. Tallabum Sluicing Co., Horseshoe Bend. —The company is working an old channel of the Clutha River by hydraulic elevating. The yield of gold amounted to 132 oz. 7 dwt. 23 gr., valued at £499 Is. sd. Murchison Bros., Fourteen-mile Beach. —This party has carried on sluicing operations when the Molyneux River was low. The ground contains numerous iarge stones, which are lifted with an hydraulic winch. The yield of gold amounted to 87 oz., valued at £335. Holloway Bros., Commissioner's Flat.—A deposit of auriferous gravel on the east side of the Molyneux River above Roxburgh is being worked by the party, whose returns show that gold valued at £73 was won.