C.—2.

One fatal accident (in a North Island quarry) occurred during 1941, and none in the South Island quarries. . . . On 23rd January a motor attendant died from injuries he received by being drawn into the terminal roller of a conveyor belt at the Mount Eden Quarry. Of the five serious but non-fatal accidents at quarries, three were in the North Island and two m the Southern District. Prosecutions. Convictions were obtained against two persons in the Northern districts. A quarry foreman was fined £5 and costs for storing detonators with other explosives, and convicted and ordered to pay costs for not making a written report of his daily inspections. The occupier of a quarry who was not certificated was fined £5 and costs for acting as quarrymanager, and convicted and ordered to pay costs for not notifying the Inspector of renewing quarrying operations. STATE AID TO MINING. (1) Subsidized Prospecting. During the year ended 31st March, 1942, individual gold prospectors were assisted from the Mines Department vote to the extent of £9,775. This sum includes all payments made in respect of subsidies, wages, and equipment connected with the Department's subsidized gold-mining scheme, but does not include salaries and allowances paid to mining engineers and supervisors. The average number of men employed under the scheme was 110. In addition, a total sum of £34,203 was advanced by way of subsidy, loan, or other form of financial assistance to companies and individuals engaged in prospecting and/or mining for gold, coal, and other minerals. The Department has also undertaken surveys, prospecting, mining, and development work m selected areas at a cost of £7,949. (2) Government Prospecting Drills. During the year the Department's drills were hired out on ten occasions to various companies and parties. One hundred and eighty-five holes were drilled for a footage of 10,064 ft. (3) Subsidized Roads to Mining Areas. The expenditure in the form of subsidies and direct grants upon roads and tracks to mining areas amounted to £1,283 13s. 5d., as compared with £958 14s. lOd. during the previous year. LEGISLATION AFFECTING METALLIFEROUS MINES. The Mining Act, 1926, was amended during the year, also the Petroleum Act, 1937. The regulations under the Mining Act, 1926, were also amended. I have, &c., George Duggan, Inspecting Engineer of Mines.

ANNEXURE A. SUMMARY OF REPORTS BY INSPECTORS OF MINES. NORTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (E. J. Scoble, Inspector of Mines). Quaetz-minikq. Martha Gold-mining Go. (Waihi), Ltd.—Operations were continuous, and the ore treated was obtained from between No. 14 level and the surface, the Martha, Royal, and Edward lodes being the greatest producers. Work undertaken in connection with development, the extraction of ore from arches, &c., accounted for 8,041 ft. of driving, rising, and winzing. All payable stone in No. 14 level was exhausted early in the year, and nothing more is likely to occur in this part of the mine. The ore developed comprised a total of 161,304 tons, of which a fair proportion was contained in narrow high-grade lodes. However, its average tenor is low, and the maintenance of a large daily tonnage is required in consequence. _ Golden Dawn Gold-mines, Ltd., Owharoa.—During the year, No. I winze (on No. o reef, No. 3 level) was sunk to 150 ft., where driving on reef 33 in. wide commenced, and was carried forward in an easterly direction for 52A ft., at which point work has been suspended. At the commencement of driving, values amounted to 28s. 3d. per ton, with gold at 1425. per ounce, but these fell progressively and were only 7s. 3d. per ton for a reef width of 22 in. when operations ceased. The ground is faulted for almost the full length of reef exposed. Talisman-Dubbo Gold-mines, Ltd. (in Liquidation), Karangahalce.—A\\ privileges have been struck off the Register and the company should shortly be dissolved. During the early part of the year, tributers (ono subsidized) won a little bullion from the property. „ . , New Maoriland Mine, Waitekauri.—The material treated at this mine consisted of 208 tons oi mixed ore and decomposed country rock. Golden Spur Co., Ltd., Maratoto.—Further driving on and rising from No. 3 to No. 2 level (all on reef) was undertaken, together with the installing of aerial and ground tramways. Golden Crown Gold-mining Co. (N.L.), IComata.—No. 2 level, as referred to in last years report, was carried forward until the random of the first and most important block of stone (left behind by the old Komata Co.) was reached, when it was found that the arch supporting the level under same had collapsed, with unfortunate results to both reef and walls, for they had fallen away to a serious extent. Work has since cea,sed. Kernick's Freehold, Tapu.—Driving and stoping were undertaken north and south on the Cully level, and on No. 2. Surface prospecting was also carried out on different parts of the property. _ Una Hill Consolidated Gold-mines, Ltd., Thames.—Operations were continuous for the year, and consisted ot driving to the north, on reef, for 110 ft. and south for 80 ft. As the latter work fell somewhat short of expectations, stoping was undertaken mainly in the first-mentioned direction, where values improved along what is probably a iunctioning line of reefs. Some good-grade specimen ore was got from this source Ihe next objective, but a little farther to the north, is the Loyalty reef system, and its junctions both with the No. I and the Hague-Smith lodes.

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