c.—2,

Grey County. During the year sluicing operations wore continued at the Golden Sands and Moonlight claims in the Grey district, at many small claims in the Wakamarina, the Takaka, Collingwood, Waimea Counties, and the Howard field. Westland County. Kumara Alluvials.—An average of five men was employed throughout the year on the restoration of the tunnel tail-race, the construction of the water-race, and the pipe-line. Good progress was made in all sections of the work undertaken, and the producing stage is now within sight. Sluicing operations were carried on at a number of claims within the county. One hundred and sixteen men were engaged. Miscellaneous. Asbestos. From 620 cubic yards of serpentine rock won from an opencast quarry in Upper Takaka Valley the Hume Pipe Co. produced 53 tons 7 cwt. 2 qr. of asbestos fibre, valued at £240. Mica Prospectors discovered some outcrops of mica m the Mataketake Survey District, South Westland. _ Petroleum. Activity in the search for oil has been limited to geological survey by licenseholders m the district. Tunqsten ■—A party of subsidized miners won (i cwt. of concentrates from old tailings in the Wakamarma River. Pottery Clay.—.K. A. Polglase, Kaka, produced 470 tons of clay, worth £722 165,, from underground workings. The material was used in the manufacture of insulators. Iron. From Mount Burnett, 310 tons of limonite, valued at £93, was quarried. Prospecting. Lode prospecting in this inspection district has been almost limited to State activities in the Inangahua.CountyMica deposits in South Westland received attention and on a much reduced scale, prospecting of the iron-oro bodies at Onekaka was carried out by drilling and tunnelling. , Some check boring on claims being worked and trial boring of new areas was done. lour hundred and forty-three holes were bored on 13 areas by privately-owned and Government drills. Fatal Accidents. On the 22nd February William Stephen died as a result of shock and atheroma of the coronary arteries caused by lumping into a strong current in the Mokihinui River from a punt transporting machinery. The punt had been beached the previous evening after proceeding some distance upstream from the loading-bank, and on resumption of work next day the punt with the manager and Stephen aboard slipped back into the current and got out of control. Both men had to jump into the water and drifted some distance downstream. The manager got ashore, but Stephen disappeared, his body being recovered several days later. Serious Non-fatal Accident. On the 16th July G. Black, winding-engine driver at the Big River Mine, received severe facial injuries and a fractured arm when drawing a tube from the " Babcock " boiler used for supplying power to the [mine plant. A beam, used as a support for a partly-drawn tube, slipped and struck Black just as he descended from a stage m front of the boiler to the floor of room. Prosecutions under the Mining Act and Regulations. Nil. SOUTHERN INSPECTION DISTRICT (T. McMillan, Inspector oe Mines). Quartz and Alluvial Mining. Waihemo County. Macrae's Flat Gold and Scheelite Mining Co., Ltd., Golden Point Mine, Deep Dell, Macrae's.-Six men were employed at the mine and treatment plant, and mining operations were carried out m the Home and Dip reefs ' Returns were poor, and as prospecting operations in the 80 ft. rise section of the Home reel failed to locate anything of importance, mining operations were temporarily suspended in May._ Efforts to raise further capital to develop the mine did not meet with success, but operations were resumed in December. The levels and rises were repaired and the Diesel power plant was overhauled. Twelve tons of soheelite-ore was treated for a return of 1 ton 3 cwt. 27 lb. of scheelite concentrates, valued at £230. Callerv Party, Round Hill Mine, Macrae's —Work has been carried out on each side of Round Hill, west of the Golden Point Road. In the north-west section good scheelite-ore was located, and m the south-east section alongside the road gold-bearing ore was mined. Six hundred and fifty-seven tons of ore have been mined, and transported for treatment, to the Deep Dell treatment plant. Timerary Co-operative Mining Co.—Driving operations m the low-level crosscut were continued and the main reef was intersected at 280 ft. Driving and stoping operations were carried out m order to obtain a trial crushing. The values proved to be low, and mining operations wore suspended early in December. Macrae's Gold-mining Co.—During the major portion of the year the two gravel-pumping plants were m operation. The No. 1 plant, operating upstream, from the township, was shut down before the end of the year, and the No 2 plant, operating further up the flat, continued to run. The alluvial material elevated by the gravel-pumps varied in depth from 8 ft. to 20 ft. and overlies an irregular schist bottom. The various mines in the Naseby, Cambrian, Vinegar Hill, Kyeburn, and Patearoa distncts have been operated steadily when sluicing-water has been available. Tuapeka County. Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co., Waitahuna.—Early in the year the payable auriferous gravels became exhausted and' the plant and equipment were sold for removal. Sluicing operations were continued at the Sailors Gully and Tuapeka Mouth claims. Foord's Mine, Pleasant Valley.—Driving operations have been continued in this area, where a huge slip has covered the lead. Southland County. The various sluicing claims at Nokomai, Waikaia, Round Hill, and Uropuki have been operated steadily. Lake County. Glenorchy Scheelite-Mining Co., Ltd., Western Slope, Mount Judah.-The levels and headings have been extended and stoping operations have been carried out above the No. 1a level. Some pillars m the old workings have been split. One hundred and forty-five tons of ore were sent to the battery for treatment, yielding 15 tons 8 cwt. of scheelite concentrates, valued at £3,080. Heather Joelc Scheelite Syndicate, Western Slopes of Mount Larken.—The prospecting drive ahead of the old workings located the reef, but the scheelite content was small. The reel was hard and solid and operations were suspended at the beginning of winter. A sluicing plant was purchased and installed near the southern boundary of the claim, and sluicing operations were carried out m an endeavour to locate the ree. at lowest position so that development work could be carried out to the rise. Elliot Bros, and Tripp, South-western Slopes of Mount Larken. —Sluiculg operations were carried out when weather conditions were suitable and water available. , ... , Shame Bros. Harris, and Weatherston—Aotive mining operations have been carried on at this and the hieh-level Boozer' Mine during the working season. Driving and stoping operations have been carried out in heavy, difficult ground in the Gorge Mine. Prospecting and stoping operations have been carried out near the Boozer reef outcrop.

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