MINING ACTIVITIES

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1933, Page 2

MINING ACTIVITIES

MINISTER SURVEYS PAST YEAR GOLD REVIVAL, COAL DECLINE (Per Press Association—Copyright). WELLINGiUN, October 17. A survey of mining activities 'is given by the Minister of Mines, Mr C. R. Macmillan, in tho annual report of the Alines Department, presented to the House to-day. The report showed that the amount of gold won last year had been the greatest since the year 1918. During the period the yield lias been 729,146 ounces, valued at £1,019,814, The amount of goldfields revenue received and payable to the local bodies during the year ended March 31 last was £15,823 5s 6d, and the amount received and payable to European and native owners arid special endowment was £220 18s 9d.

During the Same period £30,423 7s was received bv way of duty cn the gold exported, of -which £22,225 7s was credited to the Consolidated Fund, and the balance of £8,206 11s to the local bodies’ deposit account for the benefit- of local bodies in whose districts the gold was won, so that during the year a total of £24,029 16s 6d was received 011 behalf of local bodies from these sources. “That increased interest is being maintained in the mining industry is shown by the fact- that during the year ended March 31, 1933, there were 1982 licenses for mining privileges granted under the provisions of the Mining Act, 1926, as compared with 1,276 fdr 'the previous year,” states the report, “Out of this numebr, 383 were licenses for claims, authorising the holders to mine for gold. For ;the same period, 154 mining .privileges including twelve licenses for claims, wore struck off the registers.’’ The production of coal during. 1932 was less than the 1931 figures bv 315,734 toils, or approximately 700,000 tons less than the record output- of 1930. ft is almost as low as that of 1907, when 3,910 men were emp'oved in the industry, whereas 4,636 men were at work in or about the coal mines in 1930, states the report. In 1933 there were 5,745 men employed.

Tho report states that an increasing use of electricity and of fuel oil has greately reduced the demand for coal for power and other purposes. On • a comparison between 1931-32 and 1928-29, the use of coal on the railways declined by about 10 per cent.' Bunkers declined by about' 45 per cent. On the other hand the gasworlrconsumption of coal fell by less than a-half of one per -cent-. ’

The consumption of coal per head in New Zealand has fallen from 2.50 per cent, iii 1914 to 1.27 per cent in 1932.

The quantity' of coal imported during the "yeai v 1932'Was'‘T08.031 toils, which shows a reduction of 75,529 tons when compared with the quantity imoprted during the previous year, and It is' the lowest ; quantity imported since 1899, when 90,655 tons were imported, r