C—2

1888. NEW ZEALAND.

THE MINING INDUSTRY (GENERAL ANNUAL REPORT ON).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Seceetaby of Mines to the Hon. the Minister of Mines. Sie, — Mines Department, Wellington, 10th July, 1888. I have the honour to forward the general annual report on the mining industry of New Zealand for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1888, together with the reports of the Inspecting Engineer, Inspectors of Mines, Wardens, and Water-race Managers for the same period, which enter into the details of the mines and works in connection therewith for the several districts. I have, &c, James McKeeeow, The Hon. G. F. Richardson, Minister of Mines. Secretary of Mines.

MINES EEPORT. Although New Zealand contains ores of nearly all the principal metals, yet mining operations on an extensive scale have been confined to gold and coal. The surface-deposits in both cases naturally received attention in the first instance ; but that stage has long been passed and attention given to winning the deeper-seated deposits and to the parent-rock of the gold and other metals found in association with it. Nature guards her treasures so well that mining enterprise is always confronted with some problem requiring the exercise of the highest skill and science for its solution. In the North Island the problem at present is how best to separate the gold, silver, and other metals found in combination in certain lodes in the Thames District. In the Middle Island the difficulty is in treating stone containing arsenic, antimony, and sulphur, associated with gold. In the alluvial workings the problem is how best to work the riverbeds and sea-beaches by dredges. Several plans are about to be tried, and, as there are hundreds of miles of coast-line and river-beds in the Middle Island auriferous, much interest is centred on the numerous companies that have taken up frontages of beach to be worked on the dredging process, which may be termed wholesale relatively to the process of saving the gold at present adopted by the individual miner, by means of matting or blanketing and the copper plate on the washingtables. Before remarking on the various divisions of the mining industry it will be well to show the results for the year 1887, and their relation to those of the former year; also the total values of New Zealand mineral products from the Ist January, 1853, to the 31st December, 1887.

For Year i Decoml jnding 31st >er, 1886. For Year Decem aiding 3.1st >er, 1887. Total from to 31st] st Jan., 1853, >ec, 1887. Name of Metal or Mineral. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. 5oia silver Oz. 227,079 12,108 239,187 903,569 2,946 Oz. 203,869 20,809 £ 811,100 3,453 Oz. 11,220,598 497,465 S 44,042,576 124,721 Total gold and silver 906,515 224,678 814,553 11,718,003 44,167,297 Mineral Produce, including Kauri-gum— Copper-ore Chrome-ore Antimony-ore Manganese-ore Hjematite-ore Mixed minerals Coal exported Coke exported Coal consumed in colony Kauri-gum Tons. 20 62 328J £ 390 1^784 1,316 1,846 52,133 715 244,108 257,653 559,945 906,515 Tons. "l34 305 144 43,719 183J 514,901 6,791 S 3J989 895 4,142 44,143 266 257,451 362,449 Tons. 1,392 5,666 989 12,656 I 51 13,686 194,184 3,639 4,266,610 111,191 i £ 17,787 37,367 13,504 45,314 220 55,822 198,957 5,854 2,133,305 4,305,601 445 46,136 497 488,217 4,920f Total quantity and value of minerals Value of gold and silver as above 540,626J 566,177$ 673,335 814,553 4,610,065 6,813,731 44,167,297 Total value of minerals produced, including gold and silver 1,466,460 1,487,888 50,981,028