23

o—B

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES. The following statement shows the number of non - fatal accidents attended with serious personal injury which have been reported to the Department, and also the fatalities in connection with the gold-mining industry during the year : —

OTHEE MINEEALS THAN GOLD. SCHEELITE. Messrs. Donaldson Bros., of Golden Point, Macrae's, Otago, have separated some 40 tons during the year. The mineral occurs in the quartz, and is saved by concentration. Cinnabar. Further operations of a prospecting character have been carried on during the year at Waitahuna Heights, near Lawrence, Otago, but no ore has yet been sent away from the mine. Antimony. Operations at Alexandra, Otago, have been stopped. \ trial shipment was sent to Australia, but the costs of cartage, railage, and sea freights are too great at present to admit of the claim being profitably worked. Galena. The lode at Preservation Inlet is not being worked. A shaft was sunk close to deep water some five years ago. The lode is, so far as it has been driven on, from 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. wide, and has a hade of about 65 degrees from the horizontal. It carries galena, copper, silver, gold, &c, The galena lode near Te Aroha (Auckland District) has recently received some attention, and a trial shipment of 50 tons is to be sent to Australia for treatment. lam informed that an assay made in Auckland gave a bullion value of £3 per ton, and over £10 per ton for lead; copper was also present, but its value is not stated. Copper. Although no work is being done at any of the deposits of copper-ore in the colony at the present time, there are evidences of some interest being directed towards the question. A report on the Payne-Gillies process for the treatment of copper-ores was forwarded to the Mines Department by Mr. J. W. Jaffray, engineer, 350, George Street, Sydney, New South Wales, and published in the New Zealand Mines Record of February last. It is possible that the report referred to may be of service to those persons who are interested in copper-ore mining, hence my reason for referring to the matter here. Iron. Negotiations have been commenced during the year with the object of working the ironsanddeposits of Taranaki and the ironstone at Parapara. Petroleum. Samples of crude oil have from time to time been obtained in the locality of Lake Brunner, between Greymouth and Otira. Boring and prospecting operations were commenced during the year with a view to determine the existence of the oil in paying quantities. KOCK-PHOSPHATE. A discovery of this material was reported from Clarendon, Otago, in the spring of the year 1902 ; and since that time developments have progressed rapidly. The value of phosphate as a fertiliser is so well known and appreciated by the farming community that very little difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a market for the products, and this discovery bids fair to become of very great value to the colony. The deposit occurs in proximity to the limestone rocks which are so abundant in the locality, and its character and value were first recognised by Mr. E. Ewing. A company known as the Ewing Phosphate Company (Limited) acquired an area of from 1,300 to 1,400 acres of freehold land embracing the best-known phosphate-deposits, and commenced operations without delay. In June last operations were commenced at Kiln Point, where there was an old lime-kiln convenient for burning, and in which this very rock had been burned under the impression that it was limestone, the quarrying and burning being discontinued owing to its supposed inferior quality. This opening enabled the company to get out large quantities of rock for treatment and placed on

Nonhern District. West C Distn 'oast ict. Southern District. Totals. Class of Mining. Serious. Fata Fatal. al. i Serious. Serious. Fatal. Serious. Fatal. Serious. Fa'al. Quartz Hydraulic and alluvial Dredging ... ... j 3 No wor No wor 2 kings, kings. 3 1 1 4 1 3 3 "a 5 7 4 4 2 8 9 Totals 3 7 8 15 14