C—3.

54

1906, the Jamieson's Reward Company suspended operations. The Mew Trafalgar paid £650 in dividends, and that former large dividend-payer —the Nelson Creek Company —having completed the construction of a new dredge, has again got into fair working-order. A considerable number of sluicing claims are at work in this locality, and, with few exceptions, are doing well. No Town Greek. —Three dredges are at work here, owned by two companies, both of which have returned dividends, and have a number of years' work ahead of them. Alluvial mining has been very quiet, but one or two parties are about to start work on a large scale. Waipuna and Mosquito Creeks. —Alluvial mining is at a low ebb. Two privately owned dredges have been at work during the year, hut it is understood without much success. Duffers , and Half-ounce Creeks. —About the same number of miners have been at work during the year. Baybutt and party are working their claim with good results. Ahaum River. —A number of miners are working along the banks of the Ahaura River, but the want of a constant supply of water hampers and restricts the development of the industry. Callaqhan's Creek. —One dredge has been working with fair results. Alluvial mining remains in about the same condition as in former years. Shellback Creek. —A privately owned dredge has worked throughout the year with, it is said, payable results. Some prospecting has been carried on at the head of this creek for quartz reefs, but so far without success. Snowy River. —This district adjoining*"the Blackwater reefs has received considerable attention, and during the year prospecting has been carried on through to the Grey River. General. The prospects of the Ahaura district are bright. Work is plentiful and wages good. Sawmilling employs several hundred men, and the dredges, on the whole, are getting fair returns. Lyell and Muechison Subdistrict. The Alpine Extended Company went into liquidation early in the year. The property was put up to auction and bought by a Reefton syndicate. The purchasing syndicate immediately set about prospecting in the northern part of the mine, where the country is virgin. Very promising stone was struck after about six months' work. Early in December the syndicate offered the property to Mr. G-. L. Tacon, of Greymouth, who succeeded in forming a new company to work the mine. The new company is known as " The New Alpine Gold-mining Company (Limited) " ; capital is £25,000, in 50,000 shares of 10s. each. The secretary of the new company is Mr. P. Tansey, whose office is at Greymouth ; and the directors are Dr. Mcßrearty, Messrs. J. Taylor, W. J. Mcllroy, Robert Craig, and G. L. Tacon. Greymouth Subdistkict. The condition of the mining industry in the Greymouth district may, with one or two individual exceptions, be summarised in a few words. Alluvial mining is being prosecuted with steadily decreasing energy, with the exception of sluicing at Barrytown and a few private parties in other parts of the district. At Barrytown, however, a private company still continue with reputed success to win gold from the black-sand deposits in the terraces along the beach, although information as to the returns cannot be obtained from authoritative sources. Boring for petroleum oil at Kotuku still continues, two companies with adjoining areas carrying on prospecting with what may fairly be described as promising results. It is expected, not without reason, that a foreign company with a large capital contemplate the exploitation of the field. To go over the ground treated in my former reports, particularly the last, to detail the work already done and the prospects of mining that may in futvire be done would, I feel, be but unavailing reiteration. I have deemed it best to present, in regard to the dredging industry, comprehensive tables showing its progress and results from its inception down to the end of 1906.

Dredges working during the Year under Private Ownership.

Of these privately owned dredges very little information of an authoritative nature is obtainable; they are individually dealt with in the general report on each district. During the year the following business was transacted in the Warden's Office' and^the' .Warden's Court at Greymouth : Applications pending on the 31st December, 1905, 11 ; applications received

Owners. Location of Dredge. Remarks. Hansen and Kayo Hansen and Gillstrom Smeaton and party Allison and others De Pilippi and others Coghlan and others Gerald Perotti and others ... J. McAuley and others Cowie and Bice ... O'Flaherty Bros. ... Three-channel Flat Berlin's, Buller Inangahua Junction Shellback Creek Three-channel Flat Boatman's Creek ... South Beach, Grey mouth Mosquito Creek Late Premier Dredge. Late Eocklauds Dredge. Late Buller Junction Dredge. Late Shellback Dredge. Late Mokoia Dredge. Late Boatman's Creek Dredge. Late Stoney and Mosquito Leads. Late Mosquito No. 2 Dredge. Late Mosquito Dredge. Late Moonlight Dredge. Moonlight Creek