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11. PERSONS EMPLOYED. The appended statement shows the number of persons ordinarily employed in or about the metalliferous mines of the Dominion during the year : —

III. ACCIDENTS. The following is a classification of fatal and serious mining accidents that have occurred during the year at all metalliferous mines : —

IV. GOLD-MINING. For the year a decline of £243,414 in the value of gold-production below that of the previous year has to be recorded, this decline being confined to alluvial and dredge-mining, the gradual exhaustion of which has been apparent for several years past. During the year, however, the scanty rainfall and consequent reduction of water-supplies has greatly contributed to the abnormal decline in the production of alluvial gold. It is extremely satisfactory to note that the returns from the quartzmines again constitute a record for the Dominion, showing an increased production of £50,485 above that of the previous year. Dividends declared by registered gold-mining companies amounted to £731,951, representing the high proportion of 36 per cent, of the value of the total production from all gold-mines, which is probably the highest proportion ever recorded in any country. These figures would be considerably increased if the profits of the privately owned mines, which are unobtainable, were added to the dividends of the public companies here given.

The following statement shows the value of the gold-production and the proportion of the same paid in dividends during the year: —

ispeci ion >isl ,rici Classification. Total. Northern. I West Coast. Southern. Gold and silver Antimony ... Copper Haematite ... Iron Platinum Scheelite Cinnabar Tin Greenstone ... 2,888 2 47 " 2 3,405 19 63 "23 2,845 21 2 2 2 11 51 2 2 2 9,138 42 112 2 25 11 51 4 2 2 Totals 2,939 2,939 3,510 2,940 9,389 About a thousand diggers are-engaged upon the kai iri-gum fields; the actual lumber is not lown.

Expli isions Falls of Ground. In SI tafts. Miscel ous U grou 'nderind. Surface. Abou* Total Dredges. Inspection District. 1 i fc s _o "C a do 2 fc a," 3 o 00 2 5 fc 3 CO a! o! fc 3 O u m CO so 3 ' g h oa oo* m .2 « .2 ■s o -a c 03 © CB o fe CO fil CO Northern West Coast Southern 1 1 1 4 1 5 1 1 6 2 1 i 2 i l 2 3 2 17 3 2 Totals 1 2 4 1 5 2 9 3 2 7 22 Being at the rate of -84 fati .litiei per 1,000 persi ins e: plo ed.

Production of Gold, 1907. Dividends paid, 1907. Percentage of Production paid in Dividends. Number of Personi ordinarily employed. [uartz-mining ... >redge-mining ... .lluviai mining £ 1,544,572 419,634 63,284 £ 628,866 89,707 13,378 Per Cent 40-7 21-1 21-1 3,740 1,150 -4,248 Totals, 1907 2,027,490 731,951 360 9,138 Totals, 1906 2,270,904 790,020 34-7 8,551