20

C—2

The following is a statement of the production, working-cost, dividends declared, and the number of persons employed at the principal quartz-mines during 1913:—

* The total value of the output of this company at the end of the year was £10,454,869. The dividends here given are free of income-tax. t In the annual report of the directors of this company for 1913 the value of the bullion-production is stated to be £336,652, but the figures given in the table above are the official returns from the company to the Inspector of Mines. The discrepancy occurs owing to the actual value of the bullion not being known until it is refined in England. % 140,100 imperial tons of old tailings from Waihi and Karangahake Mines dredged from Ohinemuri River sludgechannel, crushed during former years and recorded therein, but re-treated during 1913. § Unknown. Northern Inspection District. Waihi Goldficld. —Underground development by the Waihi Gold-mining Company during 1913 has not disclosed any improvement of the ore-bodies as depth has been attained," and the decline in the value of bullion-production and of dividends continues. During the past four years such decline amounts to two-thirds and nearly four-fifths respectively. The average value recovered per imperial ton of ore treated has declined from £2 Bs. to £1 19s. 2d. during the past year. Underground development at the No. 10 or 1,151 ft. level has proved a reduction in the width of the lodes and in value of their contents. The Martha lode, at upper levels the strongest and most productive in the mine, which gradually became impoverished at a depth of 950 ft. to 1,000 ft., shows no improvement at the 1,151 ft. level where it is still rubbly and oxidized, but none of the five other lodes developed at that level exhibit the same objectionable feature. On the occasion of my last inspection of the No. 11 or deepest level the only lode there exposed was the recently discovered Dreadnought, which varied in width up to 10 ft.," but did not impress me as a strong lode, it being much split up and lenticular; the value contained appeared extremely variable. The hydro-electric power-supply transmitted from the Hora Hora Falls, on the Waikato River, is now employed for general purposes at the mine arid mill of this company. An interesting feature observed by me during my inspection of the mine was the reduction in the temperature of the mine-aii-, due no doubt to the cooling of the rock-surfaces by the constantly maintained air-current. At the Waihi Grand Junction Mine the result of the year's operations constitutes a record both as regards bullion obtained and average value per ton of ore treated, which latter now slightly exceeds that of the adjoining Waihi Mine. Since my last annual report no development on the lodes at greater depth than the No. 6 or 1,082 ft. level has taken place, but the main shaft has been sunk to a depth of 85 ft. below that level. It is generally understood that development at deptli in this mine is controlled by the pumping operations at the Waihi Mine, for without such aid the pumping-installation at the Grand Junction Mine is incapable of dealing with the influx of water.

Name of Company. Quantity of Quartz treated. During 1913, 1913. Dividends paid. Total to j End of December, 1913. hh rH • ° I'S u 'Jp P ■So5 S 22 & 3 S 13 sz; S s t Value of Bullion. Average Value per Ton. Northern District — Waihi Gold-mining Company (Ltd.)* Waihi Grand Junction Gold-mining Company (Ltd.) New Zealand Crown Mines (Ltd.) Talisman Consolidated (Ltd.) Komata Keefs (Ltd.) .. :. New Sylvia Gold-mining Company (Ltd.) Waihi-Paeroa Gold-extraction Company (Ltd.) West Coast District— Blaekwater Mines (Ltd.) Progress Mines of New Zealand (Ltd.) Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand (Ltd.) New Big River Gold-mining Company (Ltd.) Other quartz-mines throughout New Zealand Imperial j Tons. 164,971 87,842 £ 323,345f 180,020 £ s. d. 1 19 2 2 0 11 £ 99,181 19,219 £ 4,478,539 57,656 866 403 15,299 39,780 3,080 10,103 28,885 215,642 27,990 16,351 1 17 9 5 8 5 9 1 9 1 12 133,687 70,000 819,041 33,333 120 360 23 61 X 42,300 0 6 0| 6,226 12,476 65 45,053 34,996 82,207 37,042 1 16 5 1 1 2 12,500 99,996 326,562 175 156 23,661 37,105 1 11 4 106 4,970 28,022 5 12 9 14,400 81,600 65 34.753J 52,904 1 6 6 1,875 § 631 Totals, 1913 464,508 1,071,813 2 5 7 287,088 3,031