0.—2

16

At Waipatiki and Waitangi, near Whatatutu, boring was discontinued, results being negative. The Kotuku Prospecting Syndicate, operating near Greymouth, drilled a hole to a depth of 930 ft., with negative result. Asbestos. The New Zealand Asbestos Company, operating near produced 5 cwt., valued at £50. Sulphur. At Rotorua, on a Crown lease situated south of the racecourse, and held by Messrs. Donne and Birks, 873 tons 12 cwt. of crude fumarolio sulphur was obtained, as against 746 tons .3 cwt. during the previous year. VI. STONE-QUARRY INSPECTION AND STATISTICS. By section 2 of the Stone-quarries Amendment Act, 1920, the application of the Act was extended to include every place, not being a mine, in which persons work in quarrying stone and any part of which has a face more than 15 ft. deep, and also in any tunnel in the construction of which explosives are used. The Act, however, does not apply to any Government operations, or any road or railway-cutting, or excavations for buildings. The stone-quarrying industry continues to advance in importance, during 1921 the value of stone, &c, produced being £358,362 as against £314,470 for the previous year. The following is a table showing the number of quarries under the Stone-quarries Acts, also the number of persons ordinarily employed thereat, and the annual output and value of crude stone during 1921 : —

QuAttwY Accidents. The following is a summary of serious accidents during 1921 at quarries under the Stone-quarries Act:

The fatal accident is in the proportion 0-64 per 1,000 persons employed. The following is a brief description of the fatal accident : On the 19th April, while David Bower (60), manager of the Balclutha Borough quarry was barring down rock in the quarry, a large piece came away suddenly from the face striking him on the leg and breaking it. Later he developed pleurisy, and on the sth June he died of embolism due to the accident. No inquest was held. VII. STATE AID TO MINING. (I.) Subsidized Prospecting. During the year ended 31st March, 1922, twenty-nine approved prospecting-parties were granted subsidies amounting to £1,980, of which £502 was expended during the year. In addition, £3,261 authorized during previous years was expended. Upon subsidized prospecting operations sixty-five persons were intermittently employed during the year ; in five cases the results attained were satisfactory. The following is a statement showing the number of subsidized prospectors, the amount of subsidy granted, and paid, also the character and result of such prospecting operations, from the Ist April, 1921, to the 31st March, 1922.

6110) CO . d-d P-O 1- So ►i **! ,, , ... i Name and Address of a a Dist Government Inspector of « 3 "3? U1 » W1OT - Stone-quarries. "j | S'g S s •a ■ -o ,S a g-g a-o o&< a 3 > 5 r '!__ 5 s 03r1cQ 85 Out I li % 51 M of «,| 5 a So S a W ffl itput of 3 o OJ . a h, o a »a ».a a & n5 ,0110. i-. ■ as I: co a Cp 33 a S hi a oi 2 "OS .2 43 03 •OS "§ s s 5 - |o 5 a l> Auckland .. James Newton, Minos 118 037 Dept., Auckland M.Paul, Mines Dept., 12 77 Waihi (Hauraki Mining District only) Hawke's Bay James Newton, Mines 21 89 Dept., Auckland Taranaki .. Ditto .. .. II 45 Wellington ..36 21.2 Canterbury.. „ .. .. 10 82 Nelson ) J. F. Downey, Minos '( .., „ s Westland ) Dept., Reefton ) Otago \ A. Whitley, Mines \ .,„ j .... | Southland ) Dept., Dunodin ) ' Tons. 318,559 Tons. Tons. 88,125 220 Tons. 35,178 Tons. 126,179 Tons. Tons. 2,190 £ 137,993 33,139 366 13,405 26,484 50,677 14,000 15,564 21 89 11 36 10 45 21.2 82 i 13,906 80,637 77,369 21,288 16,121 5,079 39 39 11,000 6,920 9,321 32,594 28,764 )- 88 331 7,500 109,645 7,500 833 9,870 10,183 ' 833 10,183 3,262 67,436 1.2,717 27,855 6,012 18,597 102,124 257 J 241 1,561 1,468 667,239 578,262 : 198,660 11,632 317,461 19,023 180,751 169,1)53 i : Totals 1921 .. 257 1,561 Totals 1920 .. 241 1,468 11,632 19,023 123,796 142,252 6,012 5,341 ,2,190 11, 600 358,362 314,470

Cause. Explosives 'alls of ground 'ailing from face or during ascent or descent. . Totals Number of Accidents. Fatal. Serious. 1 I 3 I 4 I Number of Sufferers. Killed ' Sm ' ou 8ly lulled, injured. 1 1 3 1 4_