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Southern Inspection District (Mr. A. Whitley, Inspector of Mines). Quartz and Alluvial Mining. WAITAKI COUNTY. Livingstone and Maerewhenua. —Eight men were employed at alluvial mining in these localities. The gold won amounted to 279 oz., valued at £1,088. T. and J. W. Cooper were the principal producers, with 174 oz., valued at £680. WAIHEMO COUNTY. Golden Point Mine (Macrae's). —Operations were confined to stoping a block of pre on the Home reef at the intermediate level, from which 1,880 tons were mined, and treated for a return of gold valued at £2,068 lis. lid. 30 tons of scheelite-ore were crushed and concentrated, producing 3 tons of scheelite concentrates, valued at £98. H. Eraser produced 2 tons 9 cwt. of scheelite from 13 tons of ore, which was mined from shallow trenches on small quartz veins. MANIOTOTO COUNTY. . , Naseby. —The returns from this district show that twenty-one men were engaged in alluvial mining, and that gold valued at £3,821 was won. The principal producers were B. G. Brown (£807) and W. George (£730). Kyeburn Diggings. —-Three sluicing claims were in operation. The gold won amounted to 131 oz., valued at £502. Five men were employed. Cambrian. —An increaso in the gold returns from this locality is recorded. The production for the year amounted to 549 oz., valued at £2,006, as against 135 oz., .valued at £551, for 1922. The increased production has resulted chiefly from the Vinegar Hill Sluicing Company's operations on the lead of quartz drift from which Morgan Bros, obtained highly payable returns in the past. St. Bathan's. —Two sluicing and elevating claims, employing eight men, were in operation. The Scandinavian Water-race Company produced 400 oz. gold, valued at £1,635, and the United M. and E. Water-race Company 120 oz., valued at £464. The Kildare lead in the Scandinavian Claim has been worked to a vertical depth of 130 ft., which is the limit attainable with the available water-supply. Patearoa. —Two claims were worked during tho year. The gold won amounted to 165 oz., valued at £644. Hyde. —Symes and Peak repaired some old mining races and installed an elevating plant to work the deep ground in this old field. 'Their operations have been hampered by a scarcity of water. TUAPEKA COUNTY. Lawrence Sluicing Company (Blue Spur). —The cement deposit in this company's claim continues to yield payable returns. The gold produced for the year was valued at £4,681, an increase of £1,975 on tho previous year's output. Dividends amounting to £750 were paid. Gabriel's Gully Sluicing Company (Blue Spur). —A falling-oil is noticeable in the returns of gold by this company, due to the low grade and hard nature of the cement treated during the year. The gold won amounted to 641 oz., valued at £2,659. Fourteen men were employed. Golden, Crescent, Sluicing Company (Weathersione). —The auriferous cement in this company's claim is dipping steeply under Wcatherstone Flat, and owing to the increasing depth of overburden is becoming unprofitable to work by hydraulic elevating. The yield of gold for the year amounted to 219 oz., valued at £904. Six men were employed. Sailors' Gully Sluicing Company (Waitahuna). —Sluicing and elevating have been steadily carried on during the year. A shallow deposit of clay and gravel is being worked. Nine men were employed, and 568 oz. gold, valued at £2,393, wan produced. Havelock Sluicing Company (Waitahuna). —This company is working shallow ground between Waitahuna and Forsyth. Five men were employed, and gold valued at £1,246 was produced during the year. Waipori. —Returns from this district show that five claims, employing ten men, were in operation during the year. The yield of gold amounted to 800 oz., valued at £3,1.96. The principal producers were R. J. Cotton, 287 oz., valued at £1,151 ; Gare Bros., 187 oz., valued at £751 ; Dunedin City Corporation, 192 oz., valued at £757 ; and Russell Bros., 122 oz., valued at £500. VINCENT COUNTY. Nevis. —Six sluicing and elevating claims, employing twenty-six men, were in operation during the year. Graham and party's claim continues to give payable returns, producing 667 oz. gold, valued at £2,686. The yield from the field amounted to 1,220 oz., valued at £4,809. Soper and party's prospecting operations at Upper Nevis resulted in the discovery of a payable run of gold, which is probably an extension of the auriferous ground which has been worked farther down the valley. Clutha River. —An a-rea of 1,500 acres of river-bed. between Lowburn and the Lindis River junction has been taken up by an Australian syndicate-. One of the Government Keystone drills is being used for testing the area. If payable prospects are obtained it is intended to install a modern-type dredge of large capacity. Old Man, Range. —R. T. Symes mined and crushed 55 tons of quartz from the stopes on White's Reef, at the battery level in the Advance Mine, for a return of gold valued at £236. Hesson and party were prospecting for a reef on Coal Creek Spur. Loose gold is found in the clay and soil, and surface indications are favourable for the existence of a reef in the locality. LAKE OOITHTY. Shotover River. —Seven small parties of miners were employed in the Shotover River and its branches during the year. The total yield of gold amounted to 340 oz., valued at £1,283. Cochrane and Party (Moonlight Creek). —A tunnel tail-race is being driven to provide fall for tailings from tho party's claim on the terrace on the west side of Moonlight Creek. Water for sluicing is brought on from Dead Horse Creek. Kawarau River Mining Syndicate. —This syndicate purposes damming the Kawarau River at the outlet to Lake Wakatipu, and the Shotover River at Arthur's Point, and the branches, and thereby reduce flow of water in these rivers to a level which will allow their beds to be worked for alluvial gold. Licenses for three dams and sixteen special dredging and river claims have been applied for by the syndicate. The scheme, if successful, will provide employment for a large number of men during certain periods of the year, and result in an increased production of gold. SOUTHLAND COUNTY. Muddy Terrace Sluicing Company (Waikaia). —Work was carried on intermittently during the year by Hamer and party. Paddocks were taken out in Maori and Mathewson's Gullies, which yielded 39 oz. 13 dwt. gold, valued at £141 14s. The claims and plant have been purchased by Mr. A. E. Usherwood, who intends to work an area in Muddy Creek by sluicing' and elevating. Break-em-ali Claim (Waikaia). —A company has been formed to work the deep ground in the claim by sinking and driving, and the necessary plant for pumping and haulage is being installed. Nokomai Hydraulic Sluicing Company (Nokomai). —The company's Nos. 2 and 3 claims in Victoria Gully worked steadily throughout the year, resulting in returns of gold valued at £4,501. As these claims are almost worked out, two prospecting-areas of 100 acres each have been taken up at Paddy's Alley with the view of providing for future mining operations. A. Copeland and party's claim in Victoria Gully, Nokomai, produced gold valued at £691. Three men were employed. Athol. —D. McLister and A. Mutch secured profitable results for the year. Their operations were hampered by a scarcity of water for sluicing.