C.—2.

(3) Alluvial Mining. The following is a statement showing the value of production of, and dividends declared by, alluvial gold-mines during 1931 :—

V. MINERALS OTHER THAN GOLD. Iron. The Onakaka Ironworks were stopped early in the year. After being leased from the company, work was resumed 011 behalf of the debenture-holders. The furnace produced 3,460 tons of pig iron, valued at £5 per ton. 1,400 tons of cast-iron pipes from 4 in. to 24 in. in diameter was produced from the recently installed pipemaking plant. Sulphur. No sulphur deposits were worked during the past year. Quicksilver. The output of quicksilver up to September from the Kaikohe Development, Ltd.'s works at Ngawha Springs was over 15 tons, valued at £7,296 ; but the fall in the value of mercury caused a cessation of work. This was the only producing mine, although a little development-work was done at two others. Petroleum. The drilling at the Waitangi No. 1 well of the Taranaki Oilfields, Ltd., was continued to 1,682 ft. Trouble was experienced through soft ground being met below 900 ft., and, after being reamed out several times, the hole was abandoned and the plant shifted a mile to the north where the Waitangi No. 2 well was drilled to 2,172 ft. Below 1,960 ft. it was found impossible to keep the hole open, so work ceased. The Blenheim Oil-well Reclamation Co.'s No. 2 well was deepened, after serious difficulty, to 2,200 ft. Between 2,170 ft. and 2,177 ft. the oil horizon was reached, and yielded about 40,000 gallons. For a while there was a good flow of oil to the surface and then pumping was resorted to, but falls in the hole prevented the successful operating of the pump. The Omata No. 1 well put down by Coal Oil (New Zealand), Ltd., was deepened to 3,505 ft. Only light shows of oil were met at 3,424 ft. and 3,438 ft. The casing in the No. 1 well of the Moturoa Oilfields, Ltd., was left in that hole and work during the past year was confined to the No. 2 well, which was continued to 2,127 ft. Within 50 ft. of that depth oil commenced to flow freely, and the average daily production is estimated at 875 gallons. 71,568 gallons of crude oil valued at £1,192 16s. was produced to the end of 1931. A serious set-back occurred in November owing to a fire in the rig and derrick. The New Plymouth (N.Z.) Oil-wells, Ltd., No. 1 well was continued to 3,036 ft., but, owing to lack of finance, operations were then suspended. Light traces of oil were met below 2,600 ft. The New Zealand Oil Syndicate made further efforts to deepen the No. 2 well at Whangamomona in the early part of the year and succeeded in reaching 1,396 ft., but no further boring has been done. At Kuana, in the Hokonui district of Southland, boring operations were commenced in February and by the end of July a depth of 586 ft. had been reached in the No. 1 well. Work then ceased, and No. 2 well was commenced near Centre Bush at a distance of about miles from the No. 1 well. A depth of 1,552 ft. has been reached and at 1,449 ft. petroliferous gas was met with slight shows of oil.

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Dividends declared. Name of Owner. Estimated Value of Gold produced. During 1931. Total to End of 1981 [— " : ' £ £ j £ Mahakipawa Goldfields, Ltd. .. .. . . . . 7,631 Hohonu Sluicing Co. .. .. .. .. .. 1,419 Callaghan's Sluicing Co. .. .. . . .. j 637 Stubbs and Steel .. .. . . .. .. 428 King Solomon Deep Lead, Ltd. .. .. .. .. 7,748 Kildare Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. .. .. .. 1,720 A. and G. Brown .. .. .. .. .. 1,063 Gabriel's Gully Sluicing Co. .. .. .. .. 1,581 W. R. Smyth .. .. .. .. .. .. 824 Sailor's Gully Sluicing Co. .. .. .. .. 2,214 420 i 9 935 Graham and party .. . . . . . . . . j 1,290 Paddy's Point Gold-mining Co. . . . . . . . . j 1,713 Big Beach Gold-mining Co. . . , . .. .. ! 1,787 Moonlight Mining Syndicate .. . . . . .. 868 . 660 Nokomai Sluicing Co. .. . . .. . . .. 1,788 A. E. Smith .. .. .. .. .. .. 2/J54 Tallaburn Sluicing Co. .. .. .. .. .. 510 J. A. Roche and W. George . . .. . . .. 836 50 M. and J. H. D. Brown .. .. .. .. 686 Carr Bros, and J. T. Wilson .. .. . . .. 500 F. McLean .. .. . . .. .. .. 435 A. Copeland .. .. .. .. .. .. 462 H. Nelson .. .. .. .. .. .. 864 Mutch Bros. .. .. .. .. .. .. 690 !! * '' J. Armstead .. .. .. .. .. .. 939 All other mines .. .. .. .. .. 28,523 70,110 I 470 j Unknown.