C.—2

27

VII. STATE AID TO MINING. (1) Subsidized Pbospecting. Upon subsidized prospecting operations 135 persons were intermittently employed during the year. The following is a statement showing the results of prospecting operations as reported by the Inspectors of Mines :—

Number Amount of Amount of Distance w.tnrp of Name of Prospecting Party. of Pro- Locality of Operations. Subsidy Subsidy driven claim Character of Operations. Remarks. ; spectors. granted. 4 expended. or sunk. I " Northern Inspection District. £ s. d. | £ s. d. j Ft. Jubilee Prospecting Syndicate .. .. 2 Imperial Claim, Karangahake .. .. 37 5 6 37 5 6 | 71 Quartz .. Driving .. ... Operations abandoned. Leach, D. .. .. 2 Victoria Claim, Karangahake .. .. 210 0 0 1M 7 0 [ 294 Quartz .. Driving .. .. Work in progress. Meagher, H. A. .. .. .. 2 Star Claim, Karangahake .. .. 28 7 0 10 17 4 ] 23 Quartz .. Driving .. .. Work in progress. Victoria Gold-mining Co. .. .. 2 Victoria Claim, Thames .. .. 225 0 0 63 17 1 88 Quartz .. Driving .. .. Work in progress. Caledonian (1934), Ltd. .. .. 3 Caledonian Claim, Thames .. .. 225 0 0 72 0 0 72 I Quartz .. Driving .. .. I Operations temporarily suspended. School of Mines .. .. .. .. Thames .. .. .. .. 65 10 0 46 0 0 j Quartz .. Crushing .. Forsman, L. L. .. .. .. 3 i Neavesville .. .. .. .. 67 10 0 67 10 0 .. Quartz .. Blocking out (alluvial) Returns unsatisfactory. Coromandel Gold-mines, Ltd. .. .. 4 Nil Desperandum Claim, Coromandel .. 180 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. Sinking and boring .. Subsidy not yet taken up. Richardson, F. .. .. .. 2 Paraparaumu .. .. .. 34 15 3 34 15 3 .. Manganese Testing deposit Golden Dawn Gold-mines, Ltd. .. .. I Owharoa .. .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. Driving and cross-cut- Subsidy not yet taken up. ting Harbour View Gold-mines, Ltd. .. 2 Tokatea .. .. .. 500 0 0 122 3 9 72 j Quartz .. Driving . . .. Work uncompleted. Mercury Mines (N.Z.), Ltd. .. .. .. Puhipuhi .. .. .. .. 500 0 0! .. .. Cinnabar.. Development .. Subsidy not yet taken up. Monowai Gold, Copper, and Lead Mines, .. Waiomio .. .. .. .. 1,100 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. Driving and cross-cut- Subsidy not yet taken up. Ltd. ting McNeill, J. A. .. .. .. 1 Mount Te Aroha .. .. .. 65 0 0 32 10 0 i .. Quartz .. Surface-prospecting .. Work uncompleted. Sylvia Mines Development, Ltd. .. .. Thames .. .. .. .. 1,200 0 o! .. .. Quartz .. Diamond drilling .. I Subsidy not yet taken up. Commissioner Claim .. .. .. 4 I Thames .. .. .. .. 2,000 0 0 j 447 0 2 j 211 Quartz .. Driving .. .. Work in progress. West Coast Inspection District. Antonio's Hydraulic Elevating Co., Ltd. 4 Antonio's, Mawheraiti .. .. .. 200 0 0 182 13 0 491 Alluvial .. Driving tunnel .. j Reached production stage. Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand, 14 ! Globe Hill Area .. .. .. 5,000 0 0 2,044 2 2 793 Quartz .. Diamond drilling and j Drilling still in progress, No. 1 hole. Ltd. road-construction Golden Valley Syndicate .. .. 6 Gow's Creek .. .. .. .. 1,100 0 0 750 0 0 .. Alluvial .. Driving tail-race tunnel, Headworks under construction; almost constructing syphon, ready to commence operations. and fluming Hura Gold-prospecting, Ltd. .. .. .. Taipo River .. .. .. 135 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. j Driving .. .. Subsidy not yet taken up. Tait, E. W. .. .. .. .. 2 ! Newton Flat .. .. .. .. 150 0 0 150 0 0 .. Alluvial .. Erection drag-line plant Erection of plant still in progress. and construction of sluice-boxes Waikakaho Deep Lead, Ltd. .. .. .. Waikakaho, Marlborough .. 650 0 0 j .. .. Alluvial .. Shaft sinking and driv- Subsidy not yet taken up. ing or cross-cutting Drennan, J. B. .. .. .. 3 Nelson Creek .. .. .. .. 110 0 0 109 19 3 159 j Alluvial .. Boring .. .. Check-boring. Pool Syndicate .. .. .. .. Baton, Upper Motueka. . . .. 200 0 0 j .. .. | Alluvial .. Sinking . . .. Subsidy not yet taken up. Me Vicar, D. A. .. .. .. .. Waitahu .. .. .. .. 58 10 0 .. .. .. Prospecting for reefs.. Subsidy not yet taken up. Southern Inspection District. Bendigo Rise and Shine Gold-mining Co., 8 Bendigo .. .. .. .. 800 0 0 j 80 0 0 40 Quartz .. Driving and winzing.. Work in progress. Ltd. Cairns, J. .. .. .. .. 2 Matakanui .. .. .. .. 20 0 0 9 15 6 17 Quartz .. Driving and sinking .. Work m progress. Davidson, N. . . . . .. .. Gimmerburn Gorge .. .. .. 40 0 0 I .. .. Deep lead Sinking .. .. No work done. Moore, F. ■. .. - .. .. .. 3 Preservation Inlet .. .. .. 125 0 0 j .. .. Quartz .. Driving .. .. Work in progress. Weatherstones Gold-mining Co., Ltd. .. 8 Wetherstones .. .. .. 500 0 0 | 500 0 0 I 162 Cement . . Driving . . .. Mine abandoned. Fache, S. C. .. .. .. .. 10 Nevis .. .. .. .. 240 0 0 j .. •• ! Dredging.. Moving dredge .. Work in progress. Harliwich N .. .. .. .. Roxburgh .. .. .. .. 350 0 0 ..' • • Quartz .. Sinking .. .. I Subsidy not yet taken up. King Solomon Deep Lead, Ltd." .. 48 Waikaia ... .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 .. .. Deep lead Driving .. .. Work in progress. McMullan, J. .. .. .. .. Big Beach, Arthur's Point .. .. 200 0 0 .. .. Alluvial .. Sluicing .. .. Subsidy not yet accepted. Reward Gold-mining Party .. .. .. Fruitlands .. .. .. 150 0 0 .. .. Alluvial .. Sluicing .. .. Operations not yet commenced. Vinegar Hill Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. .. St. Bathans .. .. .. 500 0 0 .. .. Alluvial .. Sluicing .. .. Subsidy not yet accepted. 135 I 14,914 16 Of I * Includes authorizations in previous years. The total of the subsidies granted, less cancellations, during the year ended 31st March, 1937, amounted to £18,976 8s. lid. The amounts authorized for prospecting, in conjunction with the labour Department (Employment Division), in south Westland and in the Reefton District are not included in this total. t In addition, the Mines Department is paying— (a) half of the cost of an investigation ot areas in south Westland, the other half being paid by the Labour Department (Employment Division) ; fifteen prospectors are employed, and £625 5s. 8d. has been expended by the Department during the year. (6) Halt of the cost of the prospecting of the Globe and Merriji<?s Area Reefton District, the other half being paid bv the Labour Department (Employment Division); twenty prospectors are engaged on this scheme, and the Department's expenditure during the year amounted to £959 lbs. 10d.