C.—2.

VII. STATE AID TO MINING. (1) Subsidized Prospecting. Upon subsidized prospecting operations fifty-three 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:—

26

Number Amount of Amount of Distance | Tq- n t lirf » n f Name of Prospecting Party. ! of Pro- Locality of Operations. Subsidy Subsidy j driven Claim Character of Operations. ! Remarks. j spectors. granted.* expended. or sunk. Northern Inspection District. £ s. d. £ s. d. Ft. J. B. Morris .. .. .. 6 Waiawa Claim, Karangahake .. .. 75 12 6 24 15 0 18 | Quartz .. Rising .. Golden Spur Syndicate .. • .. 2 Maratoto . . .. .. 100 0 0 17 10 0 20 Quartz .. Driving .. .. j Talisman Dubbo Gold-mines, Ltd. .. .. Karangahake .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. Driving, &c. .. Work not commenced. Commissioner Claim .. .. .. 4 Thames .. .. .. .. 740 5 10 634 5 3 .. Quartz .. Driving Una Hill Consolidated Gold-mining Co., 6 Thames .. .. .. .. 1,000 0 0 .. 74 Quartz .. Sinking .. .. Work in progress. Ltd. Puru Gold, Ltd. .. .. .. .. Thames .. .. .. .. 100 0 0 .. I Quartz .. Reefing .. .. Work not commenced. School of Mines .. .. .. .. Thames .. .. .. • • 47 10 0 36 14 0 .. .. Crushing Sylvia Gold, Silver, and Base Metal Mines .. Tararu Creek .. .. .. .. 2,000 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. Sinking, &c. .. Work not commenced. (N.L.) Heather Bell Gold-mining Co. .. .. .. Whenuakite .. .. .. •• 400 0 0 .. .. Quartz .. Driving and cross- Work not commenced. cutting Golden Crown Gold-mining Co. (N.L.) .. .! Komata .. .. .. • • j 627 10 0 .. .. Quartz .. Driving .. .. Work not commenced. West Coast Inspection District. ! j Consolidated Goldfield of New Zealand, 4 Globe-Progress Area .. .. .. 5,350 0 0 1,607 3 5 1,278 Quartz .. Diamond drilling .. Second bore. Work in progress. Ltd. j Mount David Sluicing Co., Ltd. .. 4 Blackwater .. .. .. • • 250 0 0 108 10 0 .. Alluvial .. Claim development .. Work discontinued. Wainihinihi Steatite Syndicate.. .. 2 WainihiniM .. .. .. •• 25 0 0 25 0 0 .. Mineral .. Trenching and track- Operations being continued. making Waikakaho Deep Lead, Ltd. .. .. .. Cloudy Bay .. .. .. • • 300 0 0 .. .. Alluvial .. Driving and cross- Work not yet started. cutting Murray Creek Consolidated, Ltd. .. j .. Westland .. .. .. •• 3,100 0 0 .. | Quartz .. Shaft-sinking .. Work not yet started. Ross Aerodrome .. .. .. I 3 Westland .. .. .. • • 500 0 0 352 7 5 450 .. j Drilling .. .. Work completed. Southern Inspection District. S. I. Bickerstaff .. .. .. 4 Waipori .. .. .. • • 45 0 0 .. .. Reefing .. j Driving .. .. Work not yet completed. Jas. McMullan .. .. .. j 5 Arthur's Point .. .. •• 533 6 8 484 18 11 .. Alluvial .. ; Sluicing .. .. Work in progress. Vinegar Hill Sluicing Co., Ltd... .. j 4 V T inegar Hill .. .. .. •• 500 0 0 355 0 6 .. Alluvial .. Sluicing .. .. Balance subsidy cancelled. S. C. Fache .. .. .. .. | 7 Nevis .. .. .. •• 68 18 8 68 18 8 .. Dredging.. Dredging .. .. Work still in progress. Cairns and Truesdale .. .. .. I 2 Matakanui .. .. .. • • 53 0 0 15 0 0 20 Reefing .. Driving and sinking .. Balance subsidy cancelled. F. Birse .. .. .. .. j .. Growler's Flat .. .. .. 100 0 0 .. .. Alluvial .. Sinking .. .. Work not commenced. Moonlight Valley Gold (N.L.) .. .. .. Mid-Wakatipu .. .. •• 600 0 0 .. .. Alluvial .. Sluicing .. .. Work not commenced. 53 3,703 3 2| I ill ___ * Includes authorizations in previous years. The total of the subsidies granted, less cancellations, during the year ended 31st March, 1939, amounted to £9,133 7s. 4d. The amounts authorized for prospecting, in conjunction with the Labour Department (Employment Division) in South Westland and in the Reef ton district are not included in this total. t In addition, the Mines Department is paying —(«) Half the cost of an investigation of areas in South Westland, the other half being paid by the Labour Department; eight prospectors were employed and £45 Is. 3d. was expended by the Department during the year, (b) Half of the cost of the prospecting of the Globe and Merrijigs area, Reefton district, the other half being paid by the Labour Department (Employment Division); nineteen prospectors are engaged on this scheme, and the Department's expenditure during the year amounted to £4,204 Is. 4d.