WARDEN'S REPORT.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 235, 12 May 1874, Page 7

WARDEN'S REPORT.

THE DUNSTAN DISTRICT. Wo make the following; extracts, from the ; report of Mr, Warden Simpson, as laid before the Provincial Council, for the year end' •ing Ist April last:•— :i ' n si ~.i. ' i| • i STATISTICAL, 'M : . r .' The return includes Clyde,..-' Cromwell, A lexandra, Blacks, Te viot,: and Niyis, , The total population of,the district, approximately, *? 3,300 ; tho European miners number 1,200,■ and the Chinese miners 500,: making a total of .1,700. t The quantity of gold obtained during the year, from the 31st March, 1873, to the Ist ofe April, 1874, was'4B,27Boz. j and the number of reefs at work, 13.^ '-'* • '"' '' ' - DANGER. ; "' ' '"' Fortunately none of the grbtirid requires machinery to overcome the water, and very few props are used,,perhaps too few,'as may be found when more quartz is taken out of the deep levels. Too much care cannot be taken to; ! . supppft Wling jjup;,ffcpd the use of props and caps. Miners often get too foolhardy in their confidence of the firmness of,the ground, particularly in .places lifie the'Carrick and Bendigo, where timber becomes a large item in, the'oxpense, and dispense with support,- endangering their own and the, • lives of, j the, workmen. . Q|ten. the dahgeris seen by the work)nsn,. bufy fearfuj of their services being dispensed; withjif ,thsy make,any, remark, they remain silent. This is a matter that requires regulating by some sort of official inspection*- ■•■'• ~- \k.& ~' . tima .In v?.,jtiifiiiO'LßASE3i i s ■■■■;-'"'; <{bbiim During the month there have been three applications,] for gold-mining ground pn jthe ; : Cromwell joining the < S)^|cen >: the. wages men that'.iworked ;in,the'B>eliapce, as tangible proof o£ their. »heUef |in, probable, continuance of the iode>; thsi ajeieond was.for ground, on the Upper Nevis;, wberq some of the claims have been yielding large returns this summery" but'only' after, eoni siderable capital had been spfcht in- develop* ing ; the"ftiird was for ground 1 near it it.*.rf».' vHuJiiuiimpffimtofav' toooiton itlJ

During the year the population in this djs-> trict 'has considerably diminished, "owing 1 , 1 1 think,.to the great demand for labour in the coastal towns' and, more' settled neighbourhoods, caused, I .presume, by the .public and other works carried'on at present*'«;•'?■■. noil ■ RETURN OF GOLD. * '■'■ i?4'-'! .1'

'•; The return of gold cannCt' be said to have diminished in proportion to the population, and that can be accounted for by- the ;fact that the payable mines are gradually falling into the hands of companies, who diminish the labour as Jhiuch as possible, the shareholders pocketing the surplus so caused. The individual miner is gradually becoming a mere wages man. PROPRIETORS AM)«WAGES MEN. During the year two attempts were made to show proprietors that they were dependent solely, on the wages men in the locality; by striking wdrk. The companies stopped workj and the men, thinking they could force them to go on, or give up the ground to them; opposed ah application to the Warden for protection, but time was given to ascertain the real state of the labour market, and in the meantime matters were adjusted. These attempts, Which were the first I ever experienced on the mines, showed, to my mind, how dictatorial either party (whether capital or labour), if in the ascendent, would be ; and forced me to, the conclusion" that the vexed question of remunerating labour must be made more directly dependent on the immediate results caused by that labour. 1 -REEFS. ; , There have not been any freßh discoveries, but some of the old ones' have been largely developed during the year, and in several in stances with wonderful results, as, for instance, the Cromwell Company, the yields from which might have been set down this time last year at nil, is now giving Boz to the ton, and has proved the positive existence in the mine of stone, independent of what may be below, of a value of from £20,000 to £30,000. The profits divided by the company for the last 10 months may be set down at from £9,000 to £IO,OOO. this company is in the hands of three individuals.

The Elizabeth Company's reef on the Carrick Range may be put down as one that has been successfully developed during-the year. This company, after a long time spent in prospecting, has within the last few months come on very good stone, which, from all appearances, is likely to hold out. This stone is running in quite the opposite direction to what was expected. The Caledonian Reef may also be placed among the successful during the ; year. The above cases have given an impetus, to the other reefs, which, let us hope, will prove equally sucessful.. -The only new reefing companies started during the year are the Reliance and Energetic, both on the Cromwell reef. The former has found the reefrat a depth of l'2oft.; certainly thin, but the proprietors are epcouraged by the close resemblance it bears to the Cromwell Company's at a v similar depth.

Captain Fraser, Magistrate and Warden at the Thame3, who entered a criminal action for libel against the Auckland Star, called a meeting of his friends on April 30, and it was resolved to withdraw the action if the Star. Would apologise, and pay £SO to the Hospital. The Star in reply, says if Captain Fraser will apologise to the police, and pay £SO to the Auckland Orphan's Home, it will allow him to drop the case. The alleged libel occurred in an article in the Star criticising the Warden's comments on the conduct of the police in connection with the Manning case.