WARDEN SIMPSON'S REPORT FOR THE DUNSTAN DISTRICT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 750, 1 September 1876, Page 3

WARDEN SIMPSON'S REPORT FOR THE DUNSTAN DISTRICT.

Sir, —I have the honor to hand you the statistical returns for the year ended 31st March, 1876, for the Goldfields District of theDunstan.

I have to report generally, that, notwithstanding the incessant cry by business people that business is and has been falling away, the mining community appear during the year to have maintained their numbers and earnings. The yield of gold for the district has been 45,4360z. as against 43,8230z. for last year, showing an increase of 1,6160z., which, stating the mining population at say, 1,900, gives about LBS a year to each miner—a very good average. The falling-off of business must I think be in luxuries only, and may be set down to the more temperate and frugal habits which with years come on miners as well as other classes as a rule, to say nothing of the more transient causes, such as “ Good Templarism,” which has its supporters on the mines as well as other places. Speaking of the increased years of the miners, leads me to remark that it is becoming more and more noticeable every year, that there are few comparatively speaking young men among the miners on the Otago Goldfields now. Is the race gradually to become extinct ? The increase in the yield of gold this year in this district is due to the alluvial workings, the yield from quartz being only 11,8890z. as against 14,0000z. for last year, while that from alluvial workings is 33,5470z. as against 29,8230z., showing an actual increase from alluvial workings of 5,8360z. This increase has taken place as follows : Cromwell, increase, 3,5700z.; Blacks, increase, 1,7200z.; and Teviot, HOoz. No new alluvial ground has been opened, but some of the old workings are getting more developed, as at Bannockburn, where sluicing is gradually usurping the place of tunnelling on the terraces, and will do so entirely when the Carrick Race full supply of water is brought in. But before the full supply of that race does come in the sludge channel should be formed up Pipeclay Gully, for it is an absolute necessity to the development of the sluicing of the terraces- A flying survey, has been made, and that is all. I am astonished at the miners themselves not pushing the matter with greater energy. Unlike the miners at Tinkers, there seems to be a want of unanimity. At this place the miners, with a view to get rid of the sludge nuisance, have during the dry season, with their united labor, started and almost completed a channel about eight miles in length, the Provincial Government aiding them to the extent of L 750, a small sum when it is considered that had it not been for this channel the Spottis Hundreds, instead of selling at L 4 an acre, would have remained a drug on the market.

The following are the principal localities of the alluvial diggings in this district, with their estimated yield forthe year: Cromwell —Nevis, 5,000oz.; Bannockburn, 5,000oz.; Kawarau Gorge, l,700oz.; Quartzreef Point, Bendigo, and other places along the Olutha 2,5700z.; total, 14,2700z. Blacks —Tinkers, 4,000oz.; Drybread, l,500oz.; Black’s Flat, 2,000oz.; Ida Valley and Long Valley, l,084oz.; total, 8,4840z. Teviot—Molyneux River banks about Roxburgh, and some twelve miles on either side, 3,000oz.; Pomahaka River, Upper Waikaia, and Campbell’s, etc., 2,3200z.; total 5,3200z. Alexandra— Manorburn River, Manuherikia River, Conroy’s, Blackman's and Butcher’s Gullies, and banks of River Molyneux, 4,1630z. Clyde— Wai Keri Keri Valley, and banks of Molyneux River, 1,3100z. Hydraulic sluicing is the main system of working carried on at all those places, and of course with the greatest success where the greatest supply of water is and the greatest amount of pressure put on, as by iron pipes.

On the river there is only one dredge actually at work in this district, and it has been at work steadily for the last five years or more, and has yielded returns at the rate of L 4 a week, I am informed, to each of the four men who work on it, during the whole of the time. It is built much after the fashion of the harbor dredges, and is driven by a current wheel. There are two other dreges on the same plan at present being built, and will shortly be at work : among all the systems that have been tried on the river, this is the only one that has had any permanent success.

The quartz workings in tho district may still be said to bo confined to Bendigo and to Garrick in the Cromwell division; but within the last few months discoveries have been made on the Old Man Range, immediately above the alluvial workings known as Conroys, in tho Alexandra division, and on Thomson’s Creek in the Dunstan Range, Blacks division. Thomson’s Creek reef is on the same range as the Bendigo reefs are on, and probably may be a continuation of those reefs across the range. In both instances gold has been found in the stone, but sufficient has not been done to enable an opinion to bo pronounced. A great deal of prospecting has' been done • by different companies on tho Bendigo reofa daring the year. Tho only reefs there, however, giving

any returns of gold, are the Cromwell Quart* Mining Company and Rooney and Co. The yield from those reefs has been equal to 9,0000z., over two-thirds of Vfhioh was yielded by the Cromwell Company’s reef. There has been a great falling off in the Carrick Range reefs. The Star of the East, the Crown and Cross, and the Young Australia are the only reefs that can be said to have made any yield this year, and that has only been 3,8890*. Of the quarts reef companies that have been engaged prospecting during the year, the one that has been most successful is the Eureka Company, Bendigo. They are now in a position to make a fair start, having got out a large quantity of stone and completed their tramway to their machine. Settlement.— Statement of land taken up during the year.—Under Agricultural Lease.—Teviotl district, 16 leases, 2,000 acres j Clyde district, 1 lease, 640 acres; Blacks district, 1 lease, 36 acres ; Alexandra district, 1 lease, 48 acres ; Cromwell district, I lease, 10 acres.—Under Deferred Payments—Blacks, Teviot, etc., 13 leases, 1,682 acres, being a total of 4,406 acres.

Land remaining Open for Selection in District. Under Agricultural Lease— Teviot, 4,339 acres, actually fit for cultivation, say 2,000J acres ; Blacks, 3,647, do., 1,000 acres ; Alexandra, 306 acres, do., nil.; Clyde, 13,290 acres, do., 1,000 acres; Cromwell, 15,372 acres, do., 3,000 acres.— Under deferred payments, 4,500 acres, fit for cultivation, 2,500. Total open, 41,454 ; total fit for cultivation, 9,500. In the Teviot and Blacks districts, settlement has as last year progressed most,' and naturally so, in those places possessing the best land. From the foregoing figures it will be seen that almost all the good land has been taken up ; and until a more liberal system as regards area is adopted, the inferior ground, I fear, will remain waste for a long time. If the present limited area of 200 acres is to remain the maximum that can be taken up by one individual, it will be necessary, now that all the places where there was any extent of land to be got in a block are exhausted, if people are to be encouraged to settle in this district, to resort to the system of proclaiming small blocks, even as small as 100 acres, open for settlement wherever anything like agricultural land can be got—of course with a due regard to the effect such would have on the depasturing ground. I make this suggestion because, although there cannot be said to be much agricultural land in the district, there are numerous isolated patches of from 100 to 500 acres of very fair land, particularly along the banks of the rivers and small creeks and in the gullies, that would be readily taken up. Indeed, lam constantly being applied to for such patches. I myself, however, am much more in favor, in this district, of the maximum area allowed to be taken up by one individual being very much increased, as stock-growing, not cereals, will be the staple of the district, and by this system it would not be necessary to spot out the eyes of the country. Of course I know that this would be contrary to present legislation, which makes the agricultural qualities of the land a sine qua non before it can be taken up for settlement. But why should that be ? Why should cultivation be made the iron rule as to whether land is to be settled on or not ? But 1 suppose, until the depasturing leases fall in, there is no hope of any change in this direction.

As to the two systems in force for taking up land, that by agricultural lease seems to he most in favor, and naturally so, considering that residence is not a condition that it is possible to assign, that the improvement conditions are not so stringent, and that an agricultural leaseholder may take advantage of the deferred-payment system to acquire the freehold by exchanging his lease—67 have been exchanged in this way in this district. In my opinion, only one system should prevail; indeed, I think [it is time to do away with any disposal of the land by the Goldfields Act; but before that is done, the deferred-payment system, under the Waste Lands Act, would require to be made loss stringent, perhaps not as to residence and improvements, but certainly as to the power of assignment. As at present administered, it is not possible, even if a licensee dies, for his executors to assign. I have, etc, W. Laurence Simpson, Warden.