The Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2032, 9 November 1869, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1869.

The noise that has been made respecting the Auckland diggings, and the speculation in shares that has been the cause, or the consequence, naturally led to the anticipation that the Gazette returns would show an immense export. Those returns are now published, and they are calculated to induce much more sober estimates of the riches of the Thames goldfields than have hitherto been prevalent. In no case has there been a more striking instance O c the value of statistics. If any have had the idea that they would reap advantage through forsaking Otago for the North, the scales must now fall # from their eyes, and the discoveries making in the Dunstan disti'ict point to the probability of equally rich and paying reefs here as in Auckland. It is only fair, however, to take into consideration that it is too soon to form a decided opinion of the real value of the Thames goldfields. The large population gathered there are not yet engaged in actual gold-mining, and the rate of wages prevailing proves that there are more men than are needed for the work to be done. Machinery for quartz mining requires time to erect, and even when bona jide companies have been formed, months must elapse before they can get into profitable work. But in spite of these obvious considerations, the accounts that are flaunted before the world of several ounces of gold to the hundred pounds of stone, led to the reasonable expectation that Auckland would have stood much higher as a gold-producing Province than has proved to bo the

case. The Middle Island goldfields are still in the foreground, and it will require a much larger development of mining in the North Island before its exports reach their average. In the New Zealand Gazette there are two tables, one giving a return of the value of gold exported from New Zealand from the Ist April, 1857, to the 30th September, 1869, and the other comparing the quantity and value of the gold exports from the diferent Provinces during the quarter ending September 30th. From the first table we learn that in twelve years and a half 4,839,330 ounces of gold have been exported, which is valued at L 18,796,519. To this large quantity Auckland contributed !72,9320z. ; Marlborough, 34,830 ; Nelson, Westport, and Greymouth, 849,215; Greymouth, Hokitika, and Okarita, 1,275,016; Otago, 2,481,235 ; and Southland, 26,111. -But though this statement of totals points to the comparative richness of the districts, their present rate of produce would be the surer guide, if, with the quantities, the number of persons actually engaged in gold mining could be as accurately stated. This cannot be arrived at until another census, and the only approximate way of forming an estimate is by taking the male population of the main gold-producing districts. Comparing then Auckland, the West Coast, and Otago, there is a singular similarity so far as numbers are concerned. In Auckland there were in 1867 —Males, 27,063; in Westland and Nelson, 28,189 ; and in Otago, 29,773. In all probability the effective labor power was far greater in Westland and Nelson than in Auckland and Otago, as there would be a far larger proportion of i adults through the migration of miners that took place shortly prior to taking the census. Then it is certain that a very far larger proportion were engaged in actual mining. It is estimated by those best able to form an opinion, that in Otago the numbers actually working at gold mining do not exceed six thousand. In Auckland it is not probable there are nearly so many, while on the West Coast they are commonly estimated at from twelve to thirteen thousand. If these numbers are borne in mind as guesses not very wide of the truth, it will be seen that gold mining in Otago is as profitable an occupation as in any of the other districts. During the last quarter, the export of gold from Auckland was 20,7430z, Marlborough, 500oz, Nelson, 37,8950z, Westland, 42,9450z, Otago, 37,8000z, and from Southland, 8930z. But the mere statement of quantity does not give a clue to the true worth of the labor invested. Gold like every other raw material is not equally valuable weight for weight but varies according to thedegi’ee of purity. It was on this ground that it was sought during the last session of Parliament to make a difference in the exportduty between the gold of the North and Middle Islands. The Customs authorities recognise this variation in their estimate of the official values of the exports, and calculate Middle Island gold at L 4 per ounce, while that of Auckland is only taken to be worth about L 3 10s. We believe the latter estimate too high, as the quantity of alloy in the Northern gold is so great that it seldom reaches that price. This difference in the value of the return for labor is, however, very distinctly marked, when the values are compared with the quantities, for while the yield of gold in Otago is less than twice that of Auckland, the value is much more than double. This difference will be plainly seen in the following figures : Auckland: export, 20,J430z., value L 72,469. Otago : export, 37,8000z., value L 151,200. While, therefore, we fully recognise the importance of the gold discoveries in the North, we do not estimate them at a higher value than the known auriferous deposits of the Province in which we live.