MINES REPORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 August 1926, Page 4

MINES REPORT.

Summary of Report of Government Wniinea-Kumnra Water-Races (Mr James Roehford, Manager). WAIN IKA WATER-BACK. The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year cntled 31st. March, 1925, was £2OO 2s and the expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £793 Os Gd, showing a debit balance of £594 18s Gd on the year’s transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water was 1.83, a decrease of 3.42 on that of the previous year, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained was 80 ozs. valued at £314, a decrease of £I,OOB 14s Gd on. rlmt of the previous year. The sales of water, which only amounted to £217 io s gd, were the smallest for the nasi 27 years, and showed a decrease of £251 16s 3d. as compared with the previous year. Tn addition to the above sales, water to the value of £1(1 was snm.lied free of charge to Blnekand party and Barker B,ros. and Williams as remuneration fir , work l,- them in connection with rn-nei.-ino th" break in the race at Hatter’s Terrace. The Falling off in the sales of water i.rinein.all'' cine to the fact that the Linklatcr Sluicing Syndicate’s claim at S-a ml in avian Hill. Stafford, which we(/rauler lease H Mr W. T inklnfer. only used water during tlie first four •-’■’iiF-s ft He 'ear. after which lie abandoned the property 1 owing to nnnnavahlo gold returns, and presumably for the same reason, Blaekmnn and nart" ceased sluicing operations early in January, 1926. A contributory of the reduced sales was the two ratlicr serious breaks in the race, one in a tunnel at Fox’s, which took place op tlm 24th. August, and the other in the open <1 itolling at Hatter’s Terrace, near Stafford, which occurred during the big flood on the 21st.. November. These two breaks bad the effect of completely cutting off the supply of water (from Blaekmnn and party and Parker Bros, and Williams, sawmillers, for forty and twenty-five days respectively. As this goes on, however, it becomes increasingly evident that practically all the payable sluiemg-ground commanded by tlie old original Waimea Waterrate, which was completed about the end of 1874. lias been worked away, arid there appears little probability of a mining revival taking place in the vicinity of this once-famed gold-pro-ducing locality. Messrs Parker Bros, ami Williams worked their sawmill at Gilliam’s Gully throughout the year, hut owing to loss of time occasioned by tlie breaks previously mentioned, and the ■ lack of orders during two or three months of tlie year, when they carried on with half a team qsf men, they only purchased water to the value of £lB5 2s, a reduction of £2O on the previous year. The different sections of open ditching and lluniing on this race are in failorder, but some of the old timbered tunnels in the vicinity of Fox’s and Goklsborougli will require careful supervision and occasional repairs, otherwise serious breaks can lie expected. There was an excellent supply of water from the race, and the Waimea inverted siphon was practically running full all the year. The cash received was £216 lls 2d less than the previous year, and the expenditure showed a decrease of £l4 12s 2d. BRANCH RACK TO CALLAGHAN’S AND MIDDLE BRANCH FLAT, Tlie cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended* 31st 'March. 1926, was £64 lls 8d„ and t*c expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted tn £482 8s Gd., showing a. debit balance of £417 16s 10(1, oil the year’s transactions. 'Plie average number of miners supplied with water was 2.25 and the approximate quantity of gold obtained was 146 cfc., having a value of £573 Is a decrease of £439 12s on that of the previous year. ITavill’s claim was worked throughout the year, and a certain amount of sluicing done in each month, but they only purchased water to the value of £64 lls Bd. a reduction of £37 5s 10<1 on flic previous year. As pointed out in previous reports,, this party is seriously handicapped owing to lack of pressure from the Callaghan’s W ater- , race, but even taking this drawback into consideration, the quantity of water purchased by them was far from satisfactory. During the year a considerable amount of repair work was carried out by the staff to the fluinings on this race, but further repairs will be necessary from time to time, as the superstructure of most of them is in a rather bad state. The cash received was £37 Is loss' than the amount .received during the previous year, and . the expenditure for the .same period showed an increase of£6 7s 3d. i

KUMA R A WATER -R A OF,. The cash received from sales of water from this race amounted to £l3O 13s 4(7, for royalty on timber cut on the Reservoir Reserve £428 Is 3d, and for the sale of ohl 26in. pipes £9O 18s. making a total revenue of .£049 12s 7d. The expenditure .on maintenance and repairs amounted to £2l Os Ad, thus showing a profit of £‘o2B 0s 2d on the year’s transactions. No miners were supplied with water from this race during the year, the whole of the revenue derived from sales 'was received from the Okuku Sawmill Company for water 'supplied for power-development. A small number of intermediate sets of timber and some lining-boards were placed in position in the Kumnrn Headrace Tunnel during the year, but there are still some dangerous sections in this tunnel, and at the present time a number of additional intermediate sets are required to ensure safety. With the exception of the sections of tunnel above referred to, the Kumnrn Water-race and the Nos. 1 and 2 TCapitea Reservoirs are in good order. K UMAR A-TRANS-TARAMAKAU

water races. The only party supplied with water from this race was the Payne’s Gully Sluicing Company, which carried on sluicing operations from the beginning of the financial year until the middle of November, when a serious break took place in the traiis-Taramakau pipe-line on the river Hat on the north side of the pipe bridge, which completely <ut olf their water-supply. By arrangement with the Minos Depart-

ment this company had to maintain the pipe line in question and do its own gauging, and in consequence was being

supplied with water at a reduced rate. The maintenance of the pipe line has' been a rather expensive proposition for the company, owing to tlie frequently recurring breaks in the steel sections of piping, which, apart from the cost of repair, were a serious drawback to the efficient working of their property. The water supplied to the Payne’s Gully Sluicing Company is not included in the sales, as it- was supplied in lieu of cash expended by the company on repairs to the trans-Taramakau pipe line some years ago. 'V \ TXITITNTHI AXD WAIMEA AT)T)ITOXAL SUPPLY WATER-PACES During the year a number of intermediate sets of hewn timber wore preoared and placed in position in the tunnels by the staff, but a further lumber will ho required fn the near

future to ensure safety. Tlie open ditching in both races is in good order. WAIMEA-TyUMARA AND CALLAGHAN’S WATER-RACES.

The following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of the above water-races for tlie year ended 31st March, 1926: Sales of water £483 3s 8d ; cash received, £914 6s 3d (including royalty on timber and sale of pipes) ; expenditure, £1,298 15s sd; approximate value of gold obtained'. £1.283 9s 6d ; average number of miners, employed, 6.08. The sales of water show a decrease of £309 2s Id, and tlie cash received a decrease of £316 Is. Tlie total expenditure on the combined races amounted to £1,298 15s sd. aagainst £1,318 19s od.—n decrease of £2O 4s. Comparing the cash received with the expenditure, the combined races show a loss of £384 9s 2d, but from this should be deducted the sum of £64, for water supplied to the Paylie’s Gully Sluicing Company in reduction of its account, which reduces the net loss to £320 9s 2d.

DREDGES (IN WEST COAST. Rimu Flat Gold-dredge—This dredge has continued in active operation, turning over about the usual quantity of ground. The amount of gold recovered was, however less than in 1924, for the reason that the dredge was on a section of the company’s area rather poorer than the 1 * average. Nevertheless, some 8,7140 z were won, valued at £35,720 making the vallue of the total recovery to the 31st December, 1925, £190,070.- Further dividends to the extent of £3,283 were paid, bringing the total of the amount disbursed to '£13,132. An average of forty-seven men was employed. Tlie company continued its prospecting efforts- in the hope of locating a further payable area in tlie Hokitika district, but without any better success than formerly.

Awatuna Dredge—This dredge worked for portion of tlie year only. Tt was found that- operations could not be carried on profitably, and as a result tho company went into liquidation. The dredge and mining privileges wore subsequently disposed of to F. G. Dunn, of Christchurch, but the latter has since surrendered most of the rights. Tn the early part of the year when tho dredge worked, 78oz 19dwt 18gr gold were recovered, valued at £313 19s 3d.

New River Dredge—A new company, known as the New River Gold-dredg-ing Company (Limited) lias been formed during the- year to work an area of some 800 acres of alluvial ground in tho neighbourhood of the old milling town of Dunganville. A large dredge formerly worked for a time in the Ah auraRiver, a few miles above the town of that name, was purchased, and has now been removed to this now area. It is, limvciTr, the intention of the company to do away with the steam plant with which the dredge was formerly equipped and use .electric power for working it, the current being supplied bv the Grey Bower Board. Sonic thirty

men were employed for a good part of the year in removing and re-erecting the dredge. At the end of the year the pontoon had been practically completed, opportunity being taken during the re-erection to materially strengthen it. All the necessary machinery, with the exception of the electrical apparatus, had also been delivered. A

paddock had also been excavated in which to float the dredge, many drives having been put in both from the New River and eight-mile Creek sides, but it is stated that there is still a large area of pay-ground left which the old miners bad not been able to work owing to lack of fall for their races. ALLUVIAL MINING. Kuniara (including Stafford, Greenstone, and Callaghan’s): Some thirtyeighl men were employed, recovering 1,2740 z. gdwt. llgr. gold, valued at £4,049 6s. -Id. Tho Hohoiut Gold Sluicing Company at Greenstone was the largest producer, with 4680 z 12dwt 18gr gold. Beeftnn (including C-apleston, Black’s Point, Merrijigs, and Waiuta) - On these fields 7f)oz 12(Uvt gold were won, valued at £283 14s sd.

Hokitika (including Rimu, Seddmi Terrace, Knnieri. Arnhura and Blue Spur)—Some eighteen men were employed, recovering 313 oz. gold, valued lit £1,246. Ross (including Mikonui) —Gold valued at £SB 4s 7d was won.

Oknrito (including Wailio and Gillespies Beach) —Some eight men were employed, winning 144 oz Gdwt 9gr gold, valued at £564 I.Bs Ifld. Most of this gold was recovered from tho beaches.