MINES REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1927, Page 4

MINES REPORT

W'AIMEA-KUMAR.A WATER-RACES (Air James Roehford, Manager). WAIMEA WATER-RACE. The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended 31st March, 1927, was £336 16s Bd, and the expenditure on management, gauging, and repairs amounted to £776 Bs, showing a debit balance of £139 11s 4d on the year’s transactions. The sales of water only amounted to £214 2s 6d, the smallest recorded for the past thirty-eight years, and showed a decrease of £73 16s 2d, as compared with the previous year. The falling off in sales was due to the complete cessation of mining operations in the (Stafford district, which took place at the end of April, 1926, the total value of water supplied for this purpose during the year only amounting to £8 2s Od, which fully bore out the opinion expressed in my last annual report, to the effect that practically all tho payable sluicing ground commanded by the water from this race was then worked away. The balance of the sales of water, amounting to £206, was supplied to Parker Bros., for the development of power to work their sawmill at Gillam’s Gully, near Stafford. This sawmill, which employed about fourteen men, was efficiently managed, and worked regularly throughout the year until about the middle of March, when, owing to the lack of orders, operations were suspended indefinitely. No serious breaks occurred on this rate, and, with the exception of three days during the year, a. constant supply of water was available at the terminus of the race at Ballarat Hill, Stafford. A considerable amount of repair work was carried out by the staff on this race during the year, particularly on the upper section from the Kawhaka Creek to the intake of the AVaimea inverted siphon. This portion of the race is now in excellent order, but some of the timbered tunnels in the vinicitv of Fox’s, Goldsborough, and Stafford are in a bad state, and constant supervision and occasional repairs will ho essential to minimise the probability of serious breaks.

Although the months of December, January, anti February v*oro exceptionally dry for the West Coast, the supply of water from this race was excellent, and the AVaimea inverted siphon, which has a carrying capacity of 30 cubic feet per second, could have been kept running full all the year if tlio water had been required. The cash received was £136 14s 8d greater than during the previous year and the expenditure showed a decrease of £lB 12s 6a. BRANCH RACE TO CALLAGHAN’S AND MIDDLE BRANCH FLAT. The cash received from this race lor sales of water for the year ended 31st Afarch. 1927. only amounted to £2B 15s, and the expenditure oil management, gauging, lnaintcnuiue. and repairs amounted to £477 (Is 3d. showing a debit balance of £4lB os 3d on the year’s transactions. Ilavill’s claim was worked intermittently for the first six months of the financial year, but the. value ol water purchased by the party during that period was considerably less than it should have been, and only amounted to £2B 1 os, a, reduction of £36 16s 8d on that of the previous year. This party ceased sluicing operations on tho 30th September, 1926, and from that date until 31st March, 1927, no water was supplied from the race for mining or other purposes. Certain urgent repairs were carried out by the stall during the year to some of the flinnings on this race, but they are old structures, and the timber in most of them, particularly the boxing, is in a very decayed condition. Tho cash received was £35 16s 8d less than during the previous year, and the expenditure showed a decrease of £5 8s 3d. KUAIA.RA WATER-RACK.

The cash received for sales of water from this race amounted to £lO6 13s 4d; for royalty on timber cut on the Reservoir Reserve, £627 ss; lor sale of gauger’s old hut, £3; and lor first payment on account of contract for right to cut dry silver-pine, £27 ; making a total revenue of £763 18s 4d. The expenditure on maintenance and repairs amounted to £l2 Is 7d, thus showing a profit of £751 16s fid on the year’s transactions. No minors were supplied with water from this race during the year: tho whole ol the revenue derived from sales was received from, the Okuku Sawmill Co for water supplied for power development.

During the year about sixty intermediate sets of timber and a number of lining-boards were placed in position in the Kumnra head-race tunnel by the water-race staff, but a very considerable amount of repair work would have to be carried out berore tho original carrying-capacity of this tunnel would be restored. M ith tho exception of certain sections oi this tunnel the .Kumara water-race and the Xos. 1 and 3 Kapiton. Reservoirs arc in good order. KIT! 1A R A TR A X S-TAR A MAK Alf WATER-RACE. Owing to the noil-restoration of the serious break which took place in the trans-Tarnmakan pipe-line in Xovember, 1925, this race was out of commission for the whole year. WAINJHIXIHI A XT) IV AT ME A ADDIHOXAL SIT PR I A' WATERRACES.

During tho year about thirty-two sets of hewn timber were prepared and placed in. position in different tunnels by the water-race staff, and a further number will be required Ironi time to time to insure safety, but generally speaking these races are in good order. WAIMEA-KUMARA AND CALLAGHAN’S WATER-RACES.

The following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of the above water-races for the financial year ended 31st March, 1927: Sales of water. £349 10 lOd ; cash received, £1,129 10s (including royalty on timber, etc.); expenditure, £1,265 9s 10d; approximate value of gold obtained, £274 15s. The average number of miners employed for the first six months of the year was two. Xo mining operations were carried out during the last six months of the year. The sales of water show a decrease of £133 12s lOd, and the cash received shows an increase of £215 3s 9d on that of the. previous year. The total expenditure amounted to £1,265 9s lOd as ,against £1,298 15s sd. a decrease of £33 5s 7d. Comparing the cash received with the expenditure, the combined races show a loss of £125 19s lOd for ,tho year, but had the cash for the sale of iron and steel pipes been received before the close of the year the loss would have been reduced to £3S 15s.

(From J. F. Downey. Inspector of Mines). DREDGES. Rimu Flat Dredge—This big Amer-ican-typo dredge continued operations throughout the year with considerably better results than in 1925. The gold recovery amounted to 11.800 oz gold, valued at £47,900, as against 8,714 valued at £35.720 for the previous year. The ground turned over for the period amounted to 1,757,505 cubic yards. This year’s recovery brings the total value of gold won by the dredge

since it started to £237,970. No dividend was paid during the year, tho total dividends remaining at £13,132. Towards tho end of the year tho recoveries were very good, some 1,100 oz being recovered just prior to the end of the period from eleven days’ dredging. Close check boring of the ground ahead of the dredge was carried out continuously, and it is now estimated that there is in sight at least two years’ on ground as good as that recently worked. The wooden pontoon showed signs of becoming waterlogged, and had gone down astern till practically no freeboard was showing, hut two small pontoons, 30ft long, 10ft 6in wide, and 10ft deep were prepared and bolted to ,t.he main pontoon astern, one at each side, with the result that the boat was lifted considerably and is now showing normal freeboard. 'A number of inspections of the main pontoon were made, but thcr were no indications that it was making tiny water. New River Dredge—This dredge was put into commission in June on an area at Dunganville, in Grey County. Tho dredge was formerly in the Aliaura River. On removal to Dunganville it was lengthened, and the old steam plant was replaced by electric equipment, power being supplied by the Grey District Power Board. The dredge appears to have been floated in a rather unsuitable position. at the top or higher side of the dredging area, and close to the hillside. A fair amount of gold was got immediately after work was started, but the ground in the locality had been worked from tunnels in the old days of the Dunganville field, and in order to avoid any trouble, such as loss of water from the paddock, by breaking into the old workings, the dredge had to he turned in towards the high ground into an area in which clays and immense boulders predominated and very little gold bad been deposited. Towards the end of the year, having got past the danger area, tho plant was turned outwards towards the flat again, and better results were obtained. The total recovery for tho period the dredge was operated amounted to 5670 z 2dwt gold, valued at £1,229 10s. On the average, twenty-five men were employed. It is anticipated that much hotter values will bo got when the dredge gets farther out into the clean gravels, and it is proposed to test the ground ahead of it by Keystone drilling.

Ngaliere Dredging Co—This company has continued prospecting operations on its area, on the south bank of the Grey River near Blackball. A number of shafts were sunk, with. I understand, satisfactory results, and it is now proposed to put a dredge to work there. Five men were employed throughout the year at the prospecting work.

ALLUVIAL GOLD RETURNS. Grey Valley (including Ahauva, Nelson Creek, Blackball, Totara Mat, Moonlight, Stillwater, etc.).--Some thirteen men were employed in I hose fields, winning 109 oz lodwt Bgr. valued at £405 6s Lid. Bai rvtowa and Twolve-Alile—'l lirec men were employed, winning LlOoz (dwt 3gr.. valued at £555 16s Id. all of which came from beach leads. Greyniouih (including Rnthcrgton, Cobdcn, and Dunganville).—Three men were employed, winning 7-1 on lOdwt 12gr. gold, valued at £284 7s. Col ling wood (including Rockville, Slate River and Parapnra).—On these fields eight men wore employed, winning lOloz sclwt 14gr, valued at £683 11s Bd. Kumara (including Stafford, Greenstone. and Callaghans).—ln these localities twenty men were employed, winning 1.04 loz 12dwt 12gr. valued at £3,850 11s 4d. The principal producers were the ITohonn Sluicing Co. at Greenstone, with '4510z Lficiwt Bgr valued at £1,773 Os Od, and Stubbs and Steel, at Maori Point, with 3360 z 7dwt, valued at £l,lOO 19s Id. Reefton (including Gapleston, Soldiers, Alerrijigs, and Blackwatc-r). — Five men were employed, winning 530 z lodwt 9gr, valued at £199 11s 2d. Hokitika (including Rimu, Seddon’s Terrace, Arabura, and Blue Spur).— On these fields twenty-three men were employed, winning 3610 z sdwt 12gr gold, valued at £1.412 6s lOd. Ross (including AVaitaha). —Gold to tho extent of 530 z Bchvt 23gr, valued a.t £209 10s 4d was recovered, three men being employed. Oknrito (including jWniho, 'Gillespie's Bench, and Bruce Bay).—On these fields leu men wen? employed, winning 1220 z l-tdwt Ogr gold, valued at £482 10s Sd, all from seabeaches.

Westport (including Charleston, AVnimangaroa, Fairdown and Bradshaws). —Six men were employed, winning 130 oz Odwt 1 Ogr gold, valued at £519 7s lOd.