NEW ZEALAND GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4785, 24 July 1876, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND GOLDFIELDS.

The annual general report upon the goldfields of the colony has been laid upon the table of the House. Mr. Haughton says I may state that I had early in the year the opportunity of visiting the goldfields, although in a very hurried manner, and can therefore confirm by personal experience the very favorable accounts given in the reports as to the settlement of the people upon the land under the airricultural lease provisions of the Goldfields Acts, and the deferred-payments system m force on the Otago goldfields. The Wakatip district, which (not many years ago I recollect as a mere sheep-run and badly stocked for that, is now a flourishing agricultural county, only wanting the ready means of reaching a market, soon to be afforded by the Winton and Kingston railway, to render the population independent of the accidents of gold mining. In Tuapeka where, before the discovery of the goldfields, beyond the immediate neighborhood of Tokomairiro, there was hardly a settler between that place and the Ciutha river, for a distance of over forty miles there is now continuous settlement, and farms may be counted by hundreds. The Wardens all speak of the progress of settlement and the increasing demand for land, and in many cases testify to the value at which_ that already brought under cultivation is estimated in the market. Moat of the settlers are persons who have made money in gold mining or who combine the two pursuits, which, being in most cages men with families, they can do with faCTiity and advantage. With regard to the gold-mining interest itself the results of the year, as shown by the statistical tables, are very reassuring, and seem to indicate that the worst times are past, and that now reactionary improvement may be looked for. The yield of gold is slightly less, the revenue greater, than last year, whilst the population has not materially altered. ITpon this point it may be remarked that the demand for good labor in other pursuits, which, notwithstanding the number of immigrants introduced, undoubtedly still continues with the contingent of high wages, necessarily absorbs a number of men who would probably otherwise take to mining and do well at it. The character of mining 'also is very different to what it was in tlio early times of the goldfields ; now a man without capital, can hardly . So else , than work for wages; he wot do this in the'centres

of population, and naturally under these circumstances many prefer the town to the country. There has also been a considerable exodus of real miners to the Queensland goldfields, especially from the West Coast and Auckland. As in former years, I have been unable to obtain from mine owners and managers information asked for, which might be some guide to the economics of gold mining. In very few instances have the circulars 0 issued for the purpose been taken any notice of. Fragmentary details are of course useless in arriving at definite conclusions. GOLD. The quantity of gold exported during the year 1875, was 355,3220 z., of the value of £1,407,770 ; and during the quarter ending March, 1876, 83,2760 z., valued at £330,523. lu the two preceding years the exports were as follows 1873, 505,3370 z.; 1874, 376,3880 z. The decrease in the yield of 1875 upon the yield of 1874 being 21,0660 z., as compared with the decrease of 1874 upon 1873, viz., 128,9490 z. A comparison of the yield of the different goldfields for the years 1873, 1874, and 1875 shows that the decrease has been greatest in the Otago and least in the Marlborough and Nelson South-west Goldfields. It may be interesting to note that the total known export of gold from New Zealand from Ist April, 1857 to 31st March, 1876, has been 8,038,5710 z., of the value of £31,315,309. SILVER. The export of silver for the year 1875 was 29,0850 z., of the value of £7560. There has been no export duriug the quarter ending March last. The yield during last year was the smallest since 1870. This may be accounted for by the comparative failure of the Auckland Goldfields, since up to the present time the whole of the silver export has been from that province. The recent discoveries of galena in Westland and Nelson render it reasonable to hope that an export of silver from those parts of the colony may be recorded next year. The total export of silver to the end of 1375 has been 271,3610 z. The total revenue derived from the goldfields of the colony during the year 1875, was £88,516, and during the quarter ending March, 1876, according to table 2, £20,164, Thus, notwithstanding the decrease in the yield of gold for the same period, there is an increase in the revenue of the goldfields for the year 1875, of £4973 as compared -with that of 1874, and of £990 for the quarter ending March, 1876, upon that collected during the same period last year. The increase has not of course been uniform upon all the sources of revenue ; some show a decrease. MINING POPULATION. The diminution in the numbers of the mining population, upon which I had to observe last year, has, it would seem, been checked; the total number of miners upon 31et of March last was 16,639, as against 16,424 upon the same date last year, to which number it had fallen from 18,142 upon 31st March, 1874. It must, however, be noted that the number of Chinese miners has risen during the last year from 3638 to 4194. Quartz mining occupies only about 19 per cent., or a little under one-fifth of the total mining population, and the Auckland goldfields have not yet developed any alluvial workings, although great hopes were entertained at one time of the Ohinemuri district. The Chinese, who confine themselves entirely to alluvial mining, are spoken of in very favorable terms by the Wardens, and appear to a very great extent to have overcome the prejudices formerly existing against them. They set a valuable example by their industry and thrift to the European population. Their undoubted success iu mining operations is mainly owing to their thoroughly understanding and carrying out the system of co-opera-tive labor, and applying to its direction great intelligence and an almost instinctive knowledge of hydrodynamical laws, which enable them to apply the water at their disposal in the most economical manner. It is a subject of regret that' these inoffensive and industrious people are not likely to become permanent colonists ; and in ‘judging of their character, the Chinese miners must not for a moment be confounded with that class of their countrymen who infest the Australian cities. MACHINERY. The value of the machinery used in gold mining is returned this year at £520,703, as against £508,072 last year, but both returns must be considered only approximate.