NEW ZEALAND GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4788, 27 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 agricultural lease provisions of the Goldfields Acts, and the deferred-payments system in force on the Otago goldfields. The Wakatip district, which Jnot 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 neighbor hood of Tokomairiro, there was hardly a settler between that place and the Clutha 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.- Most of the settlers are persons who have made money in gold mining or who combine the two pursuits, which, being in most cases men with families, they. can do with facility and advantage. With regard to the ’ gold-mining interest itself the results of tho 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. Upon 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 the early times of the goldfields ; now a man without capital can hardly do else than work for wages; he can 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 of gold mining. In very few instances have the circulars issued for the purpose been taken any notice of, Fragmentary details are of course useless in arriving at definite conclusions. GOLD. , i The quantity of gold exported during the year 1875, was 355,3220z’., of the value of £1,407,770 ; and during the quarter ending March, 1876, 83,2760 z., valued at £330,523; In'the t wo 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 Goldfields, and least in the Marlborough and Nelson South-west Goldfields. It may be interesting to note that the total known export of gold froin New Zealand from Ist April, 1857 to 31st March, 1878, has been 8,038,5710 z., of the value; of £31,315,309. ; ... - silver; ; The .export of silver for the year 1875 was 29,0850z.i of the'value of £7560. There has been no export during the quarter ending March last. "The yield during last year was the smallest smee,lß7o. ,This may be 'accounted for by tho 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 tho colony may be recorded next year, , The total export of silver to tho end of 1875 has been 271,3610 z. , •• ■ The total revenue derived from the goldfields of the’ colony, during tho year 1875, was £88,516, and: during the quarter ending March; 1876, according to table 2, £20,104, :Thus, notwithstanding tho decrease in the yield of' gold for the same period, there is an increase > in the revenue of the, goldfields for tho year 1875, of £4973 as compared, with that'of 1874,' and of £990 for the quarter ending, March,. 1878, upon,.that , collected during, th£ same: period last year; ; The increase has.'not , of course; been uniform upon iUll the sources of, revenue-; some showa decrease, '■ ; : s MINING .POPULATION, ' i;l 1 The diminution in the numbers 6f itho ing population, upon which I had to observe,' last year', has/ it would seem';' ‘ been 11 cbebkcSd ‘; the total number of miners upon'3lst of March last was 16;689pftHbagaiast :, ,16,'424 hpdh’ the' Same date Ihst year,'itoyvhich' , numtter, ! it l ha'd-

fallen' from 18,122 ,,up0n .Slat.;March, >1872* It must, however, bo’noted that the .number of Chinese miner's has risen during the last year, from 3638't0 4194. '■'■' Quartz mining Occupies only about 1 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 suciess in' 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 hydrodynnmical 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 hot 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 .vised in gold mining is .returned this year at >£520,703, as against £508,072 last year, but both returns must be considered only approximate.