REPORT ON THE GOLDFIELDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 377, 29 July 1874, Page 5

REPORT ON THE GOLDFIELDS.

[Br Telegraph.]

("Daily Times" Wellington Correspondent.)

The following is the amount of gold, and the dates when it was collected :—: —

In the year 1872, the Colony exported 445,3700z8, value £1,731.260 ; in the year 1873, 505,2370z5, value £1,987,425. In the quarter ending March, 1873, there were exported 199,4420z., whilst in the corresponding quarter of this year only 108,9470z. have been returned. Every gold-yielding Province in the Colony during the year 1873, with tho exception of Marlborough, ,has increased its out-put in the following proportion : — Otago, 247,4280z, ; Nelson, 18,500oz.; Auckland, 14,5590z.; and Westland, 29490z. Marlborough is less during the year 1873 by 7830z than in 1872. The quarter's return of gold exported form 9f orm9 no test of the goldfields' earnings. The Committee note that the number of ounces exported in the quarter ending March, 1871, was 19,2820z less than the following year, while the year's aggregate produce was 284,6590z. more than in 1872. During tho year ending 31st March, 1874, according to returns obtained from the Customs, tho amount of gold exported was 419,8620z., but from the Wardens' reports and other Bources of information the quantity produced was '432,7210z. The difference being in the amount" of alluvial gold raised. Ifc has been ascertained that from quartz 165,3770z. were obtained in the following proportions : — Thames, 114,180oz.; Coromandel, 16,3070z. ; Nelson, 20,0980z. ; Otago, 14,7440z.; and Marlborough, 48oz. According to the Wardens' reports the different Provinces have contributed in the matter of alluvial as follows : — Marlborough, 980oz ; Nelson, 71,701oz; Westland 85,941 ; and Otago, 118,7150z. "The Province of Auckland exported in 1873, 14,5590z. of gold more than in the preceding year. The silver shipped to Great Britain, the place of export hitherto of all that has been obtained on the Auckland goldfield, was 8770z. less than in the preceding yeSr. For the quarter ending 21st March, 1874, none has been sent away. For the four years ending December 1873, the quantity exported has been 190,6460z., of the declared value of 5s Bid per oz., or in the aggregate £54,275. It is worthy of note that during that period the Calidonian mine contributed largely to tho gold returns. Tho silver realised its highest price.

REVENUE.

The amount of revenue and gold duty for the year 1873 was £94,925, and for the quarter ending March 31st, 1874, £22,382 ; making a total from the two sources of^BJ 17,307, as compared;? with £143,331 for the year 1872-3; being a falling off to March, 1574, of £26,024.. The decrease in the ordinary revenue in 1873 as compared with 1872 was £ LI, 965, and in gold duty, £4243. _ The reduction in the ordinary revenue in "the quarter ending 31st March ? 1874, aa compared with the corresponding quarter in 1873. was £144, and in goid duty, £9769. It must be borne in mind that tho reduction in gold duty under the Gold Duties Act, 1872, has considerably affected the revenue.

MINING POPULATION.

Although the miinber of the mining population has considerably decreased during 1873, the aggregate earnings have been largely augmented. In the previous year the miners employed on the goldfields of the Colony were 22,33.5, whilst the recent census returns show the number at present engaged in mmmg jrarsuits is 18,142. <But notwith-

standing this reduction there has been an increasejin the aggregate earnings of 59,9670z or in value, of £256,164. Comparing the average earnings of miners for the year 1872 with 1873, a striking difference is manifest in 1872. Tho average waa £76 10s 2d per head per annum. In the following year it I had increased to £85 9s 6d, as compared .with £101 16s Od per head in 1871. From quartz 175,.'J770z were extracted; from alluvial workings, 254,4850z were obtained. The contributions of the various Provinces from quarts mining were as follows : — Thames. 114,180oz; Coromandel, 16,3070z; Nelson, 20,098oz ; Otago, 14,7440z ; Marlborough, 48oz. I have been unable to ascertain the yield from every quartz mine in the Colony ; but with data at my command, have approximated as close as possible. It will be seen in New Zealand, as in Australia, that quartz mines yield a greater return of gold per miner employed than alluvial. At the Thames, in the year ending 14th March, by the Warden's return, 89,336 tons of quartz produced 184,5000z. of gold, affording an average of loz Sdwfc 13gr. to the ton, which from the average from twenty-five companies on the goldfields is worth £2 14s 6|d per ounce, yielding per miner, per annum £174 16s. At Coromandel, during the year ending March, 1873, 8732 tons of quartz produced 16,3080z., of the value of £46,500, being equal to a yield of loz 17dwt 7igr. per ton, and to £116 per head per annum. In the Province of Nelson, 18,5ii8 tons of quartz yielded 20,5420z of sold, value, £77,508 12s Id, giving an average of loz ldwt 2gr per ton, sliowiug an amount per head per annum of £122 In the Dunstan district in Otago, 120 quartz miners were employed, producing 12,7330z of gold, of the value of £447,003, or £291 per head per annum. The richness of the Cromwell Company's reef will account for the larpe returns in this district. - The alluviul miners earned —In Ahaura, £70 ; Okarita, £67 ; Greymeuth, £81 ; Ross, £90 ; Waimea, £28 10s lOf ; Kaneri, £148 4s. In Otago the results in different districts are also remarkable. Tuapeka averages £102 per annum ; Mount Ida, £57 ;at Switzers, £52. All the Wardens complain of tho scarcity of labor. WATER RACES. On the 31sfc March, 1874, 4510 water races, of a length of 5911 miles, carrying 9059 sluice-heads of water, were constructed at au estimated cost of £845,465. AGRICULTURAL LEASES. The avea of gvound held under agricultural lea3es has been nearly doubled during the year ending March, 1874. The majority of these are iv Otago. 5000 acres have been taken up under the same py«tem on the Inaugahua and the Buller during the last two years. WATER SUPPLY UPON THE GOLDPIELDS. The expenditure and liabilities for survey, construction of, and subsidies for water races ou the Gold fields, up to 31st May, 1874, amounted to £22,666 10s. 9J, and the amount of money disbursed was £87,788 6s 9d — of £11,462 7s 4d was payment as subsidies to registered gold-mining companies. PROSPECTS OP THE GOLDPIELDS. The perusal of fche reports of Wardens and examination of tables included in the appendix will lead to the conclusion that there is no reason for anxiety as to the future prospects of the Goldfielrls of the Colony. The timo has no doubt passed for easy alluvial workings, aud the application of skilled labor and capital is necessary now in goldmining as in other" pursuits. In the goldmining districts, large areas of ground considered not payable when worked in a gene-^ ral way, are found to be remunerative, and demand only a sounder system of hydraulic sluicing. Whilst ifc is notorious fchat many square miles of auriferous country in both islands remain entirely undeveloped, labour of all kinds at the present time is so highly pai'ii that little inducement is held out to prospect tho country for gold. Since the date to which my returns have been made up, there has been a steady improvement in fche yield from the Thames Goldfield, magnificent veins of quavlz haviug been struck" in several of the mines. There seems reason to believe that, so far from boing worked out, as was at one'thne apprehended, the quartz mines in this district are only being opened up, and will afford interest upon the capital expended, a"nd remunerative) labour to a large number of miners for many years to come. C. E. Haughton.