DE GILES'S REPORT ON THE BULLER DISTRICT.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 514, 8 June 1869, Page 2

DE GILES'S REPORT ON THE BULLER DISTRICT.

In our last number wo quoted those portions of a recent report to the Government by Dr Giles in which reference was made to the progress of Addison's Flat, the Buller Valley, and the Northern terraces as mining districts. Wo give below Dr Giles's remarks on the general prospects of the Buller district as a whole, reserving until our next number the paragraphs relating to the Westport hospital and the agitation for Separation. Dr Giles says :

Upon a comparison of the present with the past condition of the district, considered as a gold-producing district, I think it may now be regarded as in a healthier condition than at any former time. There is no part of it now being explored which is at all likely to turn out a failure like Moldhinui, or even to such a degree as Addison's ; and that, notwithstanding these failures, there should be so much remunerative work going on as is now the case, justifies a very favourable view of the prospects of the district.

I annex a tabular statement of statistics for the twelve months, which will enable a comparison to be made between the period now ending and the one preceding it—a similar table having been annexed to my last annual report. It will be seen that there is a very great decrease in the number of business licenses as compared with the former year, a part of which decrease, although not all, may be accounted for by the falling off of Addison's and Moldhinui. I think it would be desirable to appoint some person to look after this department, and that by this means some loss to the revenue might be obviated. A good index to the condition of the district will be found in the number of miners' rights issued, which for the last sixteen months had preserved a very steady average monthly. In one respect there has been of late a considerable increase in the figures; this is in the item of applications for registered rights, which for the past three months have been nearly double the number for the corresponding three mouths of the preceding year. This is duo partly to the development of the Buller Valley diggings, and partly to that of the terrace workings to the north.

"When all the drawbacks to the progress of this district are taken into consideration—the large amount of time and money which have been simply wasted upon Addison's Flat in combatting the wet and endeavouring to bring into working order an area which after all turned out barely able to support one-fifth of the number of men who had been for many months engnged upon it; the total failure of Mokihinui; the laborious character of the working of the tunnel-claims upon the northern terraces; the difficulty of access to the diggings of the Buller Valley; and lastly, the attractions of the Queensland and Auckland goldfields, which have yet tailed to detain from us any large portion of our population—when these things arc considered in connection with the present condition of the district, the opinion will appear fully justified that the ensuing year is more likely to witness an increase than a falling off in all those characters which belong to a valuable and productive goldfield. The town of "Westport has during the past year, notwithstanding the

general complaints of dulness of trade, shown an increasing tendency to assume the character of a permanent settlement. The exten. sion of the suburbs towards the Orawaiti, the erection of new residences, and the cultivation of gardens, all conduce to give the place an improved aspect, and to show that there is a more general feeling of confidence in its permanency than was formerly the case. The damage caused by the encroachments of the river has been very prejudicial to the interests of the town, aud the apprehension which is still very reasonably felt on this point continues* to exert a depressing influence, aud to cheque that spirit of enterprise which is so necessary to progress. Keturn of Miners' Uigiits, &c, foe the Yeah. Ending March 31, 1569. Miners' Business Mining Months. Rights. Licenses. Appli'tions April 140 60 46 May 146 63 48 Juno 144 49 52 July 152 23 51 August ... 123 12 63 September ... 85 13 41 October ... 90 19 61 November ... 110 61 62 December ... 89 15 60 January ... 136 44 122 February ... 130 18 94 March 158 27 147 Totals ... 1503 404 847 In the three first months of IS6S, the number of applications was—January 02, February 7(3, March 57. In the [Resident Magistrate's Court, the number of criminal cases for the year ending 31st March, ISG9, was 407, and the number of civil cases fop the same period was 714.