11

a—4

This shows the sales of water amounted to £9,788 16s. Bd. for last year, while the previous year they amounted to £9,696 Bs. 2d. The actual cash received for water last year was £10,381 lis. Id., while the previous year it was £9,311 16s. 4d.; thus showing an increase on the sales of water of £92 Bs. 6d., and of actual cash received, £1,069 14s. 9d. The expenditure on maintenance has been £1,454 19s. 5d., against £1,656 Os. Id. of the previous year; thus showing a decrease on last year's expenditure of £201 9s. Bd. The actual profits on last year's transactions were £8,926 lis. Bd., while the previous year they were £7,665 16s. 3d.; thus showing an increase of £1,260 15s. sd. This result is very satisfactory when it is borne in mind that the price of water was reduced 10s. per head last year. The value of free water given to assist the miners during last year in opening out their claims was £221 3s. 2d.; and the outstanding moneys for sales of water on the 31st of March last were £2,064 15s. The average number of miners employed in working mining-claims with water from this race has been 236; and the approximate amount of gold obtained by them 13,8560z., representing a value of £52,653 3s. Deducting the cash received for water, the average earnings of the miners have been about £3 10s. 9d. per week. The total cost of construction of this portion of the Waimea-Kumara water-supply has been £37,400 2s. lid., and the profits derived from the working of the race £8,926 lis. Bd.; which gives interest at the rate of about 23| per cent, on the cost of construction. Kumara Sludge-channel, Westland. —The stone paving of this work, which was at first objected to by the miners, is now found to work very well, and is infinitely cheaper than the wooden-block pavement. It has been found that one set of 14-inch stone blocks lasts without scarcely any repairs for twelve months. A source of expense now in maintaining the channel is the extension of the various branches. The tailings-site is getting filled up to that extent that the extensions have to be continually carried on at a rapid rate in various directions. The tailings opposite the end of the channel have entirely filled up the place where the Teremakau River originally flowed, and have forced the river against the opposite bank, and are gradually filling up the bed of the river for some distance below the bridge on the Greenstone Road. The miners have constructed another sludge-channel with the assistance by subsidy from Government, which when connected will relieve the present channel to a considerable extent, and enable the whole of the claims to be worked more advantageously, and also allow a greater scope for the deposit of tailings. The following table will show the result of the working of the channel during the past year : —

The value of channel fees for the past year has been £2,219 18s. 7d., while that of the previous year was £2,163 16s. 4d. The actual cash received for channel fees has been £2,366 Is. 3d., against £1,732 15s. Id. for the previous year; thus showing an increase in channel fees of £55 2s. 3d., and of actual cash received £633 6s. 2d., over that of the previous year. The expenditure on maintenance has been £6,215 135., while that of the previous year was £6,161 14s. 7d.; thus showing an increase of £53 18s. sd. The actual loss on the working of the channel has been £3,849 lis. 9d., or, in other words, the cost of maintenance has been £2 12s. 2d. for every £1 received for channel fees. The average number of miners using the channel during the past year was 161. The outstanding moneys due for channel fees on the 31st March last were £149 Os. 9d., and value of the free use of channel given to parties during last year was £12 12s. Bd. The total cost of this work up to the present time has been £17,200 12s. 6d. ' Waimea-Kumara Water-race and Sludge-channel, Westland. —To take the whole of the works conjointly, although each portion is shown separately, it is all one scheme and under one management, and therefore must be considered as one work. The following table will show the result of working:—

Month. Channel Fees. Amount of Cash received for Channel Fees. Expenditure. Amount of Outstanding Moneys at the End of each Month. Number of Men using the Channel. i April May June July August September October November December 1885. £ b. a. 148 7 1 198 16 9 213 2 0 167 11 5 167 2 1 212 1 2 229 5 0 208 7 11 137 14 3 £ a. a. 313 12 11 29 5 8 299 12 6 205 4 3 176 8 5 236 4 1 224 3 6 46 14 0 530 15 4 £ b. a. 425 3 5 438 6 2 400 4 3 551 10 2 569 19 3 524 7 4 630 10 6 696 9 9 525 3 4 £ s. a. 214 9 2 384 0 2 297 12 10 259 16 11 250 10 7 227 8 1 231 8 4 393 2 3 5 6 11 161 160 167 168 165 166 170 152 154 1886. 169 9 1 146 8 1 221 13 9 477 19 3 442 16 0 533 3 7 174 16 0 146 8 4 149 0 9 155 156 155 January .. February .. March 84 19 3 219 1 4 Totals 2,219 18 7 2,366 1 3 6,215 13 0 1,929 Remarks. —Amount of money outstanding oi ;he 31st March, 1886, £149 0s. 9d. Loss on slui jhannel during the year has been 161. But this :ace : the one work is essential to the other. l the 31st Ma: -go-channel, & work must bo rch, 1885, £379 .3,849 lis. 9d. understood to 1 15s.; amount Average nui )e incorporatec of money outs nber of miner: 1 with the Kurr standing on j using the lara Water-