41

a—4

SUMMARY.

From this it will be seen that works to the .value of £244,477 Bs. Id. have been undertaken, £131,044 Os. 9d. paid on these works, and that the liabilities on 31st March last were £60,885 Is. 4d. The value of works undertaken at the end of March, last year, was £167,672 19s. 4d., of which amount £88,255 ss. Id. was paid by Government; and the liability at same date was £38,284 10s. 5d.: thus showing the value of new works undertaken during the year ending 31st March last to be £76,804 Bs. 9d.; while the amount of money passed for payment on these works during the same period was £41,788 15s. Bd. Notwithstanding the amount of money that has been spent in works for the development of mining, there still remains a great deal to be done in constructing tracks to open up mineral country, more especially on the West Coast between Collingwood and the Mokihinui River, and also that southern portion of Westland south of Ross, and in that portion of Otago between Martin's Bay and Lake Wakatipu. Indeed, in that portion of the country there is very little known, as there are scarcely any roads or tracks of any description. The country, to a largo extent, is very rough and broken, with a large area of high mountain-lands, which are valueless unless they contain minerals. No doubt, if minerals of a payable character were found, there are valleys intersecting the high country that would be taken up and settled upon; but at the present time there is no chance of any land being taken up here for settlement for the reason that no tracks penetrate the country. Annexed is a list, taken from the Mines departmental records, of works that have been constructed, and in progress, for developing the mineral resources. I have, &c, Henry A. Gordon, The Hon. the Minister of Mines. Inspecting Engineer.

6—C. 4.

Nature of Work. Total Cost of Construction or Amount authorized to bo expended. Expenditure by way of Subsidy or otherwise by Mines Department. Amount of Liability by Mines Department on Works in Progress. Water-races Roads on goldfields' Roads and tracks undertaken by County Councils, subsidized by Mines Department Roads to mines, other than gold, subsidized by Mines Department Works undertaken by prospecting ssociations and companies, subsidized by Mines Department Construction of drainage- and sludge-channels, subsidized by Mines Department Diamond and other drills £ s. d. 44,526 18 3 62,648 19 11 £ s. d. 35,512 14 5 35,081 0 3 £ s. d. 6,964 4 4 27,567 19 8 81,181 13 4 41,182 8 10 12,477 9 2 6,333 3 6 4,438 19 10 490 12 8 25,927 11 4 5,457 5 7 6,389 5 9 20,259 1 9 3,600 0 0 7,513 11 10 1,858 0 0 6,995 9 9 Total 244,477 8 1 131,044 0 9 60,885 1 4