C.—3.

of gold obtained from claims using water from these water-races during the year ending the 31st March last:—

SUMMAEY OF WatEK-BACES. Although the water-races have not all proved commercial successes, they have been the means of a large area of ground being worked which otherwise would have been now left as unremunerative for working by any other method than by sluicing. The cost of bringing water to command ground in the vicinity of Naseby was such that no private party could undertake; the length of this supply is about seventy miles, and had to be brought across a large number of wide shingle creek-beds. That makes the cost of maintenance considerably more than it would be had the race been flumed across the creek-bed in the first instance, and the water from the creek lifted at the foot of the range and led into the race by small ditches. This would have cost a little more in'the'first instance, but the cost of annual maintenance would have been considerably reduced. This, however, cannot be done now; but there are still some places where a siphon would cut off bad spots of ditching on steep sidelings. In regard to the Waimea Water-race the large cost of construction could have been avoided in the first instance, and the water brought at the same elevation, had a wrought-iron siphon been used instead of cast-iron pipes, and the costly fluming between the Kawhaka and head of siphon could have been almost done away with, which would have reduced the first cost of construction to within reasonable limits. There is, however, a large area of ground that can be worked by extending this supply, and it will give profitable employment to a number of men for many years. The Kumara Eace may be said to be the only one that has been a commercial success, and it commands a large field which is likely to give remunerative employment to a large population for many years. The following statement will show the profits and losses of working the different water-races constructed and maintained by Government for the last seventeen years, and also the collateral advantages derived by the utilisation of the water from these races:—

Statement showing the Profits and Losses on the Working of the Water-races for Seventeen Years.

32

Month. Sales of Water. Cash received for Sales of Water. Expenditure. Amount of Outstanding Moneys at end of each Month. Number of Men employed. Approximate Amount of Gold obtained. Value ot Gold obtained. 1894. April .. May June July .. August September October November December 1895. January February March .. £ s. a. 11 12 6 12 0 10 10 15 10 10 10 10 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 6 12 12 6 £ s. d. 7 5 10 20 0 10 10 15 10 7 5 10 11 10 10 10 0 4 11 15 10 10 10 10 13 9 2 £ s. a. 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 12 0 0 11 6 £ s. a. 12 8 8 4 8 8 4 8 8 7 13 8 7 13 8 8 4 2 6 19 2 9 0 10 8 4 2 9 7 7 6 6 6 6 8 8 Oz. 27 24 21 18 18 18 17 24 24 £ a. d. 104 12 6 93 0 0 81 12 6 69 15 0 69 15 0 69 15 0 65 17 6 93 0 0 93 0 0 12 2 6 10 2 11 10 17 6 10 17 6 15 2 11 10 0 10 0 11 6 0 11 6 0 11 6 9 9 9 4 9 2 5 5 10 7 7 7 21 21 21 81 12 6 81 12 6 81 12 6 Totals 136 0 5 138 16 7 6 18 6 7 (average) 254 984 5 0

Name of Water-race. Value of Sales of Water, including Value of any i Gold obtained in Sludge-channel. Expenditure. Profit or Loss on Working. S >. a) a 155 *6 So ft as (SO Value of Goia obtainea. Duty received on Gold obfcainea. Total Profit or Loss, with Value of Gold Duty added. Total Cost of Construction. Waimea-Kumara Water-race and Sludge-channel. Sixteen years ended the 31st March, 1894 Year ended 31st March, 1895 £ 8. d. £ s. d. £ s. a. a CD Oz. £ s. a. £ s. £ s. a. £ s. a 132,820 6 1 5,635 0 4 80,545 9 4 3,038 6 11 52,274 16 9 2,596 13 5 349 176, 241,656 • 9,436 107,822 12 3 36,800 8 0 20,728 0 73,002 16 9 2,596 13 5 Totals 138,455 6 5 83,583 16 3 54,871 10 2 338 251,092 944,623 0 3 20,728 0 75,599 10 2 171,695 8 5 Nelson Creek. Thirteen years four months ended the 31st July, 1892.. 17,577 0 7 15,415 7 1 2,161 13 6 53 32,943 126,049 17 0 3,269 16 5,431 9 6 90,722 10 8 Argyle. Thirteen years ended the 31st March, 1895 5,530 16 10 5,455 7 7 75 9 3 37 8,040 30,738 12 0 804 0 879 9 3 15,151 15 3 Mount Ida. Sixteen years ended the 31st March, 1894 Year ended 31st March, 1895 21,604 1 0 1,067 7 6 24,790 3 8 1,052 3 7 *3,186 2 8 15 3 11 106 61 41,286 3,574 157,063 12 13,759 18 3,176 2 "10 0 8 15 3 11 Totals 22,671 8 6 25,842 7 3 *3,170 18 9 103 44,860 170,823 10 0 3,176 2 5 3 3 69,607 8 9 Blachstone Hill. Year ended 31st March, 1894 Year ended 31st March, 1895 103 17 8 136 0 5! 97 17 4 6 18 6 6 0 4 129 1 11 8 7 219 254 862 11 6 984 5 C 6 0 4 129 1 11 Totals 239 18 1 104 15 10 135 2 3 473 1,846 16 6 135 2 3 1,036 16 0 Grand totals 184,474 10 5 348,213 19 1 130,40114 0 54,172 16 5 517 337,408 1,274,081 15 27,977 18 82,050 14 5 * Loss on workin: