<5.—3

24

It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the value of the sales of water for the year amounted to £4,322 lis. 5d., while the expenditure for maintenance for the same period was £2,481 17s. For the previous year the value of the sales of water was £4,902 4s. 9d., and the expenditure £2,713 12s. 3d. This shows that there was a decrease in the revenue last year to the extent of £579 13s. 4d., while the cost of maintenance has also decreased to the extent of £231 15s. 3d. The total value of free water given to the miners to open up new ground and construct new tail-races, and also for working claims which did not prove payable, amounted for the past year to £819 9s. 9d. The number of men employed in claims worked with water from these supplies was 15783. Deducting the value of the sales of water from the approximate value of the gold obtained from claims worked with water from these supplies, which amounted to 7,698 oz., representing a value of £30,012 45., it leaves £25,689 12s. 7d. as the average earnings of the miners, which is equal to about £162 16s. per man per annum. The total cost of the whole of the works, including the extension to Callaghan's, up to the end of March amounts to £184,696 6s. 4d. The following statement will show the receipts and expenditure for the last twelve years, ending the 31st March last, of the Waimea and also the Kumara Water-races : —

This table shows that there has been a net profit derived from the working of the Waimea Eace of £3,723 15s. 10d., and £51,584 Bs. from the Kumara Eace, for the above period.

Number of Days Water was lost, for Year ending 31st March, 1897, through Holidays and Scarcity of Water.

Mount Ida Water-race. This race has been used continuously, in consequence of the open season, the water being stopped only twenty-three days, on account of frost. The supply of water was, however, limited, On account of the exceptionally dry weather throughout the summer months, the race, at its best, only supplying twelve sluice-heads, and sometimes the quantity was reduced to five sluice-heads. As increased attention is being directed to work the deeper ground by hydraulic sluicing additional water will be in request. This will necessitate widening the race and maintaining additional storage. The Eweburn Eeservoir, which would be of vast importance in this respect if

Waimea Eace. Kumara Eace. Year. Sales of Water. Expenditure on Maintenance. Net Profit. Sales of Water. Expenditure on Maintenance. Net Profit. 1886 L887 1888 .889 .890 .891 .892 .893 .894 .895 .896 .897 £ s. d. 1,790 16 0 1,675 19 4 1,612 11 3 1,416 6 8 1,240 9 7 1,388 17 5 1,121 16 2 1,015 12 3 828 15 8 988 0 7 795 13 6 776 19 5 £ s. d. 1,131 18 1 1,116 10 0 1,027 17 11 860 2 5 795 7 7 933 3 3 784 13 10 858 0 4 919 9 4 1,061 9 4 770 3 8 669 6 3 £ s. d. + 658 17 11 + 559 9 4 + 584 13 4 +556 4 3 +445 2 0 + 455 14 2 +337 2 4 + 157 11 11 - 90 13 8 - 73 8 9 + 25 9 10 + 107 13 2 £ s. d. 9.788 16 8 6,470 14 4 7,169 10 3 6,716 6 10 3,550 4 8 6,665 12 8 6.645 11 0 5.789 0 9 5,582 4 7 4.646 19 9 4,106 11 3 3,502 17 0 £ s. d. 1,459 19 5 1,398 18 10 982 12 0 1,024 1 9 1,424 13 3 1,766 4 3 1,584 10 11 1,782 11 0 1,919 8 5 1,976 17 7 1,943 8 7 1,786 15 9 £ s. d. 8,328 17 3 5,071 15 6 6,186 18 3 5,692 5 1 2,125 11 5 4,899 8 5 5,061 0 1 4,006 9 9 3,662 16 2 2,670 2 2 2,163 2 8 1,716 1 3 Totals 14,651 17 10 10,928 2 0 3,723 15 10 70,634 9 9 19,050 1 9 51,584 8 0

Month. Holidays. No Water for Channel. No Water for Private Races. 1896. April May June July August ... September October ... November December 2 1 1 18 8 4 4 3 "2 14 7 1897. January... February March ... 1 Totals 50 10