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The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended the 31st March, 1917, was £14 155., and the expenditure, on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £85 1.75. 6d., showing a debit balance of £71 2s. 6d. on the year's transactions. The number of miners supplied with water was seventeen, and the approximate amount of gold obtained was 47 oz., having a value of £184 9s. 6d., a decrease of £891 18s. 6d. on last year. The sales of water amounted to £12 15s. 10d., a decrease of £128 2s. 4d. on the previous year. The cash received was £143 9s. less than for the preceding year, and the expenditure decreased by £99 18b. 6d. , Erin-go-Bragh Water-race. The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended the 31st March, 1917, was £398 ss. 7d., and the expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £309 10s. Id., showing a credit balance of £88 15s. 6d. on the year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water was 12*33, an increase of 0'33 on the previous year; and the approximate amount of gold obtained by them was 739 oz., having a value of £2,900 lis. 6d., a, decrease of £281 His. 6d. on the last year.' The sales of water amounted to £378 Bs., a decrease of £9 3s. Bd. on the previous year. The cash received showed an improvement of £50 13s. 5d., and the expenditure increased by £5 3s. 7d. as compared with the year previous. As anticipated in my last annual report, this race showed a fair profit on the year's transactions notwithstanding the reduction in the price of water from 4d. to 2Jd. per head per hour, which came into force on the Ist April, 1916. Wamihinihi Water-race. On the night of the 14th April, when the flood previously mentioned was at its highest, a large slip came down the side of the mountain between Caretaker Walker's hut and the intake of the race. The slip carried away a by-wash, broke down several timbered sets, and completely filled up a. portion of the race with broken rock and other debris. The same flood broke into the race at the Little Wainihinihi and filled up several chains of ditching, also carried away a portion of the new siphon and two intakes on the newly constructed Waimea Branch Race. These repairs were all completed by the end of August, 1916, and both races are now in good order. Waimea-Kumara Water-races. The following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of these races for the year ended the 31st March, 1917 : Sales of water, £1,343 12s. lid.; cash received, £1,282 12s. lid.'; expenditure, £1,840 6s. 2d.; approximate value of gold obtained, £9,851 155.; average number of miners employed, 44'23. The sales of water showed a decrease of £723 10s. 6d., and the cash a decrease of £636 19s. 2d. In addition to the above sales, authorized free water to the value of £128 2s. 2d. was supplied to parties opening up new claims. The total expenditure on the combined races was £1,84-0 6s. 2d., as against £2,096 os. 2d. for the previous year, a decrease of £255 14s. Comparing the sales of water with the expenditure, the combined races show a loss of £496 13s. 3d. for the year. Owing to the break which occurred in the Kawhaka Race on the 20th March preventing the miners at Goldsborough and Stafford from washing up by the end of the financial year, the outstanding accounts show an increase of £39 3s. 9d., but £62 10s. 7d. of this amount was paid in after the Easter washings, and the true position shows a decrease of £23 6s. l.Od. for the year. Mount Ida Water-race, Central Otago. (Mr. J. C. Buchanan, Manager.; The total sales of water from the Mount Ida Water-race during the year amounted to £1,326 12s. 6d., an increase on that of last year of £140 16s. lid. The expenditure on maintenance, cleaning, and repairs for the same period amounted to £1,622 2s. lid., an increase on that of last year of £125 3s. 6d. The total cash received was £1,326 12s. 6d. Free water for washing up was supplied to the value of £1.04 Is. sd. Tho total value of water supplied from this race amounted to £1,430 13s. lid., an increase on that of last year of £124 Is. sd. The approximate quantity of gold obtained by parties using water from this race during the year was 1,255 oz., valued at £4,831 155., an increase on that of last year of £261 16s. The average number of men employed was 25'75. From the Ist April to the 30th September there was a fair supply of water, and the winter being an exceptionally mild one most of the claims were working steadily during this period The water becoming short, I started on the 2nd October with all the available men to clean and repair the race, and had the water on again on the Ist November. Owing to the scarcity of labour the work of cleaning and repairing the race took much longer than in former years. Good rams during November gave a plentiful supply of water, which also filled the Eweburn Reservoir. From the 27th November to the end of the year was one continuous drought, and the iMveburn Reservoir running out; on the 3rd February the supply from this date to the end of March became very short, at times being as low as 2£ heads. To cope with the demand for water I found it necessary at the time of cleaning and repairing the race to give it an extra good cleaning as far as Idaburn, a distance of about eighteen miles. I had also to enlarge and completely renew three short flumes, two of them on the west side of Main Gully, and one at the bend of the race in Home Gully. I also found it necessary to lay an additional 17 in. siphon alongside the siphons crossing Enterprise and Main Gullies, and strengthened the Eweburn tunnel witli eight new sets of timber. The race during the year was fairly free of mishaps. Two breaks occurred—viz., in Coalpit Gully, also between the East and West' Eweburns. The race at present is in good order, and the demand for water still equals the supply.