ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOLDFIELDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6146, 29 July 1881, Page 5

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GOLDFIELDS.

'BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington-, Thursday. The Goldfields report was presented this evening. Mr. McKerrow reports unusual activity during the year, especially in prospectins; new country. The total yield of gold in 1880 shows an increase of 17,7840z5; over 1879, but the March quarter of ISBI shows a large decrease of 28,661 ozs., as compared with the corresponding quarter of 18S0. The total export of gold, from 1857 to the end of June, 1881, was 9,G35,2660z5., of the value of £37,810,653. Tho average number of miners at work during the year was 14,736;. the average earnings per man, about £75 8s for the year, as aqainst an average of £82 7s 6d for the four previous years. The average in Victoria is £80 15s per man, but New Zealand minors have the advantage of cheaper liviDg and fuel, and pay no rent. Fully two-thirds of the year's yield of gold were obtained from alluvial workings. Over 5000 miles of water-races were constructed by miners, at a cost of nearly £800,000, in addition to Government races, which cost £450,000. Gronnd sluicing is stated to be the favourite mode of alluvial mining, and is described as a ''most destructive process."- The yield of gold from quartz and cement was 114,4780z5., at an average rate of loz, 2dwts. 2grs. per ton of stone, as compared with 9dwts. 15grs. per ton in Victoria. In Auckland the quartz crushings yielded from loz. lOdwts. to loz. 17dwts.; Westland, from 13dwts. to lSJdwts.; and Otago, from lOdwts. to ISMwts. per ton.

The report concludes with the following remarks, respecting settlement on the goldfields :—"On the Auckland goldfields 15 applications of 50 acres each, were made on agricultural lease, and 28 selectors have taken up 5369 acres under the homestead clauses of the Land Act. An area of 3300 acres remain open for selection on the homestead system, and a further area of 1000 acres is about to be proclaimed. On the West Coast goldfields, Middle Island, every acre of clearing has to be won from the forest, and as the humid climate is unfavourable to the cultivation of grain, the settlers are very much restricted to the cultivationof grasses and their products. Nearly all the settlers either have interests in. mining ventures or other business, or are actually engaged in mining a portion of their time. The settling of the country in the sense of farming it, and engaging in nothing else, lias very few representatives. The occupation of this part of the colony may, therefore, be said to depend almost entirely on its mining development. Settlement can only progress accordingly, and is necessarily slow. On the Otago goldfields thero have been manytransactions in Crown lands, and some accession of settlers under the leasing of runs, the sale of pastoral and agricultural deferredpayment land, and of agricultural leaseholders either completing the purchase of their leasehold, or exchanging their leases, and coming , under the. deferred-payment syßtcm, by which they are enabled to exchange a rent of 2s 6d a year for payment of 3s a year.. This is deemed an instalment of the. price of the fee simple of the land, which, in the caso of exchange leases, is fixed at 21s an acre. Seven years, therefore, under an exchange lease completes the purchase. The future disposal of the Otago runs, the leases. of which expire in March, 1883, will require to be .carefully watched: in the interests of goldmiuing.for it would be very easy, even aftermaking considerable mining reserves, so to hamper alluvial mining with the rights arising under freehold property as to virtually put a stop to mining. Tho conflict of interests between the freeholders, and miners at .Maerevrheriua goldfield is;a telling cose in:' point. .The eanfe difficulty has arisen, in other localities." ' >.'