THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1962, 14 April 1868, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam." DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, APRIL 14.

AsiosrasT tho papers laid before the Provincial Council, ia the "Report of " the Commission appointed to inquire ■" into tho Management of the Goldfields "of Otago." The chief interest of the report to the general reader is in the statistics; for although there haa been an exhaustive examination by the Commission into the details of the management, these are matters with which the Executive will have to deal; and as they I will, without doubt, receive their full share of, discussion in" the Provincial Council during tie session, the merits *and demerits of the management will become fully known to the public. Appended to the report are fourteen tables, of .i which, thirteen give the special statistics of each of the Goldfields. The fourteenth

is a summary of the whole, .and from it wo derive the following information :■ — The total Goldfields revenue for tho year ending December 31st, 1807, was £37,405 0s lOd. This amount was derived as follows:— Miners' Eights, £1204; 305 Business Licenses, £1801 ; Registrations at 10s each, 134, amounting to £07 ; Registrations ;at 5s each, 2GB, £07 ; Registration* at 2s Cd, 2120, £205; Water Licenses, £535 32s Gd; Assessment on Stock, £1105 lls Id; Rent on Mining and Agricultural Leases, £1085 4s Gd; Fees and Finea in Resident Magistrates' Courts, £1440 14s Cd ; Fees and Fines in Wardens' Courts, £2211 (isCd; Revenue accruing under the Licensing Ordinancea, £5831 8s ; Revenue arising from tho Dog Tax, £014 10s; Carriage Licenses, £2!) 10b ; Gold Escort, 10S,373ozl0dwtso£ Gold, £10,70013 a 9d. A note states that tho amount of revenue is exclusive of deposits made with applications for Mining and Agricultural Leases, and with applications for Extended Claims, as they are not considered revenue.

Tho population ot tho Goldfields, according to tho lust census, was—Miners, 5034, of whom 4414 were European and 1270 Chinese; business people, 1029; women and children, 3045; making a total of 11,258. These are distributed over the different Goldfieldsin tho following manner:—Tuapoka, 949 European and 557 Chinese miners; 430 business people, and 1471 women and children : total, 3413. At Mount Ida, 877 European and 14.7 Cm'neso miners ; 354 business people and 425 women and children : total, 1803. At Quceiistown, 150 European and 1.1 Chinese miners ; 194 business people, and 428 women and children : total, 683. At tho Arrow, including Cardrona and the Twelve Mile, 215 European miners ; 105 business people, and 222 women and children : total, 002. At St. Bathans, 300 European and 50 -Chinese miners ; (JO'business people, and 100 women and children : total, 510. At Blacks, 300 European and 100 Chinese miners ; 120 business people, and 180 women and,children: total, 700. At Clyde, 44 European and 60 Chinese miners; 03 business people, and 211 women and children : total, 398. At Cromwell, including Nevis, 472 European, and 175 Chinese miners ; 180 business people, arid 130 women and children : total, 957. At Maori Point, 131 European minors; 42 business people, and 55 women and children : total, 221. At Alexandra, 148 European, and 100 Chines* miners ; 142 business people, and 150 women and children : total, 510. At Switzers, 350 European, and G Chinese miners ; 40 business people, and 104 women and children : total, 500. At Mount Benger, 450 European, and 74 Chinese miners ; 100 business people, and 250 women and children : total, 874. AtHindon, 28 European miners, 3 business people, and 19 women and children : total, 50.

During the year there were 1236 civil cases decided in the Resident Magistrates' Courts, and (318 criminal cases ; together, 2078. In the Wardens' Courts, the number of cases decided was 354 The return of the state of the Mining and Agricultural Leases on the 31st December, shews that during the year 206 Mining, and 415 Agricultural Leases, had been applied for, ofwhich applications for 47 Mining and 48 Agricultural had been withdrawn; 140 Mining and 299 Agricultural Leases were still under consideration, and 19Leases for Mining, and G8 for Agricultural, purposes had been issued. A note states that this part of the report does not embrace the Lease 3in the Tuapeka Districts, in which there is, without doubt, a great number held. The reason of the exclusion of the return for Tuapeka, is stated by the Commissioners to bo that the records are in arrear, " and in a state of great confusion, par- " ticularly as regards Mining and Agri- " cultural Leases."

The Commissioners recommend several alterations in the Goldfields system, with the view of rendering it more efficient and economical. In the course of their inquiries, thsy visited- " Lawrence, the " Woolshed, Waitahuna and Waipori, " Beaumont, and the workings along the " Clutha River towards the Teviot, Rox- " burgh, Switeera, Nokomai, Queens- " town, Upper Shotover, Arrow, Twelve " Milo, Cardrona, the diggings along the " Upper Clutha towards Cromwell, Nevis, " Clyde, Alexandra," Blanks, St. Bathans, •' and Mount Ida." These do not include all the districts in which mining is prosecuted, but the rest are comparatively unimportant, and the Commissioners were unable to visit them because of the heavy floods. After giving an account of each of the gold districts visited, in detail, the Commissioners conclude their remarks thus :—

" Having minutely and cafbfully in- " quired into the whole system of the " Goldfields Department, we are of " opinion that there should be a Gold- " fields Inspector appointed, whose " principal duties should consist of active " supervision and inspection of the Gold- " fields. The necessity for such an Officer " has repeatedly pressed itself upon our " notice, in consequence of the irregu"larities and want of system which ." appear to prevail throughout the whole " of the Goldfields ; and we would par- " ticularly recommend that ,thiß Officer " should be empowered to inspect and " check the accounts of tho Becei,vers of "Gold Bevenue. Thia portion of liia " duties, indeed, should be closely " v assimilated to those of a Bank Inspecr. "tor. The necessity for such an Officer " must be apparent, from a perusal of the

" Returns showing the lie venue of the " Goldfields, and tho various sonrccs " from which tlwy are derived, more par; " particularly Lease Rents."