The Mines Department.

Otago Witness, Issue 1652, 21 July 1883, Page 22

The Mines Department.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, July 13. The Goldfields report was presented to both Houses of Parliament to-day, YIELD OP GOLD, There are no means of ascertaining accurately the yield of gold for any period, because the miners who find the gold, and the bankers to whom they sell the greater portion, are both alike reticent as to the quantities which pass through their hands. The Customhouse returns of the export are the only means available for arriving at an approximation of the quantity. These returns, of course, take no account of what is used up by the jewellers in the Colony, nor of what may be taken away without paying duty; but leaving out of account these iatter as of no great moment, and taking, as in former reports, only the quartz exported, there will be found to have been a very considerable falling qff in the yield for the 12 months ended March 31, 1883, as compared with the previous 12 months, as under ; —

The number of miners returned on the 31st March 1883 is 14,523, against 14,714 the previous year. The average value of gold got per miner was £69 105. In former years this averaged fiom £70 to £BQ. Of the 66 mines in the Reef ton district only two paid dividends during the year, while the other 64 made calls to the extent of £61,345,. The results for ,the year as regards quartzmining are :— Coromandel— crushed 2907 tons, yield 75770z; Thames— crushed 25,867 tons, yield 43,3U0z ; Reefton— crushed 18,928 tons, yield Lyell— crushed 7277 tons, yield 39490z ; Cromwell — crushed 2900 tons, yield 2400oz; Arrow— crushed 3000 tons, yield 32910z ; ' Skippers— crushed 2^53 tons, yield 1309oz ; Rees River— crushed 1350 tons, yield 3260z ; Lawrence — 63710z from quartz and cement. Total tons crushed, 64,382 tons; yield, 87,7980z gold. Every district shows a decrease compared with the previous year except Reefton, and there has been a steady decline for several years. Alluvial Mining.— This class of mining has always been the most prolific source of gold yield m New Zealand, and it still yields twothirds of the supply as in former years Outlay on Goldfields.— During the 'year a large number of works have been entered on comprising roads and tracks, water supply! and sludge-channels,, and prospecting for deposits of. gold, involving, betw.een payments

actually made 'and liabilities, a sum of £70,000. The disbursement -of this large sum and other sums voted by Parliament, together with the charge of half a million of property in \vater-raceß, imposed serious responsibilities on- - the Department, which, could, not it was found ; from former experience, be 'satisfactory ,if j undertaken without the aid of someone who would be solely devoted to theduty of report-; ing on each work before it was entered upon, and of inspecting works while in progress and after completion ; and for this f purpose, Mr Gordon was appointed, and began his duties in November- 1882. The Gold fields Department, although solely constituted in the inte- '- rests of one industry, receives no revenue or ' support from it, the whole of the revenue* arising from gold duty, miners' rights, rents,' ' i&c. '(in all about £50,000) being handed over * to the counties within > which it arises. The : expenditure falls on the general public. . • < 1 Terawhiti is reported as having a good proa- ' pect of becoming a payable field. ■ >

1881-82 1882-83 Ounces. 293,32? 248,862 Value. £1,170,629' 991,555