G.—No. 31

A rush set into German Gully about four months ago, a good run of gold having been struck. A large population have settled down, and several business premises have been erected. The other portions of this part of the district continue to maintain an average share of the population. The special claim held by Pryor and party has been abandoned, after two years' labour construct, ing their tunnel from Maori Gully to Riverton Gully, to drain and work the ground, which did not prove iii any way equal to the prospects first obtained. In the Township of Greymouth several new. buildings have been erected, and several cottages have been put up along Tanui Street South. Tho works of the Gas Company are fast approaching completion, and the Company hope to be in working order next month. The Court House is in good repair, but the rooms recently added to the Court require to be lined and furnished, especially those required by the District Court. The local gaol is unsuitable, and too small for the present requirements, especially as regard* debtors and females. At Clifton, the Court House requires some slight repairs, and more accommodation is required for the police, so that a married constable might be stationed there to assist the sergeant, who, besides his police duties, has to perform the duties of Resident Magistrate's and Warden's clerk, and it is not advisable that the premises should be left for one or two days without some person in charge. The road from Marsden to Clifton, upon which there is a toll-bar, is not kept in such repair as it ought, considering the amount of tolls collected are about double that of the wages paid the toll collector, who is the only person employed to keep it in repair, the balance of tolls being paid over to the Road Board of the district. The Maori Gully Township has been greatly improved within the last six months by the erection of large stores and hotels in lieu of tho old shanties, and the filling up of the great chasms in the street. The Court House and Police Camp are of the most wretched description, consisting of small buildings 10 feet by 12 feet, with a calico tent for the sergeant, and totally unfit for the due performance the business of the Courts. It will be necessary to make provision for the erection of a Court House, with quarters attached for the sergeant of police (who is married) and a constable. The sergeant performs similar duties to the officer at Clifton, and in each district there is a population of 800, scattered over such a largo area that it is almost impossible for one man to perform his police duties efficiently, with those required of him in the Warden's Court. A good lock-up will also be required. The road from Maori Gully to tho Coai Mines is kept in fair repair. Two drays are constantly employed carting goods along it, besides pack-horses. The completion of the road to Greymouth would be a great boon both to the district and Greymouth. The present Licensing Ordinance and Amendment Acts are anything but satisfactory to the applicants or creditable to the country. Immorality has got to such a state that it is unsafe for parents to permit their children to go to service, and our streets are full of the larrikin tribe, all of which may be traced in a great measure to the defective Licensing Acts, the almost indiscriminate granting of licenses, want of reformatories, and, I regret to add, the encouragement given by respectable citizens letting their premises to be converted into brothels. The first and principal duties of the authorities should be a careful and vigilant exercise of its powers in granting and withdrawing or withholding licenses, instead of being looked upon merely as a source of revenue. It is imperative that steps should be taken at once to amend the Licensing Acts, and grant licenses to persons of known respectability, for a great number of the present licenses are only low pot-houses, frequented by the lowest characters, where the vilest liquors are sold. Young girls are enticed from their homes to fill tho bars and dancing saloons, and immorality in all its phases is permitted and encouraged, until many, finally, become inmates of the hospital, or lunatic asylum and gaol, or the lowest outcasts of society. The number of children throughout the district, a large percentage of whom never go to school, demands that some provision should be made for establishing good schools in the centres of population. The population of the district is estimated at 4,500, and are located as follows : — Greymouth ... ... ... ... ... ... 2,250 Paroa and South Beach ... ... ... ... ... 420 Rutherglen. ... ... ... ... ... ... 130 Teremakau ... ... ... ... ... ... 66 Clifton and Maori Creek ... ... ... ... ... 300 New River ... ... ... ... ... ... 150 Mosquito and Coekabulla ... ... ... ... ... 200 Marsden and Nemona ... ... ... ... ... 170 Maori Gully ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 German Gully ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 Italian Gully and Riely's ... ... ... ... ... 120 Liverpool ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 Waimea Stillwater ... ... ... ... ... ISO Total ... ... ... ... 4,516 The revenue for the six months, from all sources, is as follows: — £ s. d. Warden's Department ... ... ... ... 1,997 8 6 Resident Magistrate's Department .... ... ... 689 16 6 Publicans' Licenses paid to County Treasurer ... ... 900 0 0 Gold Duty ... ... ... ... ... 2,055 1 3 Customs Revenue ... ... ... ... 18,937 14 4

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GOLD EIELDS OE NEW ZEALAND.