11.—7.

1873.

NEW ZEALAND.

THE GOLD FIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND. (REPORT ON).

{Return to an Order of the Bouse of Representatives, dated 3rd August, 1869.)

" That it is desirable that the Government should cause to be laid upon the Table of this House, during each Session, a Report embodying a general account of the present condition of the Gold Fields of the Colony, their advancement or otherwise during the preceding year, and their probable prospects ; together with particulars showing the average prico of provisions during the year on each Gold Field, the rate of wages, estimated population, and such other information as would afford a comprehensive idea of the general condition of the mining interest in the Colony ; and that His Excellency be requested to forward a copy of such Report to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies." (Mr. W. S. Sarrison.)

Mr. C. E. Haughton to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary. Sir,— Wellington, sth July, 1873. I have the honor, in accordance with the instructions of the Hon. G. M. \Vaterhouse, to forward a General Report upon the state and prospects of the Gold Fields, with Appendix containing Reports by the Wardens upon the Districts under their charge, and Statistical Tables. I have, &c., The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. C. E. Haughton.

REPORT. In presenting the Second General Report upon the Gold Fields of New Zealand, I must express my regret that the difficulties in the way of collecting reliable statistics, which I took occasion last year to remark upon, have not in any way been diminished, and that my efforts to obtain satisfactory returns from the Mine Owners and Managers throughout the Colony have been so feebly responded to as to make the information afforded absolutely uselcs for statistical purposes. The facts and statistics herein embodied are drawn almost solely from official sources, and, so far as they go, may be thoroughly relied upon. The reports of the several Gold Fields Wardens, brought up to March 31st, I would specially call attention to; showing as they do very clearly the present condition of every portion of our gold fields; the subject being treated in not a few instances in a very able and comprehensive manner. Gold. Under existing circumstances, it has not been found possible to state the exact produce of the gold extracted from quartz and alluvium respectively. The Banks very kindly expressed their readiness to offer any assistance in their power to enable such a return to be compiled, but as in many instances no separate account has been kept of the gold purchased, as to whether it was from quartz or alluvium, a complete return could not be furnished; and no other would be in any way useful. As set forth in my former report, the quantity of gold absolutely raised in any one year cannot be accurately stated, but a very close approximation can be arrived at by the Customs returns, by the courtesy of the Secretary to that Department placed at my disposal, and printed herewith in Tables Nos. 4, 5, 6. Summarizing these the following data have been arrived at, upon which estimates may be formed: —1871, gold exported, 730,029 oz.; Quarter ending March 31st, 1872, 154,997 oz.; 1872, 445,370 oz.; Quarter ending March 31st, 1873, 194,422 oz.—showing a decrease upon the year 1872 of 284,659 oz., and an increase upon the March quarter of 1873, as compared with the same period of 1872, of 39,425 oz. The large decrease in the yield of gold for the year 1872, as compared with 1871, is to be attributed not so much to any falling off in the yields of the ordinary mines, as to the enormous returns which during the year 1871 were produced by the Caledonian Mine at the Thames, being in three months alone 82,894 oz. I—H. 7.