H.—3.

2

Silver. The quantity of silver exported during the year ended 31st December, 1874, was 40,566 oz., valued at £10,380. There does not appear to have been any silver exported irom the colony during the quarter ended 31st March, 1875. The total quantity of silver exported since the year 1870, up to the present time, has been 231,212 oz., valued at £64,655. Revenue. The amount of revenue and gold duty from the Ist January, 1874, to the 31st December, 1874, was £84,992 19s. Id., and for the quarter ending 31st March, 1875, £19,174 7s. 9d., making a total of £104,167 6s. 10d., as against £117,307 16s. 3d. for the year 1873 and the first quarter of 1874, showing a falling off upon the fifteen months of £13,140 93 sd. Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4, appended hereto, give the fullest possible information upon this subject. "Water .Races. On the 31st March, 1875, there were 4,365 water-races, of a length of 5,823 i miles, carrying 7,541 sluice-heads of water, the approximate cost of which is estimated at £658,555. The number of tailraces is 3,610, constructed at a cost of £173,361; dams, 2,892, constructed at a cost of £86,053 ; reservoirs, 406, constructed at a cost of £14,360; and ground sluices, 1,603, constructed at a cost of £26,329. Detailed particulars under this head will be found in Table 17, appended hereto. "Water Supply upon the Gold Fields. I have not thought it necessary to compile any information upon the subject of the construction of and expenditure upon works for supply of water upon the gold fields, being aware that these returns will form part of the Public "Works Statement delivered annually in Parliament. Machinery. The returns of the machinery employed in quartz and alluvial mining will be found in Tables 15 and 16. Mining Leases and Licenses. The number of mining leases in force on the 31st March, 1875, was 491, the gross acreage 3,207 acres 2 roods 16 perches, and the annual rental £7,322 13s. Id. Under the Gold Mining Districts Act, in force only upon the Hauraki Gold Fields, there were, upon 31st March, 1875, 137 licenses, covering a gross acreage of 1,078 acres 2 roods 4 perches, with a rental of £3,138. Mining Companies. The returns of the gold mining companies received are very incomplete, but from such information as has been at my disposal I have compiled the following particulars : —Under " The Mining Companies Limited Liability Act, 1805," and Amending Acts, there are 230 registered companies, with a nominal capital of £3,622,216, and a paid-up capital of £2,720,640 12s. 2d. Under " The Joint Stock Act," 32 companies, nominal capital £557,625, paid-up capital £300,153. Under " The Mining Companies Act, 1872," 51 companies, nominal capital £726,920, paid-up capital £254,699 Is. lid. Agricultural Leases. The number of agricultural leases, and, consequently, the area of ground held under them, is increasing every year. During the year ending 31st March, 1874, the number nearly doubled that of the previous year ; and it will be seen by reference to Tablo No. 19, that the number and acreage stands as follows in March, 1875, in comparison with the same date in 1874 : —3lst March, 1874: 1,443 leases; acreage, 88,296 acres 2 roods 14 perches. 31st March, 1875: 1,527 leases; acreage, 104,023 acres 2 roods 5 perches. The area held at present under agricultural leases does not represent the whole amount of land which has been acquired and settled under this system of deferred payments. A considerable area upon the gold fields of the Middle Island is now held in fee-simple by former leaseholders who have paid up in full and received their Crown grants, and are, in the majority of cases, prosperous freeholders farming their own land. The experience of years has now proved the wisdom of the Legislature in providing for the attachment of the miners to the country by affording them special advantages for the acquirement of freehold property. Mining Population. The return of the number of persons engaged in gold mining shows a marked diminution for the year. Upon 31st March, 1874, there were 18,142, and upon 31st March, 1875, 16,424. This includes Chinese, of whom there were at the latter date 4,693, as against 4,103 in the former year. Considering the very large increase to the population of the colony during the year ending March, 1875, it is undoubtedly a fact that other pursuits have been found to pay better than gold mining, and that the attraction of making money easily upon our gold fields no longer exists. Wages still, as may be seen by the returns appended, continue very high, but the work is hard, and some actual knowledge of mining operations is now in many instances required. This appears to shut out the greater number of the new arrivals, who, brought up to other pursuits, might have done very well upon a new rush, but are useless for the regular work of a gold mine. I do not suppose that the mining population has received any perceptible accession from the 55,000 immigrants introduced under the Immigration and Public Works policy, whilst one result of that policy has been to withdraw from the gold fields hundreds of men who find more regular employment in connection with the public works of the colony and the provinces, and in the private enterprises of various characters which the present state of the cnuntry tends to create and foster.