27

H.—l9

Marsden. —Mining matters in this division have, I think, slightly improved during the past twelve months. The population is about sixty, including twenty Chinese. Some of the claimholders are making good wages ; others are doing very little. Greenstone. —No material change has taken place during the past year. No new ground has been discovered, and nothing worthy of note has happened. Tho population is very much scattered, the largest centre being Cape Terrace, adjacent to the Teremakau Eiver, where about one hundred and twenty miners are located, who (with the exception of a few parties) are working their ground by means of tunnelling and driving out, with fair results. On Duke's Terrace there are about thirty miners employed, who work their claims chiefly by sluicing process, and they all appear satisfied with the remuneration received. Between Three-Mile Creek and Haye's Terrace there are about sixty miners at wrork, all sluicing and are doing pretty well. The result of mining in this district is considered quite as prosperous as any other portion of the Westland Gold Field. There are about tweuty-eight double-area claims, represented by one hundred and nine miners, and three extended claims employing thirteen hands. The total population of this division is five hundred, including forty-five Chinese. Arnold Subdivision. —No improvement has taken place in this division since the date of my last report. In fact, I think the best of the ground has been worked out. The earnings of the miners in some cases are very small indeed, but still most of them seem contented. Dunganville. —There are several claims in this division paying very well ; and although no new ground has been discovered, yet I think on the whole miners are satisfied with the result of their labours. There is a large number of Chinese in this locality, some of whom have exceedingly good claims, paying as much as £20 per week per man. No Town. —Nothing new has taken place in this division relative to mining matters during the past year, with the exception of two small rushes having taken place at a locality known as Deep Creek and Maori Gully. Most of the miners are now leaving Deep Creek, as they consider the ground too poor, but others have great confidence in the field. The County Council, with Government aid, is making a pack track to Deep Creek to enable miners to prospect the district. Everything is very quiet at present, but the miners are working away with every hope of a better future. Ahaura Division. —During the last twelve months there has been a slight decrease in the number of the European miners employed in this division, some having gone to Eeefton and Lyell, some to Australia, and others to the West Coast of the North Island; on the other hand, tho Chinese mining population has somewhat increased, most of the old miners and residents on this part of the gold fields agree in saying that during the last few years the rainfall has not been so great as it was in former years, consequently those miners who do not derive their sluicing water from permanent sources have to submit to inconveniently long and frequent intervals of enforced idleness through the want of water. This, combined with the poor quality of the ground now remaining to be worked, makes it a difficult matter for men not possessed of sufficient capital to secure a steady supply of cheap water to do more than make a bare living. A company is being formed to bring thirty heads of water on to the Deep Lead, at Hatter's Terrace. Should this be effected, it will probably give employment to twenty or thirty men for several years, and cause ground to be worked which otherwise would remain unprofitable. The operations of the Nelson Creek Prospecting Association have been carried on in an intermittent manner, and have been productive of no result so far. The ground upon which the water carried by the Government race at Nelson Creek is operating is disappearing rapidly. If more payable ground is not discovered soon, or the price of water materially reduced, there will be but a small demand for the water a few years hence. The enormous quantity of tailings steadily accumulating at the foot of Try Again Terrace, which is commanded by the Government water-race, will have the effect of making sluicing operations very difficult and expensive, and no doubt in the course of time it will cause the abandonment of all the poorer ground. No new auriferous ground has been discovered since my last report. During the past year there have been 264 civil and 213 criminal cases heard in the Resident Magistrates' Courts, north of Teremakau (this return excludes Kumara business), and in the Wardens' Courts 103 cases on plaints, 127 mining disputes on objections, and 1,176 applications. The total amount of revenue, exclusive of gold duty, spirit licenses, and Kumara revenue, has been £3,692 os. 3d. This docs not include the revenue paid into Borough accounts. The cases disposed of in the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, Greymouth (not including Greenstone) during the year ending 31st March, 1882, were as follows:—Objections to mining applications, 57 ; civil cases, 203 ; criminal cases, .173 ; Warden's Court cases, 42 ; applications made for mining privileges, 441. Tho revenue for the twelve months, amounting to £1,195 Bs., collected in the Greymouth Court, is made up as follows: — Warden's Department, not including Greenstone, £925 14s. 6d. ; Eesident Magistrate's Department, £214 3s. 6d.; Licensing Court fees, £55 10s.: total, £1,195 Bs. The miners' rights, licenses, certificates, registrations, &c, issued, and rents, fees, and fines received by the Eeceiver of Gold Eevenue at Greymouth during the year ending 31st March, 1882, were as follows: —Miners' rights (521), £521 • business licenses at twelve months (7), £35 ; business licenses at six months (2), £6; registrations (58), £14 10s; ditto (134), £16 15s; ditto (551), £27 lis; copies of miners' rights (1), Is.; miscellaneous, £42 17s 6d. ; rents for leases, £235 14s; fees and fines Warden's Court, £26 6s. : total, £925 14s. 6d. The total revenue collected in tho Eesident Magistrate's and Warden's District of Greymouth for the year ending 31st March, 1882, amounting to £3,692 oa. 3d., is made up as follows :—Greymonth, £1,195 Bs,; Greenstone, £280 13s. 6d.; Ahaura, £1,035 Bs. 3d. ; Arnold, 1,180 10s. 6d. The total number of plaints in the Eesident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts, also mining applications entered in the books at the various offices in the district during the year ending 31st March 1882, were as follows :— Objections to mining applications, 127; civil, 264; criminal, 213; Warden's, 103—total, 707 ; mining applications, 1,176. I have, &c. H. A. Stratfobd, The Under-Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Warden.