a—2

4

is certainly not a high wage in the colonies; but ia Great Britain, where there is a vast body of workers, many of them artizans earning high wages, the average annual wage, according to Professor Leoni Levi, is £41 14s. for the past few years, and that is higher than any former average in the Home Country. It must, however, be remembered that the gold miners' earnings include cost of machinery, tools, and water for sluicing, and are accordingly considerably reduced thereby. As bearing out the remarks on the decrease of the yield of gold from alluvial workings, the decrease in the number of alluvial miners during the year was 269, while the increase in the number of quartz miners was 97, the respective totals of each class being 2,059 quartz miners, 9,975 alluvial miners (3,443 of the latter being Chinese, of whom it may be remarked the number, with slight fluctuations, has been nearly stationary for several years). Quartz Workings. Table showing the Comparison of the Yield of Quabtz Woekings in the Years ending 31st March, 1884, and 31st March, 1885.

The quantity of quartz crushed for the year shows a large increase on that of the previous year, hut the amount of gold obtained does not hear a corresponding increase, although the total yield is slightly in excess of the previous year. The Thames, which is the most important quartz-mining district in the colony, shows a very considerable falling-off in this year's returns, but the adjacent district of Te Aroha shows a very marked increase, and may be taken as an earnest of the future of that field, which is only as yet in the initial stage of development. During the year a great deal of preliminary work has been in hand in the erection of plant and other preparations for doing a greater amount of future paying work. The dividends paid by five mines in the Thames District were £16,852 10s.; Coromandel, one mine, £450; and Te Aroha, two mines, £3,500. In the Reefton District, the next most important quartz-mining district in the colony, there is a very decided increase in the yield of gold, due mainly to the extensive introduction of crushing and other machinery, referred to in last year's report. Another gratifying circumstance in connection with this field is the fact that about £35,000 was paid in dividends from five mines, and there is good reason for hoping that this is the prelude to still better results in future years, as, in addition to a vast amount of dead work already accomplished in the opening of the mines, the department has, by means of subsidies and in co-operation with the County Council, opened out the Big River District by tracks, for the purpose of enabling machinery to be taken into some very promising known reefs in that

188; 1-84. 188-1-85. Name of District. Quartz crushed. Gold. Quartz crushed. Gold. CJoromandel rhames roAroha Reef ton Lyell Mikihinui Eindon Dollingwood (Skipper's and head of Lake) 1 £rrow ... ... J Tons. 1,042 36,228 4,316 23,433 2,980 Oz. 4,018 54,865 4,547 16,547 1,455 Tons. ■ 456 31,496 11,042 34,549 5,025 715 650 230 5,073 3,236 400 Oz. 3,201 37,705 9,898 23,994 3,318 1,107 163 154 4,826 3,267 316 5,500 4,623 Dromwell 848 850 Lawrence— Quartz Cement 74,347 86,905 92,872 87,949 700 6,150 350 3,650 74,347 93,755 92,872 91,949