C.--3

23

in the same manner as the Government water-races on the West Coast, it ought to pay its way, and not be a continual drag on the consolidated revenue. The following statement will show the receipts and expenditure on the water-race for the year ending the 31st December, 1891 : —

This statement shows that- the sales of water for the year amounted to £1,023 15s. 7d., as against £1,027 17s. Bd. for the previous year; and the expenditure on maintenance, £1,110 13s. Bd., while for the former year it was £1,061 9s. sd. Taking the cost of maintenance and sales of water for the last year, they show a loss on the working of £86 17s. Id. The average number of miners employed working claims with water from this supply last year was about 130, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained was about 2,6500z., representing a value of £10,202 10s. Deducting the value of the sales of water from the value of the gold it leaves the average earnings of the miners at £70 12s. per annum, or £1 7s. 2d. a man per week. Summary op Watee-eaces. The following, statement shows the collateral advantages of the working of the water-races— that is, the number of men that have been profitably employed on the goldfields, and the approxi- 0 mate quantity of gold obtained by means of these water-races. Previous to the last there was a direct revenue of 2s. per ounce of gold obtained. This duty being now abolished, it will not in future enter into the question of collateral advantages. It can, however, be asserted that owing to the construction of some of the large water-races a large number of men have been profitably employed during the past fourteen years on the goldfields who otherwise would not have been. Up to the time when the duty on gold was abolished, the revenue on the gold obtained by miners using water from these races amounted to £27,977 18s.

Statement showing the Profits and Losses on the Working of the Water-races for Fourteen Years.

Months. Sales of Water. Cash received for Sales of Water. Expenditure. Amount of Outstanding Moneys at End of each Month. Number of Men employed. go id Isal Ilia II 1 Value of Gold. 1891. January February March April May June July August September .. October November .. December .. £ s. a. 115 10 0 66 7 3 70 8 4 59 16 8 76 3 4 35 6 8 £ s. a. 142 2 1 114 19 8 79 13 4i 128 16 0 31 0 0 62 11 6 ( I £ s. a. 73 38 4 96 14 2 117 14 0 72 4 9 58 8 0 79 11 9 35 14 0 98 14 0 154 2 0 124 16 8 78 7 4 120 8 8 ill jifiif f-< a pj 4h £ Jl 1 O O CD _j isrr a fas? r_'-i t>i g q o co ro <u ; 3*§B h .g t-i tr n d Qi Oz. 300 200 250 150 250 100 £ s. a. 1,155 0 0 770 0 0 962 10 0 577 10 0 962 10 0 385 0 0 43' 0 0 125 3 4 150 0 0 140 0 0 140 0 0 ) 84 10 8 50 300 300 300 450 192 10 0 1,155 0 0 1,155 0 0 1,155 0 0 1,732 10 0 100 4 1 178 10 4 Totals 1,023 15 7 922 7 1,110 13 8 w H H H l>3 8 o c^3 2,650 10,202 10 0

Name of Water-race. Value of Sale of Water, including Value of any Gold obtained in Sludge-channel. Expenditure. Profit or Loss ou Working. CD P. lap d h So £o "la Value of Gold obtained. Duty received on Gold obtained. Total Profit or Loss, with Value of Gold Duty adaea. Total Cost of Construction, Waimea-Riimara Water-raw and Sludge-channel. Thirteen years ending the 31st March, 1891 Year ending 31st March, 1892 £ s. d. £ a. a. £ s. a. Oz. £ s. d £ s. £ s. d. £ s. d, 111,837 5 8 7,767. 7 2 72,698 15 6 2,773 17 9 39,138 10 2 4,993 9 5 381 248 207,280 12,829 773,756 7 8 50,032 19 0 20,728 0 59,866 10 2 4,993 9 5 Totals 119,604 12 10 75,472 13 3 44,131 19 7 371 220,109 823,789 6 3 20,728 0 64,859 19 7 180,612 12 11 Nelson Creek, Thirteen years ending the 31st March, 1891 Four months ending 31st July, 1892 17,364 0 7 15,123 0 7 2,241 0 0 53 32,698 125,069 17 0 3,269 16 5,510 16 0 213 0 0 292 6 6 *79 6 6 23 245 980 0 0 79 6 6 Totals 17,577 0 7 15,415 7 1 2,162 13 6 52 32,943 126,049 17 0 3,269 10 5,431 9 6 90,722 10 8 Argyle. Thirteen years ending the 31st March, 1891 5,530 16 10 5,455 7 7 75 9 3 17 8,040 30,738 12 0 804 0 933 3 11 14,701 15 3 Mount Ida, Thirteen years ending the 31st March, 1891 Year ending 31st March, 1892 17,744 5 10 1,023 15 7 21,263 1 1 1,110 13 8 *3,51S 15 3 *86 17 1 106 130 31,761 2,650 120,180 10 0 10,202 10 0 3,176 2 342 12 10 86 17 1 Totals 18,768 1 5 22,373 14 9 *3,605 12 4 107 34,411 130,383 0 0 3,176 2 245 15 9 66,356 3 8 Grand Totals 161,480 11 8 118,717 2 8 42,764 10 0 547 295,503 1,110,960 15 3 27,977 16 71,470 8 9 ■352,393 2 6 * Shows a loss on the working