31

_—3

Mount Ida Watee-bace. This water-race, since it was taken over by the Government from the trust that formerly managed it, has furnished sufficient revenue as yet to provide for its maintenance; previous to that it was a continual drag, money was always required to clean it out and keep it in repair, and, judging from the state it was in when the Government took it over, it had not been cleaned out for many years previous. It can never be expected to yield a large revenue. The ground is, as a rule, in a miner's phrase, very poor, and a great portion of it of a shallow character, so that a claim is shortly worked out and men have to look for fresh ground. There is also a great drawback in consequence of it being at a high elevation, some 2,000 ft. above sea-level, and subject to hard frost during about two months in winter, when sluicing operations cannot be carried on. It will, however, be the means of a number of men obtaining a livelihood here who could not do so at mining were it not for the water from this race. The following statement will show the revenue derived from sales of water, the expenditure on maintenance, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained from the claims in which water is used from this water-race for the year ending the 31st March last: —

It will be seen from the above statement that the value of the sales of water for the last year was £1,067 7s. 6d., as against £1,421 19s. 3d. for the previous year, thus showing a decrease in the sales of water last year to the value of £354 11s. 9d. The expenditure on maintenance was £1,052 3s. 7d., as against £1,013 Bs. lid. for the previous year. This shows a profit on the last year's transactions of £15 3s. lid. There was also £220 2s. 2d. collected last year for arrears due in former years for water. Payment in advance was introduced last year, and in order to give the miners a means of complying with this system one month's free water was supplied, the value of which was £236 Is. lid. There was also free water to the value of £38 19s. lid. given to parties to open out new claims, making the total value of water supplied from the race £1,106 7s. sd. During midwinter last year the water was out of the race from the 10th July to the 13th August, when the tunnel at East Eweburn was retimbered, the original timbering having become decayed. From about the middle of December to the end of March last, owing to very dry weather, the water supply was very short, and not nearly sufficient to meet the requirements, which made a considerable difference in the revenue from sales of water. The average number of miners working in claims in which water was used from the race last year was 61, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained by them was about 3,5740z., representing a value of £13,759 18s. Deducting the value of the sales of water from the approximate value of the gold obtained, it leaves £208 Is. 6d. a maruper annum, or £4 a man per week, as against £2 13s. Bd. a man per week for the previous year. The total cost of construction of this race up to the end of March last was £69,607 Bs. 9d. Blackstonb Hill Wateb-eaces. The revenue from these water-races, notwithstanding the short supply last year owing to the large spell of dry weather, has quite come up to expectation. On the races being purchased by the Government, it was considered that the working of these water-races would return 10 per cent, on the purchase-money, and also be the means of regulating the supply in the Mount Ida Eace. The high-level race, which had become greatly overgrown and filled in, was cleaned out last year at a cost of £36 16s. This has been the only expenditure incurred during the year. It will be seen from the following statement that the value of the sales of water last year was £136 os. 5d., as against £103 17s. Bd. for the previous year, thus showing an increase in the revenue from this season of £32 2s. 9d. The total expenditure last year was £6 18s. 6d., while for the former year no money was expended on these races. The approximate quantity of gold obtained from the claims during the year was 2540z., representing a value of £984 55., and the average number of men employed in these claims was seven. Deducting the value of the sales of water from the approximate value of gold obtained, it leaves £121 3s. 6d. a man per annum, or £2 6s. 7d, a man per week. The net profit on the working of these races last year being £129 Is. lid., it gives nearly 12-J- per cent, on the cost of this property, which was, including repairs, £1,036 16s. The following statement will show the value of the sales of water and the approximate quantity 6—C. 3.

Month. Sales of Water. Cash received for Sales of Water. Expenditure. Amount of Outstanding Moneys at End of each Month. Number of Men employed. ■hsl Value of Gold obtained. 1894. £ s. a. £ s. a. 122 9 5 111 12 7 112 18 8 26 13 10 82 8 0 104 7 5 151 18 3 144 0 0 138 15 7 £ s. a. 85 8 8 91 13 10 87 17 2 84 6 3 98 16 2 89 8 2 88 3 2 85 2 8 85 18 2 & s. a. 873 8 6 867 7 2 846 19 9 839 19 9 827 1 11 820 11 11 808 15 1 805 15 1 801 7 0 Oz. 310 610 350 76 120 340 566 376 324 £ s. d. 1,193 10 0 2,348 10 0 1,347 10 0 292 12 0 462 0 0 1,309 0 0 2,179 2 0 1,447 12 0 1,247 8 0 April May June July August September .. October November '.. December .. 1895. 95 11 3 92 11 3 19 13 10 69 10 2 97 17 5 140 1 5 141 0 0 134 7 6 68 61 54 36 62 41 73 65 65 January February March 90 6 9 82 7 11 104 0 0 101 6 9 83 7 11 107 11 3 87 11 2 80 4 2 87 15 0 790 7 0 789 7 0 785 15 9 71 68 70 272 118 112 1,047 4 0 454 6 0 431 4 0 Totals 1,067 7 6 1,287 9 8 61 (average) 1,052 3 7 3,574 13,759 18 0