C—3

94

Disteict of Beefton Covet. From the opening of the district to the 31st March last 878,901 tons of quartz has been crushed, from which 571,767 oz. of gold has been obtained, representing a value of £2,246,579, out of which £676,718 has been distributed in dividends. The total amount of alluvial gold for the same period is approximately estimated at 143,268 oz., representing a value of £533,701. The total production of the district is, as far as can be ascertained, 715,035 oz. of gold, of a value of £2,780,280. I submit the following table showing the calls made, dividends declared, &c, by the various companies in the district during the year : —

Gold Returns, &c.

The following statement will show the comparative returns from the mines in the district for the past twenty-one years, ending the 31st March of each year:—

Company. Calls. Dividend, c Q u X'l Yield of Gold. Value. £ s, d. £ 27,500 Tons. 54,189 Oz. dwt. gr, 20,547 12 20 £ s. d. 84,282 15 7 Progress Mines Consolidated Goldfields of New Zealand : Golden Fleece Wealth of Nations Big River 3olden Lead Lord Edward New Scotia No. 2 Big River Snowy Creek United .. Keep-it-Dark „ (cyanide process) Kirwan's Reward Victoria Range Hew Inkermtn Mines Private company—Last Chance 2,400 0 0 513 4 7 100 0 0 1,800 0 0 50 0 0 794 11 8 5,628 5,058 243 * 139 11,962 t 2,619 3,629 13 15 2,028 6 13 167 17 0 393 1 18 46 15 23 2,715 12 12 1,572 1 20 2,591 13 7 13,465 7 11 7,540 6 11 679 1 11 1,269 2 2 173 16 0 10,766 1 3 4,902 2 3 10,328 12 10 5,000 166" 13 4 2,'800 2*736 44 204 17 9 81 12 12 819 9 6 330 11 7 Dredging Companies— Al Reeves's Proprietary Uluvial gold 5,824 9 7 6,700 0 0 3,680 0 0 35,300 82,618 33,979 5 5 162 0 8 2,814 4 21 134,557 7 11 629 17 3 11,357 13 8 Totals 16,204 9 7 35,300 82,618 36,955 10 10 146,544 18 10 * Prom 1,800 tons tailings b; r anide irocess. t Prom 8,849 tons tailini [8 b; ■anide irooeas.

Year. Calls made. Dividends declared. Quartz crushed. Yield of Gold. Value of Gold. .880-81 .881-82 .882-83 .883-84 .884-85 .885-86 .886-87 .887-88 .888-89 .889-90 .890-91 .891-92 .892-93 .893-94 .894-95 .895-96 .896-97 .897-98 .898-99 .899-1900 900-1901 £ s. 10,218 17 25,504 3 61,345 0 49,456 0 29,333 0 24,565 0 21,596 0 30,432 0 38,919 0 27,531 0 20,404 0 25,956 0 18,800 0 14,350 0 10,153 0 8,418 0 9,033 6 7,859 3 5,920 6 10,747 8 5,824 9 d. 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 4 8 9 7 £ 19,650 37,643 32,600 16,500 34,100 14,500 33,450 17,550 16,688 18,250 27,325 30,743 16,900 18,832 11,012 25,925 4,900 50 900 47,050 35,300 Tons. 25,926 14,894 18,928 23,433 34,349 27,198 23,930 24,403 28,564 32,394 39,643 35,562 37,693 34,518 26,603 29,816 13,270 9,751 42,305 58,277 82,618 Oz. dwt. gr. 17,597 14 10 20,154 0 0 19,194 0 0 16,547 0 0 23,997 0 0 14,591 0 0 21,143 0 0 16,775 0 0 18,663 0 0 17,780 0 0 23,347 0 0 23,390 0 0 20,171 0 0 18,413 0 0 13,426 10 0 22,025 0 0 8,365 4 20 4,266 7 1 21,487 18 15 26,693 3 18 33,979 5 5 £ s. d. 68,630 13 10 78,600 12 0 74,856 12 0 64,533 6 0 93,588 6 0 56,904 18 0 83,171 15 5 66,030 11 5 72,720 18 0 69,676 12 1 91,998 8 10 92,885 5 1 80,894 5 1 73,752 14 11 53,509 5 1 87,935 18 4 33,824 7 1 18,253 7 3 87,587 1 0 108,455 17 8 134,557 7 11