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70

ANNEXURE D.

REPORTS OF WATER-RACE MANAGERS. Mi. James Roohford, Manager of the Waimea-Kumara Water-races, to the Under-Secretary. Mines Department, Wellington. Sir. Kumara, 14th May. 1912. I have the honour to present my report mi the Waimea-Kumara Water-racee for the financial year ended the 31st March. 1912. Waimka Race. i The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended the 31st March. 1912. was €837 15s. 6d.. and tl spenditure for the same same period on gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £599 Os. Bd.. showing a credii balance of £238 I Is. lOd. on the year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water from bhe race during the year was 32-16, an increase of 0-83 on the previous year: and the approximate quantity of gold obtained by them was 1.702 oz., having a value of £6,637 I (is. The sales of water for the year amounted to CS2'.i 2s. lid., or t25 ss. :i<i. less than the previous year. The cash received for sales of water was £9 I Is. 9d. less, and the expenditure on gauging, maintenance, and repairs was £10 12s. 7d. greater than during the previous year. A serious break occurred in one of the tunnels between Goldsborough and Stafford during the month of February, which materially reduced the revenue from the Stafford section of the race : but there is no indication of a faUing-off in the demand for water in this locality. The Waimea Hydraulic Sluicing Company worked steadily during the year in their claim on Scandinavian Hill, and I am pleased to say that the returns showed a decided improvement on the two previous years. This party deserve the highest praise for the strenuous efforts they have made in the face of adverse circumstances to thoroughly test and develop their property, and it is to be hoped that the satisfactory conditions now obtaining will continue for many years to come. Linklater and party worked their two claims during the year with highly satisfactory results, and purchased water to the value of £235 17s. lid., making the total value of water purchased by them since the siphon was constructed to Lower German Gully (about three years and a half ago) £770 2s. lOd. At Tunnel Terrace six parties bave been supplied with water from the race throughout the year, with satisfactory results, and I am satisfied that there will lie no faUing-off in the sales of water in this locality for some years to come. There was a good supply of water during the year. the. Waimea siphon being practically full all the time : but. notwithstanding this fact, the demand for water was considerably in excess of the supply. The water was off for rive days (hiring the year through breaks in the race. Authorized free water to the amount of £18 13s. 9d. was supplied from this race during the year. The following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of the H ahnea Water-race for the year ended the 31st March. 1912 : Sales of water, £829 2s. lid.: cash received, £837 15s. 6d. ; expenditure, £599 os. Bd. : approximate value of gold obtained, £6.637 His. ; average number of miners employed. 32-Hi. Branch Race to Callaghan's and Middle Branch. The cash received from this race during the year ended the 31st .March. 1912. was £443 9s. lOd., and the expenditure, on gauging, maintenance, and repairs for the same period amounted to £485 11s. 2d., showing a debit balance of £42 Is. Id. on the year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water was 15*66, a decrease of one as compared with the previous year; and the approximate quantity of gold obtained was 1.191 oz.. having a total value of £4,644 18s. The sales of water amounted to £434 Is. Bd.. an increase of £81 12s. Id. on the previous year; and the cash received showed an increase of £84 os. 3d. The approximate quantity of gold obtained by the miners was 167 oz. greater than during the previous year, representing an increase in value of £651 6s. The expenditure on gauging, maintenance, and repairs was tls 6s. 2d. greater than the proceeding year, and the races have been well maintained, and are now in good order. Carmine and party sluiced steadily throughout £he year in their new claim above (xoldsborough with highly satisfactory results, and purchased water to the value of £129. There was only one party sluicing into the Waimea main tail-race during the year, but the deviation of the Hokitika Kumara Road on to the old workings at Middle Branch Flat, which is now about completed, will give an impetus to mining in this locality, by throwing open a fairly large, area of highly payable ground : and the demand for water from the Middle Branch race for the next two or three years will be considerably in excess of the available supply. At Callaghan's Plat, Elavil] and party worked their claim all the year. and. although the quantity 'of water purchased was small. I am given to understand that the returns for the year were fairly satis factory. The sluicing operations of this party are greatly retarded by the small quantity of water available from their high-level dams to break down tin: auriferous wash, which is so hard that the limited pressure from the Callaghan'e Water-race lias little or no effect upon it. Cook and Honey did a large amount of work in their claim during the year, and purchased water to the value of £151 3s. 9d. Although the returns [or the year were satisfactory, they did not altogether oome up to the high expectations of the party ; but this can be accounted for by the many difficulties met with, which are always contingent upon opening out deep ground with limited pressure. However, the claim is