49

c.—2

Owing to this company's unfortunate experience, and the break in the No. 3 channel, which prevented the Long Tunnel Company from using water for five months and a half, the sales of water from the Kumara Eace (although showing a slight improvement on the previous year) did not by an} , means come up to expectations. Authorized free water to the value of £149 6s. 3d. was supplied from this race during the year. The usual quantity of flushing-water was supplied to the No. 3 channel deviation, and water was also supplied to the Borough of Kumara for fire-brigade and other purposes free of charge. The following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of the Kumara Race for the year ended the 31st March, 1913 : Sales of water, £179 7s. 6d. ; cash received, £122 13s. 2d. ; expenditure, £401 12s. 4d. ; approximate quantity of gold! obtained, £2,008 10s. ; average number of men employed, 6-41. Kumara-Tarcmakau Water-race. The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended the 31st March, 1913. was £121 45., and, as the water was regulated at the intake of the siphon on the south side of the Taramakau River by the Kumara gauger, there was no extra expenditure, and the race shows a profit of £121 4s. on the year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water from this race was 6-27, and the approximate quantity of gold obtained by them was 589 oz., of the value of £2,297 2s. The sales of water for the year amounted to £125 13s. 3d., but, in addition to this, authorized free water to the value of £154 7s. was supplied to parties to open up their claims. Early in the year Penrose and party laid down a pipe-line from this race, but owing to the position of the Erin-go-Bragh Water-race, which practically locked up their area, they did no work in their claim proper during the year. W. Evenden and party started to take water from the race in July, and worked steadily until the end of the year, purchasing water to the value of £89 Bs. C. Evenden and party were seriously hampered by the non-completion of the Westbrook Road deviation, and did very little sluicing during the year. Bell and party and Steel and party completed a 26 in. pipe-line from the race in October, and since that time Bell and party purchased water to the value of £24 17s. 3d. Steel and party have not yet started to open up their claim, but I understand that the two parties intend to co-operate, and drive a tunnel tail-race or channel in a position to command their respective properties. Gilbert and party and Tomasi and party conjointly constructed a tunnel tail-race about 700 ftin length, and laid down a 26 in. pipe-line from the race to work their adjoining properties. This preparatory work cost the parties about £600, and was completed in December, 1912, when Gilbert and party started to sluice ; but after using four or five shifts of water they were promptly stopped by the Greymouth County Council, as their tailings were damaging the old Westbrook-Greenstonc Road ; and since that time no work has been done by either party, pending the completion of the Westbrook Road deviation. This enforced idleness, besides being a hardship to the parties concerned, materially reduced the sales of water for the year. Notwithstanding the number of large floods that occurred during the year, there was practically no damage done to the Taramakau Siphon and Water-race, and they are now in excellent order. The following is a summary showing the revenue and expenditure of the Kumara-Taramakau Race for the year ended the 31st March, 1913 : Sales of water, £125 13s. 3d.; cash received, £121 45.; expenditure, nil; approximate quantity of gold obtained, £2,297 2s. ; average number of miners employed, 6-27. Waimea-Kumara Water-races. The following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of these races for the year ended the 31st March, 1913: Sales of water, £1,505 6s. 6d. ; cash received, £1,440 Is. sd. ; expenditure, £1,446 19s. 6d. ; approximate quantity of gold obtained, £15,147 12s. ; average number of miners employed, 58-34. It will be seen by the above summary that the value of the sales of water from the combined races was £1,505 6s. 6d., as against £1,417 Is. 10d. for the previous year, thus showing an increase of £88 4s. Bd. In addition to the sales above stated, authorized free water to the value of £323 15s. 9d. was supplied to parties to open up new claims, as against £49 10s. for the previous year. The total expenditure was £1,446 19s. 6d., as against £1,518 9s. 10d. for the previous year, a decrease in the cost of maintenance of £71 10s. 4d. The cash received was £1,440 Is. 5d., as against £1,374 10s. 9d. for the previous year, showing an increase in revenue of £65 10s. Bd. Notwithstanding certain adverse circumstances previously set forth, the sales of water from the combined races, compared with the expenditure, show a profit of £58 7s. for the year. Wainihinihi Water-race. There was a good supply of water from this race, and, together with the Kawhaka supply, the Waimea Siphon was kept running full for the greater part of the year. No breaks occurred, and the race is now in good order.

7—C. '2.