C—2

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The cash received was £27 ss. less than last year, and the expenditure decreased by £116 4s. 7d. ; but this expenditure does not include the sum of £66 13s. 4d., the gauger's salary for four months whilst engaged working on the restoration of the trans-Taramakau pipe-line across Third Gully. Nearly the whole of the expenditure debited to the Kumara Raoe was Spent on the maintenance of the, section between its intake at the No. 1 Kapitea Reservoir and. the intake of the trans-Taramakau pipe-line. This section includes the Kumara Head-race tunnel, which is the key of the whole of the Kumara-trans-Taramakau water-system. The section of the Kumara Race from the intake 'of the trans-Taramakau. pipe-line to its terminus at the Kumara Borough only supplies water for scutching and fire-brigade purposes, but its cost of maintenance is practically nil. Kumara-trans-Taramakau Water-race. The cash received for sales of water from this race for the year ended 3.lst March, 1919, was £59 18s. 10d., and the expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £327 16s. 7<1., showing a debit balance of £267 17s. 9d. on the year's transactions. The, average number of miners supplied with water during the year was 4-16, a decrease of 6-92 on the previous year. The, sales of water amounted to £65 16s. 4d.. a decrease of £73 18s. 3d. on the previous year. The cash received was £80 4s. Id. less than last year, and the expenditure showed an increase of £2 2s. Id. The falling-off in the sales was caused by a break which occurred in the section of old 36 in. cast-iron, pipes in the trans-Taramakau pipe-line across Third Gully, which cut off the supply of water to the Kumara Flax-milling Company for power-development purposes, and also stopped. Lawrence and party from sluicing at Quinn's Terrace for about seven months of the year. During the year an Otago syndicate under the management of Mr. James Jackson acquired the mining rights to a large area of ground at Payne's Gully, on the north bank of the Taramakau River. This company has already expended a considerable sum of money in constructing 50 chains of a water-race (with a carrying-capacity of 40 heads) from the Taramakau Water-race to their claim, and carrying out other preparatory work,, and they should bo in a position to purchase Government water in about two months. Erin-go-Bragh Water-race. The cash received from this .race for the year ended the 31st March, 1919, was £219 13s. 3d., and the expenditure on management, gauging, maintenance, and repairs amounted to £308 4s. lid., showing a debit balance of £88 lis. Bd. on the, year's transactions. The average number of miners supplied with water was 5-58, a decrease of 4T7 on the previous year. The sales of water amounted to £208 lis., a decrease of £12 9s. Bd. as compared with the previous year. The cash received was £3 15s. 3d. less than in the previous year, and the expenditure showed an increase of £17 16s. The slight falling-off in the sales can be more than accounted for by the, stoppage of one of the claims at Argus Terrace for the last five months of the year owing to the death of the owner. Wainihinihi Water-race. A small break: occurred in one of the tunnels near the intake of this race on the 9th February, but, repairs were immediately started and the water was again turned on by the 12th. The open ditching in this race is in excellent condition, but some of the timber sets in different parts of the tunnels are badly decayed, and a few of them will have to be replaced with new timber during the ensuing year. Waimea-Kumara Water-races. The, following is a summary of the revenue and expenditure of the above races for the year ended Slat March, 1919: Sales of water, £821 19s. Bd. ; cash received, £875 15s. Bd. ; expenditure, £1,946 13s. 9d.; average number of miners, 23"07. The sales of water showed a decrease of £375 12s. Bd., and the cash a decrease of £354 7s. Id. In addition to the above sales free water to the value of £23 os. lid. was supplied to parties to open up new ground. The total expenditure on the combined races was £1,946 13s. 9d., as against £2,054 9s. lOd. for the previous year, a decrease of £1.07 16s. Id. Comparing the sales of water with the expenditure, the combined races show a loss of £1,124 14s. Id. The cash received was £53 16s. greater than the sales, and this, together with the £10 written off by departmental authority, rcdueed the outstandings by £63 16s. Mount Ida Water-race, Central Otago (Mr. J. 0. Buchanan, Manager). The total sales of water from the Mount Ida Water-race during the year amounted to £706 14s. 9d., a decrease on that of last year of £493 9s. 9d. The expenditure on maintenance and repairs for the same period amounted to £1,403 lis. 9d., an increase on that of last year of £236 lis. Bd. The total cash received was £706 14s. 9d. Free water for washing up was supplied to the value of £55 is. 7d., and free water for opening out was supplied to the value of £8 os. 4d. The total value of water supplied from this race amounted to £769 16s. Bd., a decrease on that of last year of £526 16s. 4d. The average number of men employed was 12-16.