THE MINES DEPARTMENT.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1274, 23 July 1883, Page 2

THE MINES DEPARTMENT.

The Goldfields report was presented to both Houses of Parliament on the 15th inst. YIELD OF GOLD. There are no means of ascertaining accurately the yield of gold for any period, because the miners who find the gold, and the hankers to whom they sell the greateir portion, are both alike reticent as to the quantities which pass through their... hands. The Customhouse return^ |of the export are the only means available for arriving at au approximation of the quantity. These returns, of course, take no account of what is us^j! up by the jewellers in the Colony, fy or of what may be taken away without paying duty, but leaving out of acctnmt these latter as of no great moment; and taking, as in former reports, only the quantity exported, there will be found to have been a very considerable falling off in the yield for the; 12 months ended March 81, 1883, as compared with the previous 12 months, as under — Ounces Value. 1881-82 ... 293,329 ... £1,170,529 1882-83 ... 248,862 ... 994,555 The number of miners returned on the 3 1st March 1883 is 14,523, against 14,714 the previous year. The average value of gold got per miner was £69 10s. In former years this averaged from £70 to £80. Of the GG mines in the Eeefton district only two paid dividends during the year, while the other 64 made calls to the extent of £61,345. The results for the year as regards quartz mining are : — Coromandel — crushed 2907 tons, yiold 75770z; Thames— crushed 25, 867 tons, yield 43,81 loz; Reefton— crushed 18,928 tons, yield 19,1 940z ; Lyell — crushed 7277 tons, yield 39490z ; Cromwell— crushed 2900 tons, yield 2400oz ; Arrow— crushed 3000 tons, yield 35910z; Rees River— crushed 1350 tons, yield 3260z ; Lawrence — 63710z from quartz and cement. Total tons crushed, 64,332 tons ; yield,

87,7980z gold. Every district shows a decrease compared with the previous year except Beefton, and there has been a steady decline for several years. Alluvial Mining. — This class of mining has always been the most prolific of gold yield in New Zealand, and it still yields two-thirds of the supply j as in former years. Outlay on Goldfields. — During the yeai a larger number of works have been entered on, comprising roads and tracks, water supply, aud sludge-chan-nels, and prospecting for deposits of gold, involving between payment actually made and liabilities a sum of £70,000. The disbursement of this large sum and other sums voted by Parliament, together with the charge of half a million of property in waterraces, imposed serious responsibilities on the Department, which could, not it was found from experience, be satisfactory if undertaken without the aid of someone who would be solely devoted to the duty of reporting on each work before it was entered upon, and of inspecting works while in progress and after completion ; and for this purpose Mr Gordon was appointed, and began his duties in November 1882. The Goldfields Department, although solely constituted in the interests, of one industry, revenue or support from it, \ the whole of the revenue arising from gold duty, miners' rights, rents, &c. (in all about £50,000) being hander over to the counties within which it arises. The expenditure falls on the general J public. Terawhiti is reported as having a good prospect of becoming a payable field.