H.—l7

37

Krmara. —Although many of the ordinary claims have been worked out and abandoned during the past twelve months, there are still seventy ordinary shaft claims taking water from the Government Bace, and are scattered over a belt of ground one and a half miles long by half-a-mile wide. Within this area there are fourteen sluicing claims opened out and working; ten of which are taking water from the Government Race. It is generally admitted that all these sluicing claims are paying fair wages —some much more —and that they will average £5 per week per man clear of working expenses. Many of these claims will require several years to work them out. Kumara Sludge-channel. —The first half-mile of this important work is now completed, as far as the contractor is concerned, and several claims are being prepared to sluice into it when permission is given and the necessary quantity of water available. The second half-mile is now under contract, and will probably be completed in six months from date. I think it is a good indication, and shows the faith the miners have in the utility of the Sludge-channel, and the payable character of the ground it passes through, when they take up nearly all the ground in extended claims along its line and adjacent thereto for the purpose of sluicing. Most of these applications for extended claims were made whenever it was known for a fact that the channel would be completed to the Larrikins. Kapitea Dam. —A portion of this work was carried away by the extraordinary flood on the 12th March, and should be restored as early as possible, and also provision made to store a much larger body of water than the above dam would be capable of holding, as a considerable body of water will shortly be required for the Sludge-channel claims. Waimea. —This portion of the district is as healthy as it was last year, and the sales of water greater. The supply is not equal to the demand, and it is not likely to be for some years yet. As the old claims are worked out fresh ground is opened out, with equally good results, but in some cases requiring much more labour and expenditure. I have, &c, J Gow, The Under-Secretay for Gold Fields, Wellington. Genera] Manager.

No. 20 Mr. Denis Doyle, Manager of the Argyle Water-Race, to the Under-Seceetaey for Gold Fields. Sir,— Charleston, I.6th April, 1881. I have the honor to report, in answer to your memorandum of 6th April, 1881, that the sale of water realized £715 2s. lOd. for the twelve months ending 31st March last, and that the expenditure for the same period amounted to £487 15s. 7d. Not having been in charge of the Argyle Water-race for the first seven months of 1880, I cannot report upon the management during that period. The expenditure incurred was for repairing flumes and race, and repairs to syphon across Ballaarat Creek. Since taking charge of Argyle Water-race, on Ist November, 1880, to the end of March, 1881, I have continually been working on the repairs to flumes and race. I found the whole of the flumes, with but little exception, in a rotten state, and the repairs that had been executed were principally building sound timber on the rotten foundations and sides; consequently when flumes broke down the good timber got smashed up with the bad, so that expenditure was keeping a rotten life hanging together. There were four breaks in flumes in November, which caused slight delay to getting water on again ; and two breaks in December, the first part of the month. After Christmas I commenced repairing and cleaning out the race, and had a heavy bank of tailings removed, which had broken down the timber. I continued up to Bth January repairing, and got the water on again, when another heavy break in flumes occurred, causing four days' delay to water being put on, owing chiefly to difficulty in getting timber. On the 26th February occurred one of the heaviest downpours of rain known in Charleston, which caused a little damage, principally by land-slips coming down and carrying away boxes and a portion of the race, the repairs being nearly finished by Ist March. From that time to the 18th I had nothing but continual breaking away of flumes. On the 26th a large detached rock came down, smashing four boxes, and when I came to replace them I had to remove the old boxes, as they were all pulp and would not bear nailing. In all cases where breaks occurred I put in new timber boxes, as the most approved way of making them last any time. The management of Argyle Water-race is a laborious charge. I have to get up at 5 a.m., to travel about two miles over a rough country to turn on day water from the dam; and from that time till 5 p.m. I am continually travelling and patching up the race and flumes, and very often working till 8 p.m., when the water would be off. If the Government carry out the proposed alterations, in putting the tunnel in and extending the race, I believe that there would be an increased revenue, and that by doing away with the dangerous portions of the flumes the expenditure in repairs would be reduced. I have, &c., Denis Doyle, The Under-Secretary for Gold Fields, Wellington. Manager, Argyle Water-race.

No. 21. The Chaieman, Mount Ida Water-Race Trust, to the Hon. the Minister for Public Woeks. Sib,— Mount Ida Water-Race Trust Office, Naseby, 31st May, 1881. The Mount Ida Water-Race Trust have the honor, in accordance with section 25 of " The Mount Ida Water-Race Trust Act, 1878," to forward herewith statement of accounts for the year ending 30th April, 1881, and to report to the Hon. the Minister for Public Works as follows :—