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1892. NEW ZEALAND.
THE GOLDFIELDS OF NEW ZEALAND: REPORT ON ROADS, WATER-RACES, AND OTHER WORKS IN CONNECTION WITH MINING.
Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.
Mr. H. A. Gordon, F.G.S., Inspecting Engineer, to the Hon. E. J. Seddon, Minister of Mines. Sir,— Mines Department, Wellington, 28th July, 1892. I have the honour to submit my annual report, for the year ending the 31st March last, on the different works undertaken and constructed, either wholly by the Mines Department or by subsidies paid to local bodies, also on water-races under the control of the department, Schools of Mines, and generally on the devalopment of the mining industry throughout the colony. The different subjects are classified under the following headings : " Subsidised Eoads and Tracks;" "Grants for Construction of Boads;" "Schools of Mines;" "Gold-mining;" "Quartz Workings ;" " Alluvial Workings ;" " Dredging;" "Locks at Outlets of Otago Lakes;" " Scheelite;" " Manganese ;" " Discovery of Granite in the King Country ;" " Mining Machinery ;" " Limestone and Coal, Alford Forest;" " Hydraulic Pipes;" "Spontaneous Ignition of Coal;" " Explosions in Coal-mines;" "Last Examination Papers for Mine-managers' Certificates;" and statistical tables showing the value of works constructed.
SUBSIDISED ROADS AND TRACKS (NORTH ISLAND). Bay op Islands County. Road, Tamarere to Puhipuhi. —A subsidy of pound for pound, to the extent of £241, was authorised for the construction of a road across the Terehunga Gorge, and on towards Puhipuhi, to give communication between the mines in that district and Kawakawa. Out of the amount authorised £110 has been paid. Boad to Puhipuhi. —This is a road from the Whangarei-Kawakawa Eoad through the Puhipuhi Forest to the place known as " The Mast-head," where the hotel is erected, and where, if the field warrants it, a township will be laid off, the distance being about seven miles. The road is not metalled, and in winter-time it is very boggy and soft, but it will make a good summer road, and stand a fair amount of traffic. Its cost has been £1,396 17s. 9d. Coromandel County. Track, Coromandel to Kuaoktnu. —For a distance of about fourteen miles between the end of the horse-track leading out of Coromandel towards Kuaotunu no work had been done until recently. The County Council estimated the cost of constructing a horse-track, so as to avoid the worst portions of the swamps and hills, at £750. A subsidy was accordingly authorised to the extent of £375. This money has been well expended, the road having been greatly improved, and the unexpended balance of £370 of the estimated cost will be sufficient to make a passable road for the whole distance. Boad, Sea-beach to Kuaotunu. —This road is partially constructed by subsidy of pound for pound to the extent of £300, and partially by a direct grant of £500. An expenditure of £900 has already been made; of which the Government have paid £700, leaving a balance of £100 yet to be paid as subsidy. The whole of the fuel for the different steam-engines has to be carted on this road, and it is also used to cart the quartz to the crushing-batteries. Only portion of it is metalled, and during wet weather the road becomes a perfect quagmire, and will, during the winter months, become impassable unless it is metalled. The estimated cost of widening and metalling this road is £800. 1-C. 3.
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