17

a—3

It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the receipts from sales of water for last year was £1,121 16s. 2d., as against £1,388 17s. sd. for the previous year, and the expenditure on maintenance £784 13s. 10d., as against £933 3s. 3d. for the former year. This shows that the sales of water diminished last year to the extent of £267 Is. 3d., and the expenditure decreased also to the extent of £148 9s. 5d., so that, although the sales do not come to as much as for the year 1890-91, still the decreased cost of maintenance makes the profits on the working only £118 lis. lOd. less than for the previous year. The actual profit on the working last year was £337 2s. 4d. The value of free water given to the miners as assistance last year in opening out ground was £96 195.; the approximate quantity of gold obtained by those who used water from this supply last year (2,590) representing a value of £10,100 17s. Deducting the value of the sales of water from the value of gold obtained, it leaves £8,979 os. lOd. as the earnings of seventy-six men for the year, which is equal to £118 3s. a man per annum, or about £2 ss. sd. per week, being 6d. per week more than last year. Taking the profits last year they only returned about T % per cent, on the cost of construction, which amounts to £119,011 6s. lOd. Kumara Water-race. During last year considerable improvements have been made to the supply water-race, dam, and head-race tunnel, whereby more water can be supplied if required. The whole of the works in connection with this water-supply are in good order. The average quantity of water supplied from this water-race daily for the last year, exclusive of the quantity used for flushing the two tail-races— formerly known as No. 1 and 2 Sludge-channels—for 280 days in the year on which water is supplied (that is, deducting holidays, &c), was 5753 sluice-heads, while for the previous year it was 62-72 sluice-heads. A comparative result of the working of this race for the last nine years will be seen in the annexed tabulated statement, showing the transactions any month for the last nine years. The improvements made to the water-race last year may be classed under four heads —namely, Kawhaka Supply-race, Loop-line Dam, Head-race Tunnel, and Catch-water Eaces—on which there was an expenditure of £1,120 3s. 2d. Kawhaka Supply-race. —The Kawhaka Supply-race, from its source in the Kawhaka Creek, at the concrete dam, to the point where it discharges into the Kapitea Creek, at the pipe-line of the Waimea Eace, near the Loop-line Dam, is about five miles in length. This entire length has been cleared of all overhanging timber, scrub, and fern. Towards the lower end the race was completely blocked with timber and debris, the removal of which lowered the surface of the water about 3ft. This blockage during wet weather caused the race to overflow and flood the adjoining country, and only a small proportion of the water brought down by the supply-race ever reached the Loop-line Dam, as it went back again into the Kawhaka Creek, below Newton's. Before the race was improved the sectional area of running water, when the race was full, was less than 9 square feet, and the velocity was 2Jft. per second, giving about twenty sluiceheads. Now the sectional area of running w r ater is 13 square feet, and the velocity 3-J-ft. per second, giving about forty-five sluice-heads, the whole of it being discharged into the Kapitea Creek, and thence into the Loop-line Dam. The dam now fills with about half the rainfall it formerly required to fill it. From the lower end of the race to the tunnel at the head-works it has been thoroughly cleared of the accumulation of debris of many years, and in many places it has been made wider and deeper. The gradient of the race-bottom is now uniform, and to make it so it had to be made deeper in some places by 2ft. Loop-line Dam. —The outlet-culvert from the Loop-line Dam has been strengthened and relined with substantial heart of red-pine, and, although its area has been diminished by Bin. in width and 9in. in depth, its capacity is still ample for all purposes. This was the weakest spot in the dam, but with the repairs now effected there is little danger of this portion of the work giving any trouble in future. The screw for opening and shutting the outlet-gate is not in good condition, and may fail to do its work at any time; but there is on hand a new screw of larger dimensions and better construction, which was obtained from Dunedin, ready to replace the old one as soon as the dam is low enough to get it in position, 3-C. 3.

Month. Sales o( Water. Cash received Outstanding Number A J™" for Sales of Expenaiture. Me « em . Quantity Value of Gold. Mouth - obtSnea. 1891. April May June July August September October Dovember Necember.. 1892. £ s. a. 110 3 0 115 18 10 96 12 9 71 17 6 92 1 0 99 0 4 108 5 8 95 14 0 72 11 1 £ s. a. 122 9 10 120 10 9 82 14 8 I 69 0 4 99 10 5 102 13 2 97 12 4 71 3 3 71 12 1 £ s. a. 61 3 5 63 5 9 57 17 5 63 14 4 68 11 9 63 18 4 60 10 0 63 5 11 79 4 0 £ s. d. 59 0 5 59 2 11 57 2 11 58 12 11 59 12 11 58 17 11 59 7 11 58 17 11 58 18 2 74 74 72 61 87 84 82 78 77 Oz. 238 244 187 190 199 246 244 233 166 £ s. a. 928 4 0 951 12 0 729 6 0 741 0 0 776 2 0 959 8 0 951 12 0 908 14 0 647 8 0 January February March .. 50 19 4 89 19 5 118 13 3 84 14 7 83 14 5 118 13 3 78 8 0 56 6 7 68 8 4 59 0 5 58 15 5 57 6 8 75 74 73 171 207 265 66C 18 0 807 G 0 1,033 7 0 Totals 1,121 16 2 1,124 9 1 784 13 10 76 2,590 10,100 17 0