C—3.

the storage-capacity by 30,000,000 cubic feet of water, and the catch-water race for carrying water from the watershed of the lower dam into the Loop-line Dam had not been constructed, the dams would have been empty for thirty or forty days during the year. Besides the time during which water was short, the whole of the miners on the field observed nineteen holidays during the year. For sixty-two days water was going to waste over the dams, and during that time 120-J- days' water was lost, as the storage-room was not sufficient to retain it. Contracts have recently been entered into for the supply of timber and stores, and the prices at which these will now be supplied will materially reduce the cost of maintenance and repairs. The table attached shows the number of days in each month on which water was running over the dams and quantity lost, the number of holidays observed, the number of days when there was no water for channels, and the days on which the dams were empty.

Number of Days Water was lost for the Year ending the 31st March, 1900.

The following statement shows the revenue derived from sales of water, and also the cost of maintenance, for the year ended the 31st March, 1900: —

No. 5 Main Tail-race. Four parties have driven private tail-races from the main tail-race to their claims, and are now engaged in sluicing, but none of them are yet fully opened up, nor have they reached the bottom on which the best layer of gold-bearing wash rests, so that the payable or non-payable character of the claims is not yet ascertained. The claims now engaged in sluicing are Burger and party, Morgan and party, Thomson and party, and Morn and party. G. Brown and party have driven their private tail-race, and erected a water-wheel for stacking the large stones, and will at once start sluicing. D. Brown and party are engaged in driving their private tail-race, but, as this private tail-race is about 25 chains in length, it will be some time before they start sluicing operations. A line of wrought-iron pipes, 26 in. in diameter and about 2,440 ft. in length, has been laid from the Kapitea Hill Eace to a central position among the claims, which is capable of supplying three claims with ten sluice-heads of water each under an effective pressure of 73 ft. of water, plus the depth of the ground. While the parties holding claims at No. 5 channel were driving their private tail-races water was supplied from the race to keep the channel clear of the material trucked out. Water has also

156

Date. Water running Quantity of over Dam. Water lost. Holidays. No Water for Channel. Dams empty. 1899. Days. 2 4 Davs. 3 8 Davs. 3 Days. Days. April ... May ... June ... July ... August... September October November December 1900. 3 4 10 9 18 3 3 24 8 52 9 3 3 9 "a i 3 January February March ... 8 1 3 14 Oi 5 7 Totals 62 120* 19 15

Month. Sales of Water. Cash received for Sales of Water. Outstanding ; Number Expenditure, 1^ each Month, i ployed. Approximate Quantity of Gold .obtained. Value of Gold obtained. 1899. Lpril Hay une ruly .. August September )ctober November December £ s. d. 227 5 6 ! 312 9 1 251 19 9 244 19 2 196 14 3 157 7 1 218 13 4 129 12 10 177 13 11 £ s. d. 324 18 10 278 10 0 234 12 6 248 11 2 149 10 0 265 15 0 164 0 0 228 0 0 67 0 0 £ s. d. 141 10 6 142 2 8 151 10 11 134 4 3 119 9 2 153 1 7 153 12 4 142 15 2 230 11 0 £ s. d. 291 15 6 313 9 7 332 13 1 327 4 11 374 9 1 266 1-1 320 14 6 240 14 4 333 1 3 63 64 62 70 63 61 57 68 71 Oz. 410 548 447 435 355 320 396 235 321 £ a. d. 1,599 0 0 2,137 4 0 1,743 6 0 1,696 10 0 1,384 10 0 1,248 0 0 1,544 8 0 916 10 0 1,251 18 0 1900. 181 1 6 188 4 2 166 4 6 279 2 7 304 7 9 465 7 0 71 93 93 222 345 405 865 16 0 1,345 10 0 1,579 10 0 anuary February ■larch 122 1 4 193 0 2 226 19 3 176 0 0 167 15 0 66 0 0 Totals 2,458 15 8 : 2,370 12 6 1,904 7 9 69-66 4,439 (average) 117,312 2 0