3

H.—3

This statement is a summary of the information given upon Table 3, and shows the amount of the increase or decrease in each source of revenue upon the several gold fields for the year 1875, viz.:— Miners' Rights. Fees and Fines, Wardens' Courts. Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease. Auckland .. £1,772 Nelson .. £260 Auckland .. £92 Nelson .. £30 Marlborough 4 Otago .. 70 Westland.. 84 Westland 369 Otago . . 83 Survey Fees. Nelson .. £732 Business Licenses. Westland .. 124 Auckland .. £18 Nelson .. £747 Otago .. 80 Marlborough 5 Westland 508 Depasturing Licenses and Assessments. Otago 138 Auckland .. £11 Otago .. 5,213 Water-races, Slucies, Sfc. Auckland .. £5 Nelson .. £109 Miscellaneous. Westland .. 3 Otago .. 4 (Under this heading is included the rent from ■ agricultural leases.) Gold Mining Leases, Rents, Sfc. Nelson .. £194 Auckland.. £15 Westland .. £13 Auckland.. £252 Westland .. 13 Otago .. 1,013 Nelson .. 295 Otago .. 1,176 Marlborough 36 Gold Duty. Registration. Nelson .. £705 Auckland £1,030 Auckland .. £171 Nelson .. £318 Marlborough 4 Marlborough 1 Westland 11 Westland 736 Otago .. 15 Otago 1,362 A comparison of the revenues derived from the gold fields of the respective Provinces, for the last five years, gives the following result:— 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. £ £ £ £ £ Auckland Gold Fields.. 45,674.. 21,657.. 17,956.. 13,160.. 13,877 Nelson ~ .. 25,496 .. 24,043 .. 19,359 .. 18,563 .. 18,435 Marlborough „ .. 483 .. 520 .. 293 .. 279 .. 237 Westland „ .. 23,699.. 19,616.. 15,853.. 12,863.. 11,298 Otago „ .. 38,858 .. 40,344 .. 37,055 .. 38,678 .. 44,659 Mining Population. The diminution in the numbers of the mining population, upon which I had to observe last year, has, it would seem, been checked; the total number of miners upon 31st of March last was 16,639 as against 16,424 upon the same date last year, to which number it had fallen from 18,142 upon 31st March, 1874. It must, however, be noted that the number of Chinese miners has risen during the last year from 3,638 to 4,194. The comparative return of the gold-mining population in the different Provinces for the years ending 31st March, 1875 and 31st March, 1876, is as follows :— March, 1875. March, 1876. Auckland .. .. .. .. 1,768 .. 2,052 Marlborough .. .. .. .. 115 .. 54 Nelson .. .. .. .. 4,350 .. 3,903 Westland .. .. .. .. 3,588 .. 4,111 Otago .. .. .. .. .. 6,603 .. 6,519 The comparative numbers engaged in alluvial and quartz mining respectively, upon 31st March last, are shown as follows :— Quartz Miners. Alluvial Miners. Auckland .. .. .. 2,052 .. .. — Marlborough .. .. .. 4 .. .. 50 Nelson .. .. .. .. 792 .. .. 3,111 Westland .. .. .. .. .. ..4,111 Otago .. .. .. .. 281 .. .. 6,238 It thus appears that quartz mining occupies only about 19 per cent., or a little under onefifth of the total mining population • and that the Auckland Gold Fields have not yet developed any alluvial workings, although great hopes were entertained at one time of the Ohinemuri District.