The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1886.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 243, 15 October 1886, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1886.

For tho unit that lack* assistance, For tho wrong that necdt resistance. For tho future in tho distance, And tho good that "we can do.

The Chamber of Commerce may bo congratulated upon the "willingness shown at Wednesday's meeting to CO-operate with the representatives of our goldfields interests in urging upon the Government the claims of prospecting entcrpriso in the Auckland district. The northern goldfields havo received but scant justice from the Mines Department. Our miners have not, like Westlaud, au excessive representation in the House to plead their cause and bounce Ministers. The four " sturdy beggars" from the West Coast, who occupy a front bench hi tho legislative chamber, see to it that a big share of the goldfields votes go in tho direction of Westlaud, and the North has to content itself with a very modest portion. By ranging the city influence on the side of the goldfields something more may perhaps be wrung from the Mines Department, and nothing would do more to revive flagging business than rich gold discoveries. The moment is opportune. Many strong and adventurous spirits are returning to New Zealand from Kimberley bitterly disappointed, and are ready for any new adventure. Gold has indeed a wonderful effect upon men. Even the mere suspicion of its existence is like an overdose of oxygen or some strong tonic. It makes the people agog for enterprise, and, as was often shown in the old days of the gold fever, transforms sober, steady-going citizens into heroes of the pick, shovel, and cradle. As we have pointed out before, there are in the Thames and Coromandel ranges virgin fields of great promise— localities with respect to which there are absolute proofs that gold exists, awaiting the explorer. The construction of tracks through these districts would, we believe, be followed by very valuable discoveries, and our goldfields would enter upon a new era of prosperity.

Anything which the Chamber of Commerce can do to help on sucli a result as we have described will advance the interests of Auckland, but we think a word of caution is necessary against the turning of their attention exclusively to the support of that everlasting, all-devouring big pump. If the money spent upon it had been employed in prospecting the ranges and opening up new mining areas, it would probably have been better for Auckland and for the field itself. It is also questionable whether Government aid to a work of this kind is a legitimate expenditure of the public revenue. At anyrate, it must have dawned upon all concerned that the expenditure of £3,200 a year in keeping this " white elephant" going cannot be continued much longer, and that some" cheaper motive power will have to be found. It is stated that by changing from steam to water power the expense would not be moro than a year, and any scheme having as its object an alteration in the system of working so as to bring the cost of keeping the pumps going well within the means of the contributing companies is well worthy of the consideration and support of all persons concerned. But what we wish to point out is this —that the fostering aid of the Government, to which the northern goldfields are legitimately entitled, can be better applied to the opening up of new auriferous areas, and to the improvement of our gold-saving processes, than to subsidising enterprises upon the oldest part of the goldfield, which ought now to be able to stand on its own bottom.