WESTLAND.

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1372, 1 April 1867, Page 3

WESTLAND.

I MAORI GULLY. The " Grey Eiver Argus," of March 26, comments as follows on the present state of- Maori gully : — "We cannot too urgently draw the attention of the Government to the necessity of opening up the extensive tract of country between Greymouth and the Brunner lake. There are good reasons for beliewng that the greater part of the district included between these two points is more or less auriferous, and that it the means of access and communication were improved a large population would probably find profitable employment. There is perhaps no richer ground in the whole of the West Coast than that which is to be found in and about the district of which Maori gully may be said to form the centre ; and there is certainly no known locality where gold is more generally distributed. Those who know this district—who have tried it and tried others, admit that it is a splendid field, and would give employment to thousands but for two very serious and important drawbacks. First, the extreme clearness of provisions, and second, the scarcity of water for sluicing purposes. The first mentioned evil is the greatest, for it may be said in one sense to be the cause of the second, inasmuch as when men have to pay nearly all their earnings for the bare means of existence they cannot have much capital to lay out in water-races and other works necessary for the due developement. of the resources of the district. The district; we mention is an exception to most of the known diggings on the West Coast. The gold is found under all manner of conditions—in the beds and banks of creeks, in alluvial flats, in terraces, and even on the summit of tolerably high hills. It is most generally found however in elevated terraces, the altitude of which is much above the level of the neighboring supplies of water; consequently the miners have to bring in water from considerable distances, or construct dams for storing the surface drainage. Works of this character however cost money, and those who might be disposed to invest capital in them find but little encouragement to do so, in the fact that even with a supply of water the miner can do little more than make a living. The result of this condition of things is that the district is almost denuded of its population, and the finest and most extensive goldfield on the coast is virtually deserted for any other field that offers less difficulty to the miner. The secret of all this is the want of proper means of communication. Take Maori gully, for instance, as an example of the abominable neglect with which tho Government has treated its population. Although Maori gully and the adjoining diggings have been worked for eighteen months, every pound of food consumed by the population costs nearly one shilling for carriage alone, because for some three or four miles all the supplies have to be carried on men's backs. And this is a place geographically within eight miles of Greymouth! It is no wonder that the miners prefer the Nelson territory, because they know that wherever a goldfield is established the authorities promptly follow up the diggers, and provide them with every inducement to remain. At this moment goods can be supplied to the diggers at the Inangahua from Greymouth at a cheaper rate than ?t Maori gully—and yet the one place is five or six times the distance of the other. It is true there has been a large sum of money expended on the famous Arnold track, and expended so wisely and so well that the road is now impracticable, and the miners coming down to Greymouth prefer to cross the river and walk down the admirable road on the Nelson side.

We would strongly urge upon his Honor the Superintendent the necessity of opening up the district we have referred to, as we are confident that so long as this is not done, the Government is locking up one of the most promising goldfielda in the province. What is wanted is a good main road as direct as possible between Greymouth and Maori gully, and so on to the Brunner lake; and, as we have said before, a tramroad would probably be as easily made as it would certainly be the most economical and efficient. We notice that his Honor has intimated the intention of the Government to carry out the tramway system in cases where public or private enterprise fails, and we trust he will give serious consideration to the question of a tramway to Maori gully.