THE WAIOTAHI ROADS, AND THE GOLD PROSPECTS OF THE DISTRICT

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5725, 2 February 1876, Page 3

THE WAIOTAHI ROADS, AND THE GOLD PROSPECTS OF THE DISTRICT

Wiru reference to the extension of tin gold fluids in the "W.uotahi distnct, the Tim an * Aili<r(f>fi m an iitiole alludes to the claims of tlu 1 distuet, and the gold returns, and the killing cost of tiansit. Miners ha\e made affidavits on the subject, setting forth that thej weio holdeis of claims which yield handsome returns, and would pay good dividends, were the cost of transit 1 educed as roads only ian reduce it. Rcferung to the Monarch Claim, the Ath'i'r-If-ir says : — " This claim is situated on the 1 ulge at the head of the Waiotaln Cieek leading towards Nolan's Candlelight. Out of a p.ueel of IS tons of stone they obtained a totvl 1 etui n of o\er44o7. of :,'old, and yet the j leld was not a payable one. ' Our contemporary procouls to show whv it was not piyable, and de-iiubes wh.it ii wanted to rendei them so ,ind the cuiscs which operate to cause diss itisfaetion, Jos->, anddela). "It was not," he says, "because the mine was dillicult to work, or th.it the lode was too small It was because the pioliU weie eaten up in the expenses and delays incidental to the conveyance of the quart/ in the first instance to the head of the Moanataian tramway, and down that tiamway to the Moanatai.in lutt'iy. These men are not alone m this position Othoi-. are in the same predicament A ter months of woik and toil they h.uc heaps of qu.ut/ accumulated which would yield from one to two ounces to the ton, bit they are so hemmed in by difhcultics, aud detuied by the expense ot tiansit that they will not undertake to forwaid that quart/ to the crushing mills which are now idle on the flat, because theie is no quaitz to eiush Such a state of things is simpl/ disgiaccful on a goldiield which has now been open foi nearly nine yeai a. Those claim-, it must be recollected, aie not great distances— many miles away back m an maccesb hie countiy They are within a mile of tie beach, and there is now a good dray load ne.uly half the distance up the creek. What is wanted is to extend this road. It is a noik which, in the interests ot the goldliell, should not only be pioceedcd with at oiue, but is one which should have been done long ago, and furthei delay is not only bid policy but is a positive injustice to the people of the gold field. But the question now aii~.es, how is this road so be made — where is the money to come horn? The Oeneial (4o\ eminent hiving seized the goldfiolls' levenuo, that whuh w i-< due to us and that which is to come, and tluough l>i Pollen having distinctly stated that the Cicneial (Jovernnitnt will not incur any expendituie on goldhelds loads, it is evident that f i om this souice we can expect nothing The 1'ioviuciil < ioveinment have alieady pleaded an emptj ticasury and no iesoince->, so fiom tliat souice we need acarccK liope tor relief, uulesb, some unexpected windfall should fill the piovincial chest. But we question whether, as a reasonable com munity, w e can be expected to a^ct nt Di. Pollen's dictum upon a. subject, which, to us, i.s of the most vital nupoitaucc, and we shall look to the Supeiintondent t ) see that we, as an iutcgial poition of the pi o- \ nice, are not defrauded of our just and equitable lights. We have biirely a nght to the money raised from goldflelds revenue for goldiields expenditure, and it is the duty of the Supci intendent, as our l epresent itive and a» holder of the delegated powers of the (loveinor, to stjp la and, if possible, neutralise the aibitiiiy action of the Premier. It is \eiy unfair tint the Thames should be made the bailor between the General and I'lovnicul (lovernments, and it is positively unjust that our interests should be made '-uller as they have done on account of the political ditleiences between oui dual <!o\tinmcnts. We hope the action lecently taken, which has wrung from the ( ! uncial Ooveinment the paltry sum of £1,000 for public Avoiks, will not now cease, and uige that immediate action ought to be taken to impicss upon the anthoutios the absolute necessity which exists for opening up the goldfield b> means of suitable ro ids "