FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1938, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM THE /■■;»;.;;.:-i'"POST":;;; Lv.::";:

GOLDJMWAIRAMpA'

'■: ■'-JTimeflißlonti' can^tel^^^ther there - 5s ''anything v.V-fn lAthe^-. discovery of / ~, quartz reefs'^ th^Tiararua *. .... " ;Ran^s^Vr^marte':^^e';iP9st'';.pl,- this ■ : • date-fifty years;ago.*;-"As yet there is " • no. very conclusive: information!, on the subject, but. enough is known to justify : ! some; in : .testing the \ques- " 'tiorii. - Mr.' Mackayl: of ■■ th<P Geological ": Department, and Sir James Hector, we believe, regard theexistenc'eof aurifer- , ous reefs in the- country as : at (least ". the bounds of'possibility from ;•■■;■' a^ geological point of :view. ..There;.' is also.no doubt.that■■■sm'all■-specimens of . -■■ gold-bearing stone have * been found - in some of the riverbeds/ whiles the V". .'colour'-- can be found in many of .the ■: streams Which: flow, from-these ranges.'

.The cbuntry is a terribly rough and .;.' wild one, and very: little is■ known of k -N:lt.:;'The .difficulties/toithe way;, of thorough exploration are'very;;grea.t, and -we cannot expect, anything beyond: chance results from the indi- • Vyidual efforts.now .being-/made, by in- :■ experienced prospectors.- They, '..of course, might1 stumble, across: a rich reef,' but;.would bevalmost as/likely; to ' p'ass .'one by ■withput;: detecting 'its * character. ' The value. of ■...the'^cjiscpvery ; •■• !'o£" a 'goTd ißeld: ia:the' Tararua Ranges would, of course, be enormo.uS: to Wellington; ; and, indeed, ".&; mattier of importance to'the'whole colony, for, if gold ;exists there at all the auriferous t": ~,area :is ■probably :..■ an extensive one. ,The: probabilities appear. to'.us suf:flcient to justify systematic 'prospecting to some extent,' and we would suggest that the. Chamber of'Commerce might fairly consider the subject, arid ask4 the Government: to spend a small ,-Wv sum in equipping a competentl ■pros'-' Meeting.'P^rly. . ■ Fox,":ithe' wellrknown . prospector,; who 'already Jias: several, :-'; valuable" discoveries to his 'credit, is; We believe, ; iri-Wellington;'or,'at.least, ■-.■.' 'was here -very ■xec'eritly,'* 'seeking •" ; em- ' ■ ployment. .■'.■; His, practical: knowledge; and "experience ' would render "him a very suitable person to be engaged for a month or-twoSvithfa small party, to ,■• prospeet. r and-.explore. ; theßanges be-:-ii"- iind the:Wairarapa.H^"; ";.;■: k- ':

: GROWTH OF THE CJLTy. "The latest figures .embodying the result of the city-■valuation tell a tale of steady and-rapid progress which is eminently satisfactory. .For the last ?■■ ten years there/has-been, a -regular • annuals increase 'in the value of therateable property, ■ and i in; the number ~- of buildings in the city. It is doubtful Whether'a; similarV; record.:.Qf equal progress ,-can.i be by any .other .: .city in.;the':colony.': ln.:some"'of-'.them;; >■" "we know, it is 'expected that the pre- ;.-■■• sent year's- valuation -will show a? re-. "', '.ductipn rather, than an increase; ■. The - •.'•-"Wmber of,new; -buildings erected dur- '"' ing the yearVhas exceeded one a day,' ' not at all a bad frate! of increase, but. ■■ one Which we/expect to find consider- : ; kbly exceeded within .the next twelve ; months* =• The .-number of empty houses ■ 'returned is I comparatively 'smalli but. iit is really considerably, larger than ■ the figure^ actually, bear "but. 'The city ' ; valuatioiiis necessarily a >work of time. '• : Mr. Ames has'been.'engaged' on. it for ■. .-many weeks,: ward "by yr'ixd. No doubt : : many^ of th'e\;houses found-tenantless

in one. ward .When the Valuation "was ;. made,'were; occupied a; few days after by perspn^movingfirdm another ward,: leaving'there a.HouSe'.teiiiporarily" un- ■'■ occupied 'to i i 6'rniV anbth'er", i tehi in; the '■.' valuer's list when; coming to .it.'After ■ all, 114 houses, mainly small two or three;, roomed. cottages, „is not a. large .- number,- to'be. unoccupied out of-some '" 5000., / The increase in valuation : :' for jwatef purposes is a satisfactory feature from a sanitary point of view. As appeals., against valuations by ;. Mr. Ames .are rarely made,, arid still, more rarely sustained, 'it'■ is 'pretty:.; evident that,,the,,Corporation revenue.^'from rates: will be nearly £2000^inore than last year—a nd doubt" very" welcome : ..addition." .: ■••.... . . -;: . ■-.-, : : "•". ',■ \ [.The total number of rateable properj"■ ties was.. 6640/ with ;'a valuation of ■ £290,834. -The number! of dwellings iivas'49s9.] . • ' -:v

CIVIL SERVICE HOURS.

"Government have ;dedided to lengthen vtHe rioiirs,;.of Civil. Servsints, and .the latter, are-much:.exercised in consequence. The daily.'duty will cominence : at; 9- a.m. instead of 9,;30 as at jpresentivVarid vterminate i( p-.trv.'■< injstead.bf -4.30: as.isiiibSw 'the:case. An. vfrour, however, is to. be allowed lor /■lunch, instead''-'of 30. minutes. /(iatelfrbm'which'the new hours are to (be observed has riot been fixed. It ijbas also been'decided to exclude the; public from, 'the Government' Buildings duririgthe morning, as.it is found . jthat business-is 'yery /.much/ hindered 'bjr the; number "of .people who; .wait ...upon the officials -on purely, personal The new/regulation" provides :ihat :visitors wiir.v only 'be admitted' ' after .lunch, and then they;willvbe'only .^ble to .interview; the minor officials in a waiting room which is to be fitted ' Up. A notewillbe taken of'the,length ..of time each officer is present in the room.- ;....'Specific provision .is to; be, jniade for' the.'admission of persons who have public,"business to transact With Ministers or heads of.. Departments.; Civil/servants-as-a whole, it -js understood,'d^ not regard the new regulations with if ay bur"."; •.: V.

"The cable messages point unmistakably to the: probability of. a. European jwar breaking but; at rip very distantdate. pacific assurances go i£or nought when'Contrasted with her warlike preparations all along the lineof her/frontier;,; ' if it doe^; come, the fcpnflict will ;be on- a,.magni- : scale',6f :- tude almost yhpreiedented in European Jiistory,- and the issues dependent upon" jt will be proportionately - important." -!The. opinion entertained in sonie quarters that a- triple alliance between Russia, England, and France may be brought about, is, we think, highly im-. probable. Although prospects at pre-' sent appear black indeed, At is sbmje' .consolation that they • have: in past times looked even blacker without the ■clouds of war bursting. Let us hope" that, they will blow over in the present crisis."

A SURPRISE VISIT

"The sudden and, we believe, entirely unexpected arrival at Newcastle of a Russian man-of-war from Vladivostock afforded a ; practical and timely illustration of the danger these colonies would"be exposed to were England at war with Russia. The Ves^ trik, it will be remembered, came1 also unannounced, arid departed somewhat mysteriously. Now the Avillan is at Newcastle before any of naval or other authorities, have, the..slightest intimation of her having left Vladivo- - stock, or "being in'Australian • waters. ■In time of. war- it would, of course, be "more.difficult to make a surprise"'visit of this /kind, for the Chinese squadron would, no doubt, keep a strict guard over the outlets of the sea of Japan, but it would not be wise to trust altogether to such a blockade proving effectual. A stray cruiser might elude the squadron,'and, finding her way into : ,the "Pacific, make an Australian or ■ New• Zealand -port without any.pre- , vious intimation ■.■■ of her visit -.being given. •: If war does ■ break out,.; the colonies will have constantly to be on guard, and maintain the utmost vigilance in preventing a surprise by night or day. Russia would prove a wily I foe."