THE GOLDEN BAY ARGUS. (FLAT JUSTITIA, RUAT CŒLUM.) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14th, 1897. OUR GOLDFIELDS.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume VI, Issue 72, 14 October 1897, Page 5

THE GOLDEN BAY ARGUS. (FLAT JUSTITIA, RUAT CŒLUM.) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14th, 1897. OUR GOLDFIELDS.

At the last meeting of the Road Board, the Board’s dayman, who interviewed the Board, remarked incidentally that the “billet” he held under the Board was not all “ beer and skittles.” He said his total earnings for the last twelve months amounted to .£B7 (33? per week) and out of that he had to find his own tools and “ wear and tear,” and travel in his own time, lie was generally on the road for eleven or twelve hours every day. When we also take into consideration the fact that the dayman’s wages are always about twelve months in arrears, it is quite apparent that to serve under the Collingwood ratepayers is a very envious position.

Mr G. G. Sandison, our local surveyor, has received a professional engagement in (South Canterbury, and he is therefore leaving for that district by steamer on Saturday. He will be away several months. Mr Sandison has just completed the survey and preparation of plans for No. 4 section of the Bonny Boon Road for the Aorere Works Committee. The work is very creditably done, being by jar the best we have seen supplied to the local bodies here.

We give final reminder of the Concert and Ball to be given by the Takalm Brass Band to morrow night. We understand the affair promises to be brilliantly successful.

Mr Holdsworth has completed tire survey of tire Slate River water race for the Collingwood Goldfields, and left for Nelson yesterday, where he proposes to fini h up his office work in connection with the scheme.

Our Nelson correspondent wires the result of the education Board election ' for the return of two members (which was hold yesterday) as follows : T. Baigent, 38; Beuke, 27; Peart, 11 ; Thomas, 9 ; McNeill, 9; Piper, 9; IT. Baigent, 7 ; Win, 3 ; Forsyth, 3 Mr Peart is therefore the highest unsuccessful '■candidate.

Captain Kirk’s fine timber vfssel, the Morni :g Light, came into harbour on Friday last and has been attempting to -load timber all the week. The very wet weather has prevented the vessel from getting a lull load on her maiden trip, and she sailed to-day for Lyttelton via Waitapu.

The vveathei for the last fortnight has been execrable, anil all outside work in every direction has been practically stopped. Appearances at present are not very promising for a change for the better. SPRING and SUMMER DRAPERY. —W. C. ltn.EV and Co have opened another lot of Seasonable goods. Early inspection invited. Bibles, Church Prayer, and Hymn Books, always in stock.

W. C. Riley and Co are offering last Season’s Prints, Muslins, and Summer Dress Goods at Greatly Reduced Px-ices for Cash only.

New Ads.—Annual meeting Athletic Association. —Tenders wanted by Road Board. —Notice re proclamation of sludge channels.—&c., &c.

From the Reports of Wardens on Goldfields, presented to Parliament the other day, we extract the following from Mr Warden Heaps’ report on the Collingwood Goldfields dated June last:—

“ It is gratifying to bo aide to report unmistakable progress in this part of district. There is evidence that not long hence this will become a busy mining centre and the home of other allied industries.

Since the Ist April, 189 G, sixteen special claims or licensed holdings have been issued. This is the largest number ever issued here in any one year, and, in fact, heats the number ever held before at any one time. On the 31st March, 189 G, the number held was eleven; on the 31st March, 1897, the number was twenty-seven. The licensees of most of the holdings recently granted are apparently very much in earnest about developing the properties they have acquired, and a deal of preliminary work has been done and money spent, leading up to larger and more active operations in the near future. Among these I may mention Messrs Fell and Gilmer’s properties at the Quartz Ranges and the Golden Gully, which is to he known as the “ Collingwood Goldfields Company (Limited)” ; also, John Tyler’s holding at Coles’ Creek, where a very promising reef is being opened up. The Rocky River Hydraulic Sluicing Company have also commenced preliminary work; and it seems very probable that their plant will be laid and sluicing commenced before the end of the present year. The Parapara Hydraulic Sluicing and Mining Company are working steadily at their claim, and it is generally believed with satisfactory results, hut as they are at present sluicing on private property, I am unable to give the actual result, the company not having furnished the information.

A small decrease in the number of miners’ rights issued has taken place during the year, and also in the number of mining applications made, the numbers being : Miners’ rights—-Colling-wood, 134 ; Takaka, 50. Applications —Collingwood, IG7. This is easily accounted for by the large number of miners required at Taitapu, West Wanganui, where at the present time fully a hundred are constantly employed in opening up the Taitapu Gold Estates Company’s properties, on which a great amount of capital is being expended. The Johnston’s United Mining Company is at present at a standstill, they having obtained protection for all their properties, which expires on the 2nd July next. The proclamation of the Aoreie River as a sludge-channel is being anxiously waited for by a number of persons who intend to take up claims. When the declaration is mado, this locality will become one of the m< sfc important in the district, as the liver is known to ho very rich in wash in many parts, and is eminently suitable for dredging.

Coal is being worked at Pakawau, and Taylor and Walker have recent.y been opening up their coal lease at Puponga. In conclusion, 1 may mention that, so far as the Collingwood di. trict is concerned, there are no unemployed. Not only has it found employment h r its own population, but a large number of strangers have also found employment.”