WHAT OUR GOLD FIELDS REALLY ARE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 945, 30 November 1861, Page 3

WHAT OUR GOLD FIELDS REALLY ARE.

(FJBOM THE OTAGO ' WITNESS.') In our List summary we ventured on somewhat more hopeful views concerning the future of the gold fields than we had hitherto indulged in. Still we carefully guarded against the least approach to exaggeration, and rather endeavoured to repress than excite two sanguine expectation. In fact, and it is time now to acknowledge it, the policy we have adopted since the discovery of the gold fields, has been to attempt to keep under and repress the excitement that, might.naturally be. anticipated to follow the discovery of vast unbolted for wealth. We knew how uncertain gold discoveries were, how patches of the precious metal will occasionally be found in the midst of unproductive country; we saw that the barest intimation of facts was sufficient to draw down overwhelming numbers from the neighbouring colonies, and felt that the province might be subjected to many difficulties by the sudden overcrowding of population. Guided by these considerations, we adopted the policy we have mentioned, and we confess the result is such as we desired. It would have been easy for us to paint highly colored pictures of the new fields of. gold, and" our remarks would have obtained the ., circulation of at least fifteen hundred copies, which :|

are weekly sent by post to the neighbouring colonies. But what end would such a course have answered. It would undoubtedly have brought down several thousand persons more to our shores, and, as things have turned out, probably the persons so coming would have found no reason to complain. But the gold fields might not have turned out as they have done, and the result would then have been a lamentable over-crowdino- of a large mining population into a small gold-produc-ing district. The result has been very different. The large number of persons who have arrived have on the average met with satisfactory results; and if we even admit that a larger quantity might have found subsistence, no harm can possibly arise from the number having been kept temporarily back. The policy we pursued, we are glad to say, was endorsed by our contemporary, and by the majority of the old inhabitants. Much to the credit of the latter, they behaved with singular moderation. Many persons in their position, benefitting to an immense extent by the increased value of property and by the increase of business, would have displayed undue feelings of exultation, and paraded their good fortune about. To their credit, as we have said, they abstained from doing so; and the consequence was, that apparently the inhabitants of Otago, and the local press, rather under-valued than otherwise, the value of the gold discoveries. Emboldened by this, our contemporaries in the neighbouring colonies, have, in shameless violation of truth, indulged in the most reckless exaggerated statements of the failure of the gold fields, and of the distress of the unfortunate new arrivals. One paper talks of starving hundreds; another dreads famine riots, and boldly asserts that the military was sent for to suppress them; another discusses the way in which the miserable deluded victims should be fetched back; another anticipates "dreadful consequences" when the ship-loads on the water arrive; and scores of others combine (the only point, by the bye, on which probably they ever did agree) to give Otago a desperately uninviting character. Now we can bear a great deal, but endurance has its limits, and our contemporaries must blame themselves if they have overtasked ours. Self-assertion is forced on us as a duty; and besides, the character of the gold fields has become so assured that there is less danger now of their resources being too largely drawn on. Since the 4th ult. the quantity of gold arrived in town by escort is 70,200 ozs., besides which, at least 5000 ozs. have come down by private hands. Now we calculate that there are, at the present time, about 15,000 persons on the diggings; but a large portion of them have only arrived during the last four or five weeks: and if we put down 13,000 persons as absolutely employed in getting the gold, we shall be in excess of the number. Taking these numbers as a basis, the average earnings of the miners during the last six weeks are seven-and-a-half ozs. per man, or 1 oz. 5 dwts. per week. Now let us see what the average is in Victoria. By returns now before us of the mining surveyors for the month of August, we find that out of a population of 239,917 persons on the gold fields, 108,000 were actually engaged in mining. For the six weeks ending the 30th August, the amount of gold brought down by escort was 238,814 ozs. Although there is scarcely any gold taken down by private hands in Victoria, we will allow a little to make up the even number, and call the amount 240,000 for the six weeks, or 40,000 per week. To show how fair this average is, we may mention that during the five weeks ending the 18th October, the average was only 35,720 ozs. Well, 40,000 ozs., divided amongst 108,000 miners, give less than 7| dwts. per week per man for Victoria; whilst we have shown the average here during the same space of time is loz. sdwts., or three and half times as much as in Victoria. These figures favour Victoria rather than Otago, for 10,000 miners are more than the average absolutely engaged during the last six weeks; whilst in tho computation for Victoria we have only supposed two-fifths of the gold fields population to be engaged in mining. In Victoria, besides, they have machinery to the value of £1,300,000 to aid in procuring the gold, the interest on which should be deducted from the earnings of the miners.

We give these figures in no arrogant spirit; they need no remark—they speak for themselves. Last mail to Europe took home from Sydnny and Melbourne most desponding accounts of the Otago gold fields: it is our duty to see that the misapprehension this is likely to occasion in the imperial country be removed. Some two thousand copies of this issue are sure to find their way to Great Britain; and to this extent at least we may hope to remedy the mis-statements our contemporaries have indulged in. It would be an act of grace on their part to see their ways, and give the same publicity to the denial that they have to the mis-statement. For the rest, it is only necessary to say that the gold fields have never looked better than at present; that this week was the largest escort yet; that uniformly each escort increases; that thousands of ounces are known to be left behind weekly; that a new gold field is reported to be discovered ; and that the present fields are daily enlarging. No embellishments are required to facts such as these, and we confidently look to an increase of the population direct from the home country, without the intermediate process of the conversion of new chums into old colonists.