THE PRESENT STATE OF THE GOLD FIELDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1008, 9 July 1862, Page 5

THE PRESENT STATE OF THE GOLD FIELDS.

It is by no means : a pleasant thing to have perpetually to harp lon one subject; but the present 1 almost impassable state of tne'roads through the gold fields demand the fimmediate attention Government, no matter whether-they are bored by the iteration or riot. The road from the Junction to the head of Gabriel's and Munroe's is in a. fright-; ful condition, and it is even made worse by the few bridges which were erected during the summer. These were made, to span the small creeks almost , on a level with the surface of the water, and as a matter of course have jbeen silted up. The course] of the stream being (thus it has washed: away the approaches, and it now requires more; power to get you-on to the bridge than it formerly, did to cross the creek without a roadway at all. It

is a matter of daily occurronco to find teams bogged up to the and over, being compelled to cross the creek without using the bridges, which should how have stood them in good service. When it is considered that more than a third of the entire population resident on Tuapeka are concentrated in Monroe's and towards the head of Gabriel's, and that every article they require must be conveyed over this villainous road, it is manifestly apparent that something should be done to make it passable. If the Government could do no more, they might at least construct the road as far as the spur which leads to the dividing range between, Gabriel's and Monroe's, as it is along its summit that the principal traffic passes. The cost would be comparatively trifling, and need not exceed .£3OO.

' The want of such a road is being seriously felt by the diggers, as the storekeepers, having to pay ;several pounds' extra per ton for goods, must charge it to t&ir customers. I'do not exaggerate when I jsay, so insecure and dangerous is this piece of road, ■that tinless it must be destruction to human life. It wasbut the other* day that a poor carter endeavouring to get his dray through one of i these' sloughs of. > lost urns 1 horse in the attempt. The poor beast in its struggles came too near one of the many holes that skirt the bank, fell into it, and before it could be released, was drowned, t The account of a. fortnightly escort has taken : people up here somewhat by surprise, many persons /imagine that we suffer a sad decadence if we can't ■ support 'a Weekly escort. I think, however, the 'arrangement is a good,one. It will save men and horses in this inclement weather, and a weekly escort, for the' present, at least, is not required. > ; Mining affairs remain unaltered. At the Tuapeka river there is still a considerable population, but a good many have left in consequence of the ; wetness of the ground. The parties who are sluicing on the banks of the river are making fair wages, but the population is too widely scattered to enable me to arrive at anything like a correct conclusion.as to the earnings of those who are digging on the flat. s

The population at Wethers ton's has also similarly decreased, but there is still a large amount of gold obtained from the old ground. Puddlers and sluicers are:busy at work, whenever the state of the weather permits them, and I seldom hear them grumbling as to the results.; r

There is no new enterprise of any kind going on, the miners appearing to . be satisfied in working the ground already opened. As I observe that it is the intention of Major Richardson and Mr. Dick to be present at'the next meeting of the General Assembly, I would suggest the propriety of their getting the Government to establish at once Wardens Courts for the gold fields. lam not aware whether the Superintendent had this particular power delegated to him, but I should imagine not, or otherwise these Courts would,long ere this have been established.

The imperative necessity of establishing Wardens Courts must be apparent to all who have read the Goldfields Act, and it is fortunate for the Commissioners that we have as yet no lawyer here, otherwise I am afraid they would frequently have the powers they exercise called into question.

It is to be hoped that without entering further into a somewhat dangerous subject, the present brief allusion will have the effect of drawing the attention of the gentlemen I have named to this most important matter. —Daily Times, June 30.