LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

AST APPEAL

Sir, Would you kindly once again allow us to make an. appeal through the columns of your widely-read paper, on behalf of the friendless poor, the fallen, the orphans, and neglected children? Whilst we would cordially thank our many large-hearted friends for their bountiful Christmas consideration in the years that have vanished, yet may wo once more, in this coming Christmas, press a claim for those of our less-favoured fellow mortals, who have drifted to the dark side of existence. From the unloveliness that has become their constant lot, we would fain lift them up for a few Christmas hours of merry feasting, and gifts for tho children. Our homes throughout the colony during the past year have been taxod to their utmost capacity, some most difficult cases being dealt with. Our work is interdenominational ; our doors are open to all classes, to every shade of creed: but for some time we have been considerably hampered through the want of larger, more suitable buildings. We are, therefore, at present in the midst of erecting a children's home in Wellington and a larger maternity home in Christvhurch, both ol which places are to be ready for occupation early in the new year. tor the sake of the children, the. offspring of the drunkard, the thief, and the tramp, tor those young lives, over whom sin and adverse circumstances have flung the dreadful pall of gloominess and wretchednessfor these may I ask help, and brightness for Christinas. I think I can salely promise that if you will entrust us with either large or little gifts of money, or otherwise, we shall see trie cup of happiness will be pressed down, and running over, for one day at least. Donations will be most thankfully received at any of the homes, or our authorised collector will bo pleased to wait on any donor. Yours, to lift the fallen, A. P.vi'L. 9 Women's Social Secretary, N,Z.

MR. McGOWAN AND THAMES MINING. Sir, —In your issue to-day appears considerable matter on the above important subject, a good deal of which is of comic opera type, and would bo very funny indeed were it not that the question has a very serious and pathetic side, involving, as it docs, the bread and butter of the whole goldfields community. Your sub-leader asserts that Mr. Mcfjowan denounces Thames ruining as "having, for the last ten years, been run for market purposes, and not for development." Now. sir, does this mean that Thames has been merely dangling its old-time reputation as a bait for merely and solely rigging a market, and that it has entirely abandoned all hope and effort in the direction of making new discoveries of Bonanza patches like Shotover, Moanataiari; and Caledonian of glorious memory? Surely, sir, Mr. McGowan neither said nor meant any such unqualified, wholesale assertion, in view of the actual fact that much money and labour has been spent in the farther exploitation of all such old mines as those above mentioned (not all in vain, as vide the Waiotahi), and further, that work on a comprehensive scale has gone so far towards giving the old field a new life by means of the extension of the Kurauui Hill tunnel towards the back country at, ?nd beyond, Punga Flat. No doubt "Mr. McGowan and all of us are aware that in gold mining, as in other industries, there are those whose ways are, " dark and whose tricks are vain." "A' the country kens o' that," and can and must lake care of itself or take the inevitable consequence. For I don't think it would pay " any outsider to denounce indiscriminately, each and every plausible, or other, proposition presented to the public. Indeed, even any Government that appointed a censor in this connection would be taking risks every time,. because even the worst or " best laid schemes of mice and men'' don't always result in failure. There have been several "Green Harp" surprises since and before the Coromanclel incident.

A foolish friend of mine some fourteen year.'; ago denounced what he then suspected of being a gross swindle, near Wellington, and thereby earned for himself the solid curse of New Zealand's capital city. He was quito sincere at the time, and backed his opinion to the tunc of £50, which he could ill afford. In the event, Dr. Sir James Hector, acting as judge in the matter, sent him the stakes (£1C0) and compliments and thanks for saving Wellington from the hands of a group of Thames •'artists." Notwithstanding and nevertheless, my too impulsive friend (being older and possibly wiser now) often wonders whether or not his was a gross act of unconscious stupidity in condemning what, may: yet, possibly, prove a field of monumental mineral wealth. : No, sir, in milling it is not always safe, to prophesyuntil afterwards. How many very wise'men's noses were turned heavenwards at the hungry, barren outcrop on the Martha Hill at Waihi? But, and alas! how many deceptive surface delusions have we been mourning fcr these many, many days? I hold no brief for either the average bubble-blower or for the Honourable Minister for Mines in their respective capacities, but the latter has all and any sympathy I can spare. I won't say that ho resembles a round peg in a. square hole. He means well, and that in itself is something, and his hands are unsoiled, and that counts for still more. I happen to be one holding the opinion that individual gold mining neither, requires nor deserves ;special subsidies. All it requires and languishes for is wise legislation to fit. the varying characteristics, features, and formations in each particular district, and then allow these to work out their own salvation without fear or favour. In the peninsula's early days, from 1867 to. 1887, small claims and rich surface deposits were the order of the day. In later times deeper developments involved heavy outlays and larger combinations of local and foreign capital, and also that the areas should hi* in due proportion to the risks and capital proposed for the programme of exploitation. But just as it is deemed best, in the interest of the country generally, and of the individual in particular, that large pastoral and agricultural land holdings shall be valued, compensated for, and broken up, so. in inverted order, should small mining holdings, when necessary, be valued and dealt, with so as best remedy the altered present stagnant moribund condition of the Thames coldfield.

Mr. McGowan takes credit- (as I understand him) for having obtained power to donate £10,000 towards a deep development system (albeit lie suggests diverting a dole of £1000 of this sum (o some other purpose if not soon applied for by Thames). But is not Mr. McGowan in all this somewhat mysteriously inconsistent? Why grant a, subsidy of a paltry £10,000 in £1000' dribble?, to facilitate an undertaking that ho himsalf declares needs an outlay of £200,000. £300,000, or-(Men more, when he sees no chance of any such amount being raised on the merits of such" scheme'.' He says that lie doubts of its being forthcoming. Why, he is. positively certain that in the present condition of ih"> mining market such a. thing is wen outside the limits of possibility. And just here allow mo to tell him that were the market ever 'so lively, there is no money available, for any such proposition, unless under conditions that, our present laws have no "power to confer, namely, among and before all other considerations, security ot indefeasible title.

Mr. MeGowan professes Full assurance that in the deeper levels will be found abundant wealth. Just how far such assurance will go in raising £200,000 or £300,000 mav depend on whether or not ho can ''render a reason" for his faith. Mr. MeGowan, unfortunately, is not much of a miner, or geologist, himself, and all wo know about the men who hitherto have guided him in such matters has been of a negative character, or something much more so. I venture to say that (unless to the Whitaker Wright type of brigand). Mr. McGowan's assurances and his faith will bring little grist to the Thames mill, until, and unless, he legislates towards giving the man with the money-bag a free hand and on his own terms. J. W. Walker.

Sir,— Hon. James McGowan's remarks on the 'above subject will meet with approbation from all genuine mining investors, a3 it is well known that those persons who have had the controlling power of some of the Thames mines for the past 20 years have worked the mines solely for market purposes. Besides, the so-called mining engineers have failed to formulate any feasible scheme to induce capitalists to find money to test the deep levels, I therefore congratulate the Minister on his outspoken remarks. Deep Sinker.

HOTELS AND COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS.

Sir,l have taken considerable interestin the recent discussion in your columns between commercial travellers on the liquor question. It is not often these gentlemen let themselves go on such a subject. They are usually men of peace, almost at. any price. But 1 commend them for their departure from the old beaten track. So far the liquor champions have had all the woi-st of it, and whether they realise it or cot they arc contributing materially to the success of the no-license cau=e by alienating the few- sympathisers they may have had, for nil sections of the community seem to unite in condemning these boycotting tactics of the "trade." towards no-license advocates. I would sa* to all teetotal travellers. " Stand to Tour guns," Fbanklix Elector. liuntly.