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New Zealand Mail, Issue 118, 19 July 1873, Page 11

A vert general impression prevails that gold mining is only of a temporary character, and that its attractions lead merely to the opening of new countries by the adventurous gold seekers who, after a few years, extract the gold deposits and give place to colonists who will turn other resources of the country to account. There is no denying that gold has in all times been sufficient attraction to the adventurous to occupy countries which without it would have lain waste for centuries, and that the result of their toils has supplied that capital which, although it is labor in another form, is so necessary to the maintenance of labor in a new country during the early stages of its occupation. But, that gold mining is only an occupation for wanderers, or that the mines are soon exhausted, is no more true than of any other industry where the product is a fixed quantity, and cannot be grown or otherwise increased. A mere glance at the world’s goldfields and their history from the days of Ophir to those of this colony shows that they are not readily exhausted and abandoned. It is probable that at this day men are extracting gold from the same fields whence Solomon derived his supplies for the beautifying of the Temple, and we find California not only maintaining, but steadily increasing its product. The same may be said of most goldfields, although they suffer in most cases a temporary falling off from causes which we will presently explain. This country will show similar results, both temporary and permanent. Already Otago, our oldest goldfield of importance, is steadily increasing its yield, and the western coast of the Middle Island, and the mines of Auckland, will soon imitate its example. The gold at first is

merely scrambled for by men working singly or in small parties, and with the crudest mechanical aids. A newgoldfield is a Tom Tiddler’s ground, where no one sets in to honest work, but rushes about from spot to spot, often leaving rich ground to seek something still better, and be the first to enjoy it. Law is almost unknown, and a. Communistic feeling prevails that every worker should have a chance, and capital be prevented from interference, so ihat the pioneers may reap the first harvest. This it is which tempts prospectors and attracts the most adventurous of gold seekers in their train. As the news of discovery gradually widens its circle, others follow till the country is over “ rushed,” and although great seeming prosperity exists, and a very large amount of gold is produced, it is almost certain that at such time the average earnings.of those on the field are much less than after the ebb of the rush, and when the gross product is less. Gradually as the easily gotten gold—mostly in creeks and river beds becomes scarcer it is found necessary to induce capital and competition for the working of the ground, and gold mining becomes a highly skilled handicraft in all its stages li is sought for by exploration and borings, requiring shrewd geological conjecture and local knowledge, and when found, either in quartz or gravel, its processes of separation are elaborate and costly. In this colony our known fields have passed the prospecting stage, and are gradually giving employment to permanent undertakings employing a large capital. The first gold discovered is generally alluvial, the working of which commonly leads to the discovery of auriferous quartz reefs. Of botii classes there are many mines throughout the colony, but as the alluvia! are the oldest their development lias received the most attention, and is being larg- ly aided by the Parliamentary vote for water supply. This vote of £300,000 is we believe, all appropriated, and although it is too soon to expect results, there can be no doubt that they will he satisfactory and induce a much huger grant for the same purpose. The money is being applied to the making of canals to convey water to localities where auriferous earth is found, and to precipitate from it the gold, just as the rivers have done in former times, and, indeed, are now doing. Some of these canals will cost from £40,000 to £OO,OOO, and, although pigmy works as compared with some in California, they are too large for mining enterprise here, which, cramped as it is by limitations of areas of claims, by heavy taxation, and unaided by the mercantile community, cannot be expected to undertake them. It has, for this reason, become necessary that the Government should construct such works; and possibly it may be more advantageous that the water power of the country should be held by the Government, and more attractive to miners to know that they can get small claims and buy water at cheap rates, than to allow large areas and water rights to be monopolised by mining companies. Those unacquainted with goldmining no doubt wonder in what way the water is used to render it so valuable. The answer is, that it is used to remove mountains, and, in, transitu , to extract the gold therefrom. With loose gravel, one man with one head of water (a stream having a sectional area of 40 inches) can do as much work as a hundred with the primitive cradle. This is sufficient to show the extent to which alluvial mining wi I he extended by a plentiful water supply and to remove any doubts as to its value, but we may add that in California one man commonly directs twenty-five heads of water with a pressure of 300 and more feet through a single nozzle, which give such force as to tear down and disintegrate cement beds, which would scarcely yield to the pick. In claims worked with abundance of water brought underpressure in wrought iron pipes from a great Iheight, as much as 20,000 tons of earth fare washed away daily, and a high authority states that less than tenpennyworth of gold to the cubic yard will afford a fair price for water, and leave, a handsome profit. It will probably he long before we reach the stage to which mining industry has attained in the Western States of America. There some gigantic water supply works have been ifndertaken, and 6000 miles of canals kg?e been made in Californi a

alone,where one canal delivers 6000 tons of water per hour. The earth washed away is often as much as 300 feet in depth. In some cases more than 200 acres in extent are owned by one company. To get at this, tunnels 2000 feet long have been driven through rock, and enormous quantities of blasting powder ave used to loosen the earth andof quicksilver to catch the gold in the sluices. A sample claim is perhaps better than a general description, and we abridge from a report by the U.S.A. Commissioner Raymond, a description of the Little York Mining and Western Company, California, which owns 240 acres of mining ground, and three ditches, with an aggregate length of forty-five miles, carrying seventy-five heads of water. A portion of their ground has a lead 300 to 500 feet wide at bottom, and a mile wide on top ; its average depth is 170 feet, of which 80 feet is hard cement. The company have two crushing mills, but have osased to use them, on account of the superior facilities they enjoy for the construction of a system of dumps (falls), which serve to break up and disintegrate the hardest cement, the claims having an outlet of 600 feet fall. The company have 10,000 feet of wooden_ troughs, 5 feet wide, for carrying water; and nearly four miles of iron pipe for conducting the water from the ditches to their mines, where they use sixty heads of water with the hydraulic nozzle, which enables one man to divert the whole stream to any point he chooses, within 200 feet. From the. same authority we learn that the oldest goldfields of America are merely scratched, and that “from the light at present thrown on the subject, the writer, if compelled to hazard an .estimate of the area of the deep “placers,” would place it at between 400 and 500 square miles, with an average depth of 120 ft, and would feel confident that he had rather understated than exaggerated the amount.” In this colony an enormous area of ground as yet almost untouched is known to be auriferous, and which could be profitably worked by the simplest appliances if water were available, and plenty of partially worked ground would pay to rework. The great want of our goidfields is water, an abundant available supply of which will lead to the discovery of auriferous reefs and attract a large population to our shores. There need be no fear of the exhaustion of our fields, as up to the present time even the refuse or tailings of the old workings would pay to work under the most improved system. We have been induced to give these extracts and views, believing them to be of general interest, and in the hope of inducing more attention to an industry which has attracted larger immigration, employs more people, and exports more in value than any other, and is capable of an almost unlimited extension if a proper share of attention is given to it. The public works policy of 1870 was its first recognition by the Government, and now we ask that it should be generously aided, believing it to be an industry which, although producing £2,000,000 worth of exports annually, is only in its infancy and capable of almost unlimited growth. It will attract to itself a large population from other countries without charge to‘ the State, who will largely increase the colonial revenue and produce wealth from districts now apparently valueless. Want of space precludes our enlarging on the value of water for machine power, but it is obvious that canals at high levels would supply power for saw, flour, and other mills to an enormous extent at small cost. Rut gold mining for very many years will require an increasing supply, as the poorer the auriferous earth is the more it is necessary to economise its working by a larger use of water. It may be°said that half the Middle Island would pay to work for gold if the water supply, which in all directions is running to waste, were made available; and° that the washing away of alluvial deposits will expose quartz reefs which will afford permanent employment to a large population. ■

The following gentlemen have been appointed superintendents of the quarantine stations set opposite them names Wellington (Somes Island), Huntly John Harry Eliott, Esq; Otago (Quarantine Island, Port Chalmers), Colin Allan, Esq ; Auckland (Motu Ihi), Major Edward Lister Green.

It will be seen from a New Plymouth telegram published elsewhere that the celebrated Waitara chief Ihaia (Isiah) is dead. The career of this grand old Maori rangatira is inseparably interwoven with New Zealand history. In the early days of the Waitara campaign of 1860-61, Ihaia was the guide and ally of the British forces. It was he who practically directed the attack upon the Puketakauri Pa, and who, after the disastrous defeat of a wing of the 40th Regiment under Major Nelson (otherwise known as Old Taipo), rescued the remnant of the attacking force from a perilous position. Ihaia,. it will be remembered, was one of the consenting parties to the sale of the Waitara Block, and a consistent and devoted adherent of that policy the cardinal point of which Avas the supremacy of law and order, and the making the Queen’s writ to run throughout the length and breadth of the country. This chief Avas one of Tamati Walca Nene’s school of Maori rangatira?, always unflinching in their loyalty to the Government, their appreciation of the benefits of IaAV and order, and of European civilization. Yet Ihaia, Avith all his mana as a chief, was a quiet, unobstrusive friend and counsellor of the Government, who, we trust, Avill mark their sense of his services in such a manner as will be acceptable to the many other loyal chiefs Avho, through evil and good report, have been friends of the Europeans.

If we are not misinformed, good effects have already resulted from the organisation in New Zealand of a strong company for the purpose of competing against the monopoly hitherto enjoyed by Messrs Shaw, Savill and Co. We understand that one of the latest contracts entered into betAveen the Agent-General and the firm just mentioned bargained for a price of £l7 per head for the conveyance of immigrants to this colony—a price undoubtedly above that at Avhich the same service could be performed by other shipowners. An instance of the truth of this remark Avas afforded by an offer made by the captain of the Brechin Castle, which recently visited Wellington, to bring out immigrants at £l4los. The fact that the New Zealand Shipping Co. happened to obtain a contract at 10s per head less than the price previously charged by ShaAV, Savill and Co. had a most immediate effect in reducing ShaAV, Savill and Co.’s price to £l4 per head, to the principal ports, Avith a small increase Avith respect to such ports as Napier. This sudden reduction on the part of ShaAV, Savill and Co. indicates plainly that , this firm took advantage of the exceptional monopoly which they had formerly enjoyed of the Anglo-New Zealand shipping trade, and that finding that extra demand existed for the conveyance of immigrants, they increased their price. It is to be hoped that the NeAv Zealand Shipping Co., which is noAv established on a firm basis, will receive every reasonable preference from the Government and Avill be generously supported by importers. Already Shaw, Savill and Co. have exhibited their fear of the competition presented by this company by voluntarily making an oiler to transfer to it their ships and charters. The company Avas wise in declining the offer.

The new bill for the consolidation and amendment of the laAVs relating to mining is silent upon the subject of mining upon private property —a subject which, as the public lands are rapidly being alienated to private purchasers, is annually becoming more important. There is only one part of this colony Avhere the right of entry to miners is reserved as one of the conditions of sale—the county of Westland, whose Waste Lands Act provides for mining upon private property. But it is not at all certain that even in Westland the law is sufficiently clear, and we are not aware that as yet a single application has been made under the Act for leave to Avork for gold on private property, on account of the serious obstructions which the regulations impose. In Victoria the question of mining upon private property has occupied a large amount of public attention during several years, but it has only been in the present session of the Victorian Parliament that the Executive Government have exhibited a determination to dispsse of this most important question. The Victorian Bill has two main features —it recognises the right of the Crown to grant leases to mine upon private property and provides for compensation to the owner of the land. The person proposing to mine or search for gold upon a private estate must make application to the Minister of Lands for permission to enter he must deposit £o.O with his application to cover the preliminary proceedings, and the' Minister may grant the desired permission after consultation with the Warden of the district and making other general inquiries. The bill has been strongly opposed in the Upper House, but will probably be carried in a future session. The Goldfields Committee of our House of Representatives Avill probably see the desirability of including in the new mining statute provisions for dealing with the question of

mining upon private property. It is admitted that the precious metals are the property of the State, and that it is to the interests of the country that the gold should not remain in the soil untouched, and that it should be added to the wealth of the country.

Since the preceding remarks were Avritten, Ave have come across copies of correspondence between the Superintendent of Otago and the Otago agent in Scotland, Mr Auld, from which we gather that the Colonial Government have permitted an independent immigration agency, removed from all control of the Agent-General, to be established on behalf of .Otago in Scotland, although the Agent-General is to provide the funds out of the Immigratiou Loan. As Mr Macandrew, in one of his letters to Mr Auld, puts it, the latter is to understand “ that while the AgentGeneral furnishes the supplies, you are in no way under his control, but are to act under instructions from the Provincial Government, by whom, in case of need, you will be placed in funds.” A recommendation is added that Mr Auld ‘ ‘ Avill see the expediency of Avorking in harmony with the Agent-General, so long as you can do so consistently Avith the position of the (Otago) agency.” There are tAVO questions involved in these instructions from Mr Macandrew —Avhether the Government have not travelled entirely outside of their previous declarations upon the management of immigration; and Avhether the position taken up for the Otago separate agency does not imply a direct censure upon the Agent-General. The correspondence, Avhich we reprint elseAvhere, is not complete. Had the whole of Mr Auld’s letters to the Superintendent of Otago been published, it would have been disclosed that for some time Mr Auld and the Agent-General did not work Avith that harmony which Mr MacandreAv deems to be expedient. We suppose the full correspondence Avill be laid before Parliament, and thus afford a full view of the facts which have led to the permission being given for a Provincial Immigration Agency to be established at the expense of the colony, over which the Agent-General is to have no control. While perusing the published correspondence, it suggests the inquiry lioav it is that no public intimation has been given by the Government of the sudden fluctuations in the immigration regulations, which, according to Mr Auld, have occurred in England ? It was announced some time ago°that the Agent-General had received authority to grant free passages, and he appears to have notified his intention of doing so, and as suddenly to have recalled his regulations on this point. The Government must lcnoAv that nothing is more likely to impede emigration from the United Kingdom than any uncertainty as to the terms upon Avhich intending emigrants can come out. If regulations are made one day only to be altered the next, confusion and mistrust must necessarily follow. We believe we are correct in stating that the Agent-General has not as yet furnished the immigration department with any copv of the altered regulations referred to by Mr Auld in his letter to the Superintendent of Otago. If he has, they would surely have been published for public information.

It was not expected that there Avould be any opposition to the nomination of Mr Seymour to the Chairmanship of Comittees. There were, no doubt, two or three disappointed ones, but they very Avisely said nothing. The Hon Mr Fox recommended Mr Seymour to the House in very Avarm terms, and after the vote had been taken the new Chairman of Committee created a decidedly favorable impression upon the House by an exceedingly neat and modest speech. Mr Seymour speaks distinctly and has a good voice—both desirable qualities in a Chairman of Committees. We congratulate both Mr Seymour and the House upon the selection made.

A rumor reaches us from Canterbury that the Superintendent of that province intends during the ensuing session to again raise the question of the transference of the administration of the Public Works and Immigration to the Provincial Governments. We hesitate to believe that, after the signal expression of opinion by the House of Representatives last session upon this question, any one, even of so obstinate a disposition as Mr Rolleston, will have the effrontery to again attempt such a violation of the spirit and intention of the Immigration and Public Works Act as a proposal to delegate the authority of the Government and Parliament of the colony Avould involve. Still it is possible that the attempt may be made, and we draw the attention of the Ministry to this possibility, in order that they may be Avarned that to any such proposal they will have to present a most determined and complete resistance. There should be no tampering Avith a question of this kind, just because Canterbury waxeth fat and kicketh. A singular example of the unscrupulous demands of the Superintendent of Canterbury is afforded by the fact that he has

seriously asked the Government that the salary and expenses of a special immigration agent for Canterbury in England should be charged against the Colonial Loan, Avhilst the officer is to be under the appointment and instructions of the Superintendent of Canterbury. If the Government of the colony should think fit to appoint a special agent for the province of Canterbury, he must, of course, be subject to the Agent-General’s instructions ; or else the Canterbury Government must maintain an entirely separate organisation for its immigration, and bring out its special immigrants at its own cost.

On Wednesday afternoon the House of Representatives accomplished a good deal of work. No fewer than twenty-fi\ T e motions were disposed of, several questions were asked and answered, and twelve bills Avere read a first .time. A discussion arose upon the motion for the appointment of the printing committee, which called forth some characteristic remarks from Messrs Thomson and Murray These gentlemen, probably because their names Avere not included in the list of members proposed, accused the Government of nominating a preponderating number of Ministerial supporters, and Mr Murray expressed the opinion that at least two gentlemen of common sense coulcl be found upon th« Opposition benches—a remark which provoked a little smothered laughter, for the inference could not be escaped that the hon member referred to himself and his colleague Mr Thomson. The House declined to admit that anything in the shape of packing either the printing or any other committee had been attempted by the Ministry, and the only useful part of the discussion Avas the question incidentally raised as to the dimensions of the various committees. We fully agree with the remarks made by Mr Shephard that the practice of appointing large committees is not conducive to the progress of business. As Avas pointed out, it has the effect first of imposing upon members impossible duties, and second, it has -the effect of making members careless of punctual and regular attendance. It has been found that generally the work of the large committees practically devolves upon a faithful few Avho attend regularly.

From the copy of the ‘ 4 Articles .of Agreement” with the NeAV Zealand Shipping Co., laid upon the table of the House of Representatives, AA r e learn that the Government agree that all Government immigrants and cargo shall be forwarded by the ships of the company, excepting that contracts already in force Avith other parties shall be carried out, and excepting also contracts for the conAmyance of immigrants from the Clyde and contracts Avith the NeAv Zealand Freight Co. The contract is to hold good until the 31st January, 1873, and the folloAving rates are to be paid for the carriage of cargo : —Dead Aveight, at the rate of tAventy-five shillings per ton ; measurement, at the rate of from forty to forty-five shillings per ton, according to description of goods and packages, such rates to be finally settled before shipment; special cargo to be paid for at such special rates as may be agreed upon in London between the Agent-General and the company’s agent there before shipment. The above rates for carriage of cargo to be applicable in cases Avhere the cargo is carried to the ports of Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers ; provided that where cargo shall be carried for other ports in the colony than those above mentioned, the same shall be delivered by the company at such ports at an additional rate to those above mentioned of fifteen shillings per ton. Upon all cargo rates, whether special or otherwise primage, at the rate of five per cent, is to be allowed. The price of passage to the principal ports, including the expense of landing the passengers and their luggage, is fixed at £l4 10s for each passenger of the age of 12 years or upAvards, and half that sum for each child of the age of one year and under 12 years, no charge being made in respect of children under one year ; but there is provision for extra payment for direct shipments to Taurangaand Napier.

The reports of the Engineer-in-Chief, laid upon the table of the House, contain estimates of the expenses and probable receipts of certain authorized railways. Mr Carruthers estimates the revenue of the Nelson and Foxhill railway at £BOOO per annum, and its Avorking expenses, including renewals, at about £7OOO. The Oxford branch line to Christchurch, is looked upon as certain to pay its working expenses, Avhich are estimated to be £7OOO a year. The traffic of this line Avill almost entirely depend on timber; £2OOO a year js expected from passengers, and the balance from the timber, thirtyfive tons daily of Avhich will pay. The Engineer-in-Chief, with, respect to the Kaiapoi and Eyreton branch railway, considers it “ quite hopeless to look for sufficient traffic to pay the working expenses, which could not be less than from £2500' to £3OOO a year.” The Ricecourse and Southbridge branch railway “passes through one of the richest and best

settled districts of Canterbury, and the experience already gained of the business of the district show that it will pay not only working expenses, but also a fair dividend.” Mr Carruthers says of the fl&kaia and Ashburton railway :—*“ The district'through which this line runs is a poor shingly soil, unfit, for the most part, for agriculture • but it taps a rich country | at its southern terminus, and penetrates ! to within forty miles of the populous country round Timaru and Temuka.” He estimates that the Timaru and Coleridge districts will give a passenger revenue of £3OOO, and from freight £I4OO, which two sums equal his calculation of the working expenses. The Ashburton and Timaru railway is forty-five miles in length, and forms the completing link of the railway from Christchurch to Timaru. It will open up a district containing 100,000 acres of-land now-under cultivation. Mr Carruthers estimates the revenue of this line at £43,000 per annum, and the expenditure in working expenses and renewals, £28,000, leaving a net revenue of £15,000, equal to a profit of 5f per cent per annum. The Waitaki and Moeraki railway ‘‘passes through what is universally considered one of the best disdistricts of the Middle Island.” There are 60,000 acres of land under cultivation, and the district contains fine quarries of stone that will be largely used for building purposes in New Zealand and Australia. The line is thirty-nine miles in length, and the revenue is estimated at £17,000, and the working expenses at £14,000, leaving a net revenue of £3OOO. The Tokomairiro and -Lawrence railway “ runs through a very difficult country for twenty-two miles to the mining township of Lawrence. The country lying along the line, though hilly, is of good quality, aiid will eventually support ft large farming population.” Mr Cfttru theirs anticipates that this line wifi return a net annual profit of £BOOO, or over 5 per cent ; the working expenses being £IO,OOO, and the revenue £IS,OOO per annum. The railway from Winton to Kingston, seventy miles in length, passing through a generally easy country, is expected to yield a net profit of £7500, the receipts being estimated at £26,000, and the working exponses £18,5000. Mr Carruthers, reporting on the Brunner coal railway, says :• —The working expenses of this line would be about £4OOO a year, and assuming the charges to be as high as on the Canterbury railways, viz., 6d per ton per mile, it would require an output of about 23,000 tons of coal annually to pay working expenses. There can be no doubt but that this output will be reached as soon as the railway is open, and that the line will therefore pay wonting expenses.” We suppose Mr Carruthers’ report on the North Island railways will soon be published.

The Premier, in reply to Mr Murray’s question on Wednesday, whether it was the intention of the Government to recommend the appointment of a committee to consider postal and telegraphic questions made a few pertinent remarks, not the least of which was that as a rule the former committees of this kind had generally delayed their report to so late a period of the session that it became impossible for either the House or the Government to give it due consideration. He further took up what we consider to be the proper stand in regard to these subjects—that the Government did not desire to delegate the responsibility of their proposals regarding such important questions as postal and telegraphic communication to a committee, but would rather assume the full responsibility of such measures as they might deem it desirable to present to the House relating to these subjects. It was evident that the House quite agreed with the remarks of the Postmaster-General.

An interesting return. has been laid before Parliament giving a schedule of the contracts for the construction of railways from the Ist July, 1872, to the 30th June, 1873, from which we learn that in the province of Auckland contracts to the amount of £229,889 have been entered into, of which £226,973 fell to Messrs Brogden and Sons. In the province of Hawke’s Bay Messrs Brogden obtained a contract for the construction of the line to Paki Paki at the price of £49,345. In the province of Wellington the total amount of contracts entered into is £49,948, of which Messrs Brogden take £29,016, and C. M‘Kirdy £19,970. In the province of Taranaki Messrs Brogden and Sons obtained the contract for the Waitara and New Plymouth'railway at the price of £41,000. In the county of Westland the contracts amounted to £24,168, let to a local contractor. In the province of Nelson one contract to the amount of £11,989, for a section of the Nelson and Foxhill line, was entered into; in the province of Marlborough Messrs Brogden made contracts to the extent of £80,309. The contracts, twenty 111 number, in the province of Canterbury amounted to £147,109, all of which were taken by colonial contractors. A contract to the amount of £5,796 on account of the Waitaki Bridge, the cost of which is divided equally between the provinces of

Otago and Canterbury, was let; and six contracts for sleepers to be used on the Otago and Canterbury railways were •entered into to the amount of £22,268. In Otago there were ten contracts on account of railways, amounting in all to £474,628, of which Messrs Brogden and Sons obtained £371,616. It will be seen that during the year contracts to the total amount of £1,136,451 have been entered into by the Government, and that Messrs Brogden’s contracts are £798,259 of this amount. These facts speak well for the industry of the Public Works Department.

The Hon the Premier stated on Wednesday that in the course of about a fortnight’s time he hoped to be in.a position to deliver the annual financial statement, during which lie would intimate the general intentions of the Government with respect to the ' further railways or other public Works proposed to be submitted to the consideration of Parliament. Should the honorable gentlemen be able to bring down his budget at the time intimated, he will have the credit of being the first Minister who has delivered the financial statement at so early a period after the meeting of Parliament. The announcement was received with great approval by the House.