The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1221, 16 March 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1880.

There seems to he a very general desire throughout the Colony to develop onr nafnral' resources. Tins is not surprising when OTir position Is considered. What borrowed money lias effected for us in the past will have to he effected by local industries in the future. There mtiat he an end to borrowing. We have not decider! this ourselves—if we had, political considerations, if nothing else, - might have caused us to repent. It .haa been decided for us by the London, capitalist, whose decision is

irTßYOcable. This being the position of mutters*, self reliance is forced upon us. We must tlo what England herself has done develop our resources and our innate wealth. Unless we adopt such a policy we shall never make our railways pay; indeed we shall have nothing for one-half of them to do. Colonists are showing that tliev intend to take the somewhat broad hint of the London lender and accept the inevitable. Scarcely a day passes but some new industry is mooted. The people of the Colony are «*radually being enlightened as to the exceeding natural richness of their adopted country. They have too long neglected to convert the wealth that exists at their doors, demoralised by the easily obtained ready cash of the Old Country. The Americans have seen our apathy, and have wondered at it. Some of these enterprising people, we learn on good authority, are en»amoured of the oil springs of Gisborne, and have resolved upon investing some L 60.000 of their capital with a view to working them and introducing theii product into themarkets of the world; silver ore has been found in payable quantities in various parts of the Colony j old gold fields have given every indication that they are far from being worked out, and new ones have been discovered ; copper and hematite ores are creating renewed attention \ .and fishciu-ing and the manufacture of. God liver oil will receive a fillip as the result of the favorable decision of the judges with regard to the cured fish sent to the Intercolonial Exhibition at Svdney. Mention of our coalfields must not be omitted. jßut a few months ago we were satistied with the comparatively small consumption which arose out of a demand for this fuel for domestic purposes. It was urged that wo ha nothing in the Colony that would answer the purposes for which Newcastle coal was being used. This delusion has been dispelled by the railway department, certain gas companies, not only in New Zealand but Australia, and by the Union Steamship Company. Colonial coal is not only just as* suitable for railway and steamboat purposes, but it is cheaper than Newcastle, whilst that procured from the Greymouth mines is far superior and cheaper for the last-mentioned purpose than any that has yet been discovered. The Ballarat and Djinedin Gas Companies have borne most indis.p a table testimony as to the superior gasmaking properties of the Greymouth coal. Other companies have borne similar testimony. But we deem it to be unnecessary to publish their attestation on the present occasion. We were supplied with the opinions of the Ballarat Gas Company months ago, and we shall now content ourselves by citing Mr. Genever's opinions, given as the result of ft crucial test made by that gentleman in Pnnedin, and embodied in the following parsgraph from the Otago Daily Times : " Greymouth coal is far and away the best coal for gas-making purposes to be found in the Southern Hemisphere. The result of Mr. Genevers experiment with it at the gasworks is that the co#l makes more gas than Newcastle, and of a considerably higher illuminating power. The results of 2S days' working last month are as f0110w297 tons 7 cwt of Greymouth coal prct duced 3,476,700 cubic feet of gas, of 18 to 10'5 candle illuminating power, and that this was 165,000 feet more than was produced from a greater quantity of Newcastle coal by about 50 tons, besides being about two candles better in illuminating power. The cost of purification is greater with Greyynonth coal, and this seems the only drawback to its use. Probably the process will be improved on with greater experience, and in any case there must be a great saving and better light. TV e believe the Melbourne Gasworks are anxious to secure a regular supply, which the Greymouth Wallsend Company will do their best to arrange for, if successful in obtaining the requisite capital." The facts contained in the above extract should be encouraging to the promoters of the Greymouth and "Wallsend Colliery Company, the prospectus of which is now appearing in tlie columns of some of our contem{)orarie3. A glance at the list of promoters shoidd inspire those who are in a position to invest with confidence. It comprises the names of men who would not, we think, associate themselves with any undertaking that was unworthy the support of the public. The mine has already proved I that it only requires to be properly ! worked, and, as is the case with many other industries at the present time, capital only is necessaiy to render it remuneratively productive. We observe that the proposed capital of the ComjKiny is L 15,000, in 15,000 shares of LI each, payable as follows : —" 2s 6d on application, 2s 6d or> allotment, and Is per month afterwards." Those desirous of assisting this promising industry by becoming: shareholders should at once communicate with Messrs. "W. and J. Booth, the looal brokers, as the share list will close on the 20th inst.

Some time ago an Intercolonial Meteo- ! rological Conference • w as held in Sydney, at •which Dr. Hector repre- ; sented New- Zealand. A report of the proceedings appeared in the Sydney, Morning Herald,, and from it we extract the following resolution :—" That in view of the great importance •which a better knowledge of the movement and origin of strong gales and storms on oar coast lines and neighboring seas is to the shipping and commercial interest generally, it is desirable to secure, as far as possible, co-operation in all the Australian Colonies for the investigation of storms, as -well as for agricultural and general climatological purposes." No one -will be prepared to dispute that there is mncli wisdom in the foregoing resolution. The plan .suggested for attaining the objects ofj the Conference is one that cannot tail to be successful. Observations are to be made as nearly as possible at the same time, by the same class of instruments, and in the same manner, in the several Colonies which agree to join in the matter. Suitable points will be selected throughout Australia and New Zealand for the taking of observations. Dr. Jleetor submitted to the Conferfrannce that Tunhant Taupo and Mount Herbert, reflectively 4GOO and 4000 feet above the level of the sea, should be selected as the points of observation in this Colony. There is already in

vogue in New Zealand a plan of transmitting weather auguries. Captain Edwin communicates by wire to the Harbormasters throughout the Colony the results of his meteorological, observations. But these are not published} as they are intended only for .the information of mariners and custodians of ports. They, however, fulfil the purpose for which they are forwarded. Captain Edwin has, with singular accuracy, presaged the occurrence of some of the serious storms that have visited these coasts, and thus been the means of saving much valuable ship-, ping property; The Canterbury. Press cites the following instance of what we assert; —" The information afforded by the sea forecast enabled the Harbormaster at Lvttelton jp. June last, when, as our readers may remember, a vessel went ashore, to take steps to prepare the ships in harbor for what was coming. But for that liifpi7J?B'tion, more serious damage might have been done." Captain Edwin is undoubtedly a very clever and useful man. But his light is hidden under a bushel. His meteorological, predictions should be available to agriculturists as well as maiiners and others connected with the shipping interests. At a critical period duripg a fraryesfc invaluable for the agriculturist to have the opinion of an expert as to what the weather is likely to be, in order that he may shape his course of procedure accordingly. We hope that the holding pf the Intpj-colonM Meteorological Conference will lead to tlie far and wide dissemination of the information which they propose to supply — to the advantage of the farmers of remote country districts, as well as to that of the mariner.