GOVERNMENT PARSIMONY.

Otago Witness, Issue 554, 12 July 1862, Page 6

GOVERNMENT PARSIMONY.

(From the Daily Times, July 7.)

As an instance of the wretched parsimony of the Government, a notification has been pent to the Tuapeka Mining Board that the expenses of a clerk will not to be allowed for more than one fiitting a week. Setting on one side the impertinence of the Provincial Executive dictating to the Mining Board as to when it should, and Tvhon it should not hold its sittings, the injury done to the mining community is something serious. The new rules recently issued do not apply to the Tuapeka district, only the Mining Board lias now power to frame rules for this portion of the gold fields. The piesent rules are confessedly very faulty, and it is manifestly important that they should be remodelled as soon as possible. The Tuapeka gold field from recent extensions, is likely to be occupied by a large population in the coming spring, and it is exceedingly desirable that a revised set of rules should be furnished it as speedily as possible. At the best, considerable delay must take place, as the rules will have to go to Auckland to be gazetted. This is bad enough, without the Provincial Executive stepping iv with their ideat of economy — sa-wng a few pence aud losing a pound •—and delaying the rules still longer. As we have said, their interference at all is an impertinence, the Mining Board being a body perfectly independent of Provincial control. It holds its constitution by the delegated power of the Governor to the Superintendent, and that delegation is given under the Gold Fields' Act. According to this Act, the management of the gold fields properly belongs to the General Government, but the power is piven to hand over the revenues derived from them to Provincial control, such transfer however, can be revoked at pleasure. As the management of the gold fields should be the first charge on their revenues, the Provincial Government stand in the light of trustees for defraying the necessary expenses. The tioneral Government would not countenance for fi moment that the Mining Boards, which by the Gold Fields' Act, are especially constituted as independent bodies, free from Provincial control, should bo hampered in their movements by the insolent intei-ference of those whose only authority consists in their being the custodians of the funds, meant, amongst other things, to defray the expenses cf Mining Boards. It is very clear that neither the miners nor the Mining Boards will long stand such interference. In Victoria the Mining Board Members are paid for their services. They are, besides, provided with a suitable building, a clerk, and the best procurable legal assistance. Here, we believe, all kinds of obstacles have been thrown in their way, and the Board has to adjourn time after time in consequence of the vexatious trifling of the great-in-their-own-estimation members of the Executive. The General Government would be only too happy to find an excuse for withdrawing from the Province the control of the Gold Fields, and the Executive are doing their best to supply that excuse. The pitiful economy observed in relation to the management of the gold fields has for some tiuie been evident. Land jobbing influences, it is said, prevail in the Executive, and those districts, or favored town spots, secure most attention in or r.eav which the Executive or their friends possess an interest. Be that as it may, considering the large revenue arising from the gold fields not enough is given in return. Tlie approaches to them have been ailowed to remain in an impassable condition. Even in their midst, little bits of road which could be made at inconsiderable expense are loft undone, and the inhabitants of the gold fields are subjected to frightful inconvenience, and positive loss. Scarcely a week but we have complaints on this score, but they are wholly unheeded. For 6ome mysterious reason no steps have been taken to sell township lands on the diggings, although the late Executive went to the expense of purchasing three runs to enable this to be done. Again, for some equally mysterious reason the Woolshed which, with proper management might become an exceedingly remunerative field, is left unproclaimed and unattended to. Even when money is spent on the gold fields, it is bestowed 60 grudingly that one might suppose that every pound was a tooth extracted from the month oi the treasurer.

The miners are not so much interested in the matter as the trading community. One has only to obsen c the effects of the successive amounts of the Escorts to he aware how every pulse of the trading prosperity of Dunedin beats in unison ■with the success of the gold fields. Would it not be better that a few hundred pounds were spent in prospecting, than that they should remain idle, to swell the provincial deposits, or to satis! y the interests or caprices of the men with whom unfortunately the Executive of the Province is burdened. These men, in their stupid stolid observance of the maxim which appears to form the extent of the financial education they have received, that a penny saved is a penny made, ap2)ear to be wholly unconscious of the value of the gold fields, or the good fortune which Otago enjoys in possessing them. Whilst every penny to assist their development is given with reluctance, and whilst the comfort and convenience of those who inhabit them are wholly neglected, adjoiving Proninces and Colonies arc otFerhig princely rewards for like discoveries. From memory only we can cite something- like L 40,000. — Southland offers LIOOO, Canterbury LIOOO, Wellington L2OOO, Auckland L2OOO, Albury LIOOO, Tasmania L 20,000, South Australia (we believe) LSOOO, Western Australia LSOUO, and Queensland something very large, but wa forget the amount. Here, without paying rewards, we have the gold fields — gold fields better than any of those stipulated for in tho conditions that rule the rewards. And yet, owing to the narrow contracted views of those in whom, un fortunately, their management is vested, instead of every assistance being rendered to develope them, they are left to languish on as they may — their progress being rather retarded than assisted. There are mines in South America which at one time yielded magnificent results, but which were •worked, what is technically called, "to death." They fell in, and could not be re-opened with profit. This is what the Provincial Government are doing with the Otago gold fields— they are "working them to death ; squeezing out of them every penny they can extract, and grudging every penny they are forced to expend on them.