The Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Issue 1503, 4 September 1880, Page 17

The Otago Wi tness.

WITH WHICH IS ISOOBPOBATED THK 'SODTHE3JS KEBCUBT.'

DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, 4th SEPTEMBER, 1880.

It is very unsatisfactory that, as we see by the Public Works Statement, so much money which is entirely unproductive has been expended upon water-races under the Public Works policy, and that much more has been; expended upon waterraces which only returns about one-fifth of what we have to pay for interest upon the money expended. It seems that £42,329 "gives no return whatever," and that £312,819, the amount expended npon the Charleston, Nelson Creek, Waimea, and Mount Ida races only returns one per cent. We think a decided effort ought to be made in the direction of obtaining some permanent good from the expenditure of these large sums. We do not know that any good would result from increasing the price of the water to the miners, except perhaps in exceptional cases where it may be found that, through the price being too low in proportion to the profits made, the taxation (for we consider rent only another name for taxation) does not fall equally upon the whole body of gold-miners. It appears that the average earnings of the men using the water is only a trifle over 9a a day, and considering the speculative nature of the employment, and the high price of provisions on most of the goldfields, this is not too much. Besides, even if the price could be raised, although it might have the effect of making the next Public Works Statement look better on paper, the Colony as a whole would not be any the richer for it. The present use to which the water is put only enables us to cut slices off our cake in a quicker and more economical way than we otherwise could. Every ounce of gold taken out of the ground must necessarily leave one less in it. Let ns consider if there is not some way of making " two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before," and thus enhance the value of the Colony by utilising the constructed water-races. We know that the question of planting trees by the side of the races ha? been mooted before, but we do not think it has been urged strongly enough upon the Government, or upon the other owners of water-races. At all events, we are unaware of the suggestion being acted upon. We believe that at the time the Carrick Range Water-race Company commenced operations (in 1873 or 1874) it waa strongly urged by one of the promoters that trees should be planted on the sides of the race, and we venture to think that if the suggestion had been carried out great good would have resulted. The Colonial Industry Commissioners emphatically press the duty of planting on the attention of the Government, and specially mention the railway reserves. Among trees that could be profitably used in the Colony they enumerate bluegum, wattle, hickory, ash, oak, cork oak, and elm. It is worthy of consideration whether some of these would not grow well alongside some of the Government races, and be of use hereafter for timber purposes. That climate is ameliorated by means of tree planting on a large scale is now a gene-rally-acknowledged fact, and certainly this must be one means for the future improvement of the treeless interior plains of Otago. We hope the suggestion will not oe lost sight of.

The decision of the Dunedin School Committee regarding the permission of re ligiou3 teaching out of school hours is, we think, a wise one. So long aa the wishes of the parents are consulted, and there is no obligation resting on any child to be p«e«M't at such teaching without the writti n consent ottha parent, no principle is viol lied. The .S ate has nothing to do with t!ie r.'iigicus teaching; it only, by such a regulation as that now affirmed by the Dunedin Committee, permits the use

of the building as a matter of social convenience, and permits such uho to all religious bodies alike. We were particularly pleased with the liberal position taken up by Mr Nathan, which was in pleasing contrast to the narrow prejudice exhibited by Mr Bolt, notwithstanding that the latter gentleman is an advocate of Freethought. In New South Wales the express sanction of the Legislature has been given to a similar course ; and we trust the good example now set by the Rev. Lorenzo Moore may be followed by other clergymen of different denominations with something like system, that the great reproach to our present Education Act of its being positively inimical to the claims of religion may be removed, and the administration of the Act be brought more into accord with the feelings of a large majority of the taxpayers.