Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1,1897. UNFULFILLED PROMISES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8054, 1 November 1897, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1897. UNFULFILLED PROMISES.

In another column will be found copies of correspondence that has passed between tho local Mining Association and the Government. When the Hon. John MelCenzie was here nearly two years ago the i>roniotcrs of the Association waited upon the Minister, and explaining their laudable desire to thoroughly prospect the district for minerals, asked that the Government would grant to thorn the usual assistance accorded to similar associations that are established with the object of developing the unexplored niineral resources of the colony. The Minister distinctly promised that assistance would be given, and relying upon that promise the promoters went forward. So as to put their Association in proper order to entitle it to State aid, they drew up rules and regulations that were approved by the Mines Department, secured miners' rights, and otherwise complied with the law and requirement of the Government. Parties were scut out, and a good deal of expense incurred, besides which the promoters devoted much time and energy to tho furtherance of a project which, if successful, must result in benefit to the district and to the colony. The State assistance which was promised, however, has not come to hand, in spite of several reminders that the Government have received, and from the correspondence now published it will be aeci) that the Government are adopting their usual policy in matters of welfare to this district, namely one of "put oil." It is absurd to suppose that there has been no time to attend to this matter whilst the

financial debate is in progress. 'Everyone knows that whilst the debate is prolonged to the exclusion of other business Ministers and members have a slack time in Parliament. It is hot necessary to wait for a special vote of Parliament for this paltry grant to the Mining Association, and tho Minister, had he been desirous of fulfilling his promise, could have signed a voucher for the amount any day. That subsidies of this kind are continually being paid by the Mines Department without waiting foV any special vote, we have evidence of in the Mines Statement, which says: "In the prosecution of prospecting for gold and minerals assistance was during the year extended to the miners, chiefly through the medium of the County Councils and of the Miners' Associations. The following amounts were paid as subsidies towards prospecting in the different counties, viz. : Manukau, £52 2s (id; Bay of Islands, £103 3s; Coromandcl, ,L"121 18s; Tauranga, £35; Buller, .£9B 4s Gd ; Grey, £47 8s ; Inangahua, W0 4s 3d ; Westland, £083 3s Id ; Vincent, £107 9s Oil; Wallace, £24 ; Southland, £7; Bruce, £79 13s Bel ; Tuapeka, £30 2s 3d; Selwyn, £li) ; Sounds, £3!); Lake, £30; Marlborougli, £13 7s (id. A subsidy of £2i>,000 was granted to the ThamesHauraki Goldfiekls (Limited) for testing (he deep levels at the Thames, out of which £15,348 Us 7d has been paid." Other districts have no difficulty in gelling money from the Government for worthy objects, yet if a few pounds ii wanted for a stock track or a subsidy to a Mining Association in Poverty Bay, all sorts of excuses are given, and if promises have been made most vexatious delays take place in their execution. The amc urgency occurs in the case of the Mining Association as in the case of the stock track. The money is wanted immediately, as the summer is now fast slipping away, and if further delays occur a season will be lost.