THE PELORUS GUARDIAN FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1890. Had He Read It?

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 50, 18 July 1890, Page 2

THE PELORUS GUARDIAN FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1890. Had He Read It?

Irony personified must have been the ruling idea when Mr Grimmond, member for Hokitika, gravely asked the Minister of Mines, if he had read the report of the Goldlields and Mines Committee of the 13th September, 1889, and if it wag the intention of the Government to give effect to any one of the thirteen recommendations therein contained? Fancy asking if he had read the report, and no wonder, when no practical result had been shown after nearly twelve months had Expired, and then Mr Fergus, without heeding the caustic point, sagely re - plied " That Government knew of no good that had so far come out of grants for prospecting goldfields. " "Jumping Jehosaphat, " did ever anyone hear the like; where has such experience come from, is that doctrine prevalent among the miners in his district, and who are the prospectors who have been remunerated for their discovery ? Echo answers where I We know of men who opened the Mahakipawa Goldfield, made their application for a bonus to the Road Board, then to the Mines Department, then to the Government, then sent a petition to the House signed by hundreds of people, and then found; themselves not much beyond where they started from. Now, previous to' the Hon. Mr Fergus taking the portfolio we did not anticipate much assistance from the Minister against Mines, and thought like sailor Jack when he married and said of his wife, she might get better, but subsequent events are fast dispelling this notion, as practically no interest seems to have been awakened in the Marlborough Goldfields. We hear of energetic members making a great stir to have a bonus given for improved machinery to dress flax, which is a step in the right direction, but let us ask at the same time, " What would New Zealand have been to-day without its goldfields ?" How long will it take the flax industry to export over £45,000,000 of material that never fluctuates in value, but always stands at par, and can any sane person think we can afford to neglect this important factor to maintain our national credit. No I Let our goldfields , members take a bold stand on the sure merits of such a good cause, for no eloquence can refute solid facts, and let them urge on the Government the necessity of squaring yards with their mining creditors, and placing the rewards for discovery of fresh minerals on a more satisfactory basis than it has been for some years past.