South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1896.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 8659, 23 October 1896, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1896.

Thb British Navy League was organised at the time of the Venezuelan—-cum—Germano-Transvaal war scare, if we remember rightly, in order to compel public attention to the desirability of increasing the British Navy. This may have been a reasonable aim, and the enthusiasts who run the show were evidently a product of the time for their ideas were promptly accepted at Home. An odd one or two of these worshippers the Mistress of the Seas appeared out here, and succeeded in setting up branches of the League, which so far appear to have done neither good nor harm. We do not know that the League at Home has done any good, but we have evidence to-day that it has done some harm. The League succeeded in stirring up the people to make demonstrations all over the country on Trafalgar Day, and the people no doubt had a good time. But, as might have been expected, and such a result should have been sufficient to prevent the demonstrations—“ The French were much irritated at the display and complain that the British show but little tact.” Can anyone wonder that the French were much irritated ? The glorification of Trafalgar was to them a scandalous national flaunt, a piece of shocking stupidity. At a time when statesmen are walking on the very line of division between honour and dishonour to maintain peace, British statesmen must surely be out of their senses to permit such a tactless scoff at a touchy neighbour, already in an ill enough humour over other things. There is not a grain of sense in the thing. The celebration of Trafalgar Day no matter how enthusiastically will not add a keel or a gun to the Navy, except in one way, and that is by hastening the day when the Navy yards will be thrown into feverish activity owing to an outbreak of war. Such an exhibition shows that the English have lost their desire for peace.

The Parliamentary vote of £200,000 may do something for the development of goldmining, but much more would be done by the spread of reliable information as to where such votes could be profitably spent, in this case adequate knowledge is power, and is money, and worth more than any suras that Parliament can vote or the taxpayers supply. It is all very well to vote money for tracks on goldfields, but what is more wanted is knowledge of where tracks can be most profitably made, and every encouragement should be given to those who do know anything under this head. Unfortunately the Mines Department has not been able to secure the services of really good men as expert advisers. The officers they have are reasonably good inspectors, but none of their reports indicate that they are able to see further than the diggers themselves into the possibilities of unprospected territory. The reports tell us what the digger is doing; give very little hint that in such and such other places he ought to do better. In default of light and leading of this kind, the best must be made of is available, descriptions of tested country still open for exploration. A case of this kind has just been described in the West Coast Times by Mr Warden Macfarlane, whose letter has been printed for wider distribution by the Westland League for the Promotion and Development of Gold mining. The Warden’s letter describes the alluvial deposits on the Waiho river, 60 or 70 miles south of Hokitika, and its tributary the Calary. According to his account the Waiho Valley is the richest on the coast, and all that is needed is capital to obtain sluicing power. Pomehow or other, unfortunately, capital is shy of alluvial mining, though reckless enough in gambling in reefs. Yet there is probably more gold still to be got out of the West Coast, easily and profitably, than the five and a half million ounces already booked to its credit.