The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1863.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 28, 13 February 1863, Page 2

The Invercargill Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1863.

It will be seen from our " Goldfields' Intelligence" that there is every prospect of the- diggings extending over the border into this Province, if, indeed, such is not already the case, and it would be a wise and politic proceeding to take immediate steps to induce miners and others from Victoria to land at the Bluff and make their way through this Province to the rich gullies and flats of the interior, in preference to going round by Dunedin. The question as to which of the two routes is preferable has been fully discussed, and is well understood both here and in Otcigo, but something more is wanted. It is necessary that men in Australia who are thinking of trying their luck iv New Zealand should, previous to their embarking, be able to obtaiu without much trouble nil necessary information on the subject. At the present time when a digger has made up his mind to come over to tlm colony the chances are that he comes to Melbourne, and, having no means of obtaining accurate accounts a3 to which is the best way to reaoh his destination, takes ship for Dunedin, aud thereby incurs about one third more expense than he would do if he came via the Bluff and luvrrcnrgill,

Tlio only reports which roach the Australian minor concerning 1 the New Zealand <rold fields are through the commns of the Australian press, and, of course, not only are the accounts not very fljiMorinir" but the question of the iMtitc is nevor <lisr-u<s( d nt nil, and it is not until too late that the unfortunate miner finds that he is hcing led out of his way, ami m;i<le to pay more than he had any occasion to do. What, then, is the best method of supplying this in format ion to Australian miners. — information which if given would be of the greatest benefit to Southland ? It sec-ms to us that the solution is very simple. An agenr. who is thoroughly well up in the affairs of the Province ought to he statioued in Melbourne as the authorised representative of Southland. From him any one wanting to come over and try his luck in the new El Dorado might obtain information as to the best route to be taken, and also as to the kind of dig»ings he was about to visit. It would, no doubt, be a rather difficult matter to find a man who would acquit himself well in such a capacity. The duties are of a peculiar kind, and the agent, to he well up to his work, must be well educated and of thoroughly business habits, for he might, and would if the choice fell upon a good man, be of very great service to the Province in many ways besides that of acting as a guide to wandering diggers. It would be a capital thing if lie were able to lecture well, and were to make a tour of the Victorian diggings, distributing his facts as he went, and plainly pointing out to people the advantages which this part of New Zealand offers both to the agricultural settler and the man who | puts his faith in the pick and shovel. We do not imagine that this would be a very expensive undertaking, for the j agent, whilst doing all that lay in his I power for the province whose representative lie was, mijjht at the same time be engiged in business on his own j account, and in such case the question i of pay would be more easily disposed 1 of than it would otherwise, for we are ! fully an ;'e to tile fact that the resources | of Southland, though e.'{»al to all nccessaiy expenditure, if properly handled, will not, as yet. ntTord any very i expensive luxuries. This agent, howc yer. might, if he were a sharp, shrewd sort of man, do the Povince a very great deal oi goou, S-ud in our opinion Southland could aiTord to pay him, and pay him handsomely too. for the whole of his time. The question as to whether the Province should have all his services, or only a part cf them, is a secondary consideration, and we only alluded to it in order that the subject might have a chance of being thoroughly ventilated in all its bearings. Well, there is another way by which, at a very little outlay, a great deal of i service might be done. The Government might cause to be compiled, from various sources to which they possess easy access, a short pamphlet in which might be embodied a brief account of the Province, siuce its separation from Otago, together with general statistics i and any other matters which might be supposed to be of interest to the inI tending settler. In the same pages j j might al-o be placed a correct account j of the distances to the various [joints up country to which travellers generally make, and also the accurate distances to the diggings. We do not ; think that the work would be costly I and even if it took a considerable sum j the good which such a publication j would effect, if properly distributed, would more than counterbalance the j original outlay. We have drawn atj tentiou to this, because it appears not | to have attmcU»l the notice which its importance demands. We hope that the subject will be mooted during the ! next session of the Provincial Council.