TARANAKI GOLD REWARD FUND

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 22, 29 December 1852, Page 3

TARANAKI GOLD REWARD FUND

Last \ieek we noticed a meeting having foi \\i object the laising by subset iption an amount for this purpose. The Committee appointed met on Thursday la.n, when vaiious sums were subset ibed by the members of the committee, and measures taken for ob- j (aining subscriptions generally through the settlement. The present state of the operations of the committee leaves no doubt of the required sum being quickly nrtived at, and the ad- . vrrti*empnt of ihe reward may be looked for without delay. It is not our intention to rcmaik on the prudence, oi propriety of this movement. — We consider that the settlement has but a choice of evils; eilhe-r way a large amount 'of labour will without doubt bo quickly withdrawn from useful and nccc^arv employments—whether the diggings be at Co- ' romandcl, or at the base of Mount Egtnonl mattcts little in this regard. j We have heard it urged that the influx of people consequent on a discovery of gold in Urn district is the best chance open to us 1 of tcpairing the los 3of labour which we shall evidently under any ciicumstances have to contend with ; we consider the relii ance a very slight one, while it will biing 1 in its train the certainty of many evils, scarcity, disorder, and crime./ Nevertheless we believe that reward, or no rewfd, we have very little choice in the matter ; such is the present mania that there can be no doubt lhat if gold is to be found in this district it ' will shortly be discovered ; and, therefore, i we rather look at llvs reward as beneficial, and in a certain degree likely to originate something like an organisation capable of being turned lo useful account in the event of a discovery, and which might otherwise be wanting ; for it must be borne in mind, lhat we have no powerful executive ; no force to back what, we have, and that we are also very deficient of the necessary facilities for supplying any consideiable addition to our picscnt limited population thrown hastily iipon us. Those who aie capable to advise

and prepare for the result, should bestir j themselves. j We hesitate the less to give publicity to this business because we feel that the sooner the probability of this settlement becoming a good market under such circumstances is widely known, the better chance there wiil be of the early supply of what we shall quickly require.