THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1875.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2054, 26 May 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1875.

We have hardly yet realised the extent of the goldfield at Tairua—that is, of the extent of ground which has been 'taken up, and the number of men who will be required to man it when the licenses are issued. We may at once give. ■ the figures referring to the licenses:— Me of Men's Application, Ground,. April 13 Tairua' 88. ■ leaves. ~ 17 Ajax 49 JKenuan „ 19 Fuketea 88 D.O.McDonnell „ 19 Stewart 32 D.Stewart. • „ 20 Scanlan . 8 J. fcanlan „ 20 Pakirarahi * 74' Wardell „ 21 Eureka 18 Cameron „30 Band of Hope. 34 Mackay May 1 Eldorado 22 Scott Hunter' ~ 4 Crown 15 Logan „ 5 Golden k rrow 22 S. Turtle „ 6 Pearl _ 9 Fletcher „ 6 Star of the South 52 .Chapman „ 6 Albion • 13 Gillett „ 10 Triangle 19 Walker „ 18 Buona Ventura 38 Jackson —The following are the claims registered :— April 14 North Star 6 E. Coates „ 17 Risk 10 Fisk „ 20 Middle Star 6 Qorrie „ 23 Independent 10 Bergin „ 24 Consolation 10 Greaves '' „ 27 Hercules 44 Greaves . „27 Belle Brandon 10 Greave „30 Yorke's Folly -6 Laycock „ 30 Eldorado 10 Gu'ndry ' May 3 Victoria 32 Greaves ~ 3 Victory 10 J. M. Beeche „ 5 Besurgam 44 Grieves „10 Good Templar 8 Little „ 17 All Nations', 11 Newdick „ 13 Young's Claim. 30 Young —The total number of men required to man the licenses is 572, and the number required for the claims 247— total* 819 \ meu. This will make a very good start at a goldfiold, aud in a very lew weeks this number will be due, and ought to be working. Of course those' who have pegged out licenses and claims have not the least expectation that they will* be required to fully man the ground, but we apprehend that the Mining. Inspector will look very differently, on claims taken up on new ground at Tairua .and claims taken up here, where the ground has in most cases been worked at the upper levels. There has been a strong, manifestation of public feeling in reference to the manner in which Tairua was opened, and eveu independently of this, a fuller mauning of the ground would certainly have been required than it has been considered expedient to insist upon here. We publish the above lists to show what the law requires, There will probably be delay iu regard to the claims in litigation,.but we have no doubt that whenever .possible the licenses will be issued in a Yery brief period. One plea ;which will no doubt" be set up, and in which there is some show-of justice, is that the Government batfe made no road by which machinery or mining appliances can be got on the ground. At present, indeed, it would be difficult to take provisions up to Pakirarahi for anything like 800 men, not to speak of what would be required if they were all engaged at work. We shall be quite content if, in a couple of monthshence, a fourth of the number are actually working. We may remark that the law supposes that all the claims which have been marked out are being fully manned. To do this would take 247 men, but we do, not. suppose that the odd 47 are actually working. __

Some sanguine member of the Provin-. cial Council having moved that the province should apply for the control of the railways, Mr Eeader Wood last night made rather a discouraging statemenfc as to their financial position. If these railways had been profitable, or even if they had been paying their own expenses,. Sir George would no doubt have been anxious to obtain their management, but in their present position be prefers to let the General Government keep them, He says that even the Onehunga line has not paid expenses by five percent,, and has latterly increased the percentage of loss to 50 per cent. That is to say, that the line between Auckland and Onehunga, unquestionably Jhe most favourably situated in the province, only pays half its working expenses. This is a very bad prospect for the public works scheme iu the province of Auckland, and we feel pretty sure that many other lines in the colony will be found in very much tho same position. Every day will bring more light on this important Subject, iu which the future of the colony is involved, but we think we have now arrived at a point when we may fairly look, back upon the last five years, and calmly inquire whether, after all, tho public works and immitrration scherao has been of the benefit anticipated, and whether, deducting the progress which the .colony wculd have made in any case, especially in the South, we have gained auy equivalent for the enormous amount -which we have added to our debfc-au amount so great that we cannot expect to be able to borrow another sixpeuce for many years to come. We are now, as Sir F. D. Bell put ir, at the end of our financial tether.;' the terms of our last loan, and the dead-Hft required to get the money at all, make this quite ' evi.

dent. Of course iu a review of this kind, we are entitled and bouud to begiu at home, and we may ask, what has the province of Auckland got iu return for burden cast on her settlers by the addition to the debt of the colony ] Have the works of public utility completed or in 'progress raised the value of property to an extent which will enable us to bear easily the ■ additional taxation which is sure to come ? We do not think that even Mr Vogel could manage to answer these questions except in one way, and probably he will give up Auckland as a bad job, aud admit that in its case, the public works scheme has been a failure. In last session of the Assembly, the Minister of Public Works stated that the amount appropriated for railways iu the province of Auckland was £934,500. The nl®gi railway is that between those commercial [centred,; Helensville and Kiverhead, respecting which the Minis-, terof Public Works states that the . ballast is of the most inferior.description, and that "if therejs much traffic on the line a still further sum will have to be spent upon.it." He also' states that besides former appropriations, £14,000 will be required to complete this line, aud adds that he believes the line will not then -pay. Strong efforts have been made to induce the Government to continue the Hue by Kiverhead to Auckland, but as the Engineer-in-Chief reported that the line was not likely to pay working expenses, the Government at first declined. The Minister of Public Works, however,' was of opinion that the only chance .of making the .Kaipara line pay was to make this line between Kiverhead and, Auckland, and he said last session that he intended at some time to ask authority to proceed with the work.: Within the last few clays he has intimated that the line will be proceeded with when the winter is over. In our opinion, to construct the Auckland and Kiverhead line would merely "be to make bad worse. So far : as we can ascertain, the construction of the Kaipara line has not tended to promote settlement in that district, nor to increase the value of property, and as it appears to be certain that it will. not pay. its working expenses for a • very long period at all events, we shall have it as a burden on the colony for many years to come. In regard to the Waikato line, that is now completed up to Mercer, and the Onehunga branch has been running- for sometime, with - the painful result stated by Mr. Wood last evening.. When the Onehunga • line pays only half. its. working expenses, what will be the loss on the Auckland and Mercer line? For -the '•* greater part of its length, the line runs along an isthmus, and. so very little support can be expected, from the country through which it passes, while its terminus is simply .nowhere., The Mercer and Auckland line cannot porsibly pay. Beyond Mercer, on the line to the. Upper'Waikato, is a dreary stretch of barren country, which no advantages of communication can bring into cultivation for mauy years to come. In the delta the land is better, - and there is .a large amount of settlement, but the distance from there to Aucklaud is great, and it would require a larger traffic' than the Upper Waikato is likely to yield to corapen- . sate for the. great stretch which the railway has to traverse to reach it. , The prospects of, the province of Auckland in regard to its public works are especially gloomy, and we fervently hope that no other proviuce may prove to be in anything like the same pre-, dicament.

The Wellington Tribune has all along .' been a stanch supporter of tho present Ministry, in that respect being much more consistent and faithful than'the New Zealand Times, which newspaper having been a little reslire lately, cannot be expected to be fully in tho confidence of Ministers. The','fee* indeed, when, tho telegram, about Mr Vogel's illness arrived,, metaphorically jumped upon the remainder, of the Ministry in a stylo which they could hardly be supposed,to be grateful for.. The-fees did not go / quite so far as Mr Sheehan, who in the Provincial Council, called the Ministers "less than cipher's,*but it was'not much more polite. The Tribune now replies, and its utterances are the best indication . wo have yet had as to tho sentiments and expectations'of the Ministry. We learn by a telegram in Monday's Auck- ,_ land Evening Star that the Tribunesays:—' That although Mr 7ogel is undoubtedly a tower of strength to Ministers they can without.' > him meet Parliament without ■ the least mis*. giving, and carry on ; the business of a short -« « session to a satisfactory termination. The . y , country is with the Government, and Stafford will assist them withshis ability and influence; . besides there are no intellectual giants on_ the .- Opposition Benches. The anti-Provincial party : : remain Qrm. With the exception of the mem. ber for Eden we have not heard a whisper of political backsliding. The Government have ;•. . therefore nothing .to fear. They will very / properly keep their own counsel; but we should suppose it will be prudent not to enter ' upon much of miscellaneous legislation—any / business iu'short, that can be relegated to the new Parliament, But in whatever way business may be arranged; the Opposition will reckon , without their host iE they suppose they are to meet a Government in the least afraid to hold its own against allcomers, '—. ..

Wo quite expected that this would be the tone'of Ministers, and we slated a'.few days ago what we thought their pro. gramme would be, which Ihey would attempt ta carry out if tho 'House of Ifepresentatires'would allow them. The point on which we feel the most doubt is whether Mr Stafford " will assist them with his ability and influence" We do. not know whether our contemporary has any warrant for his statement, and whether it means that "Mr Stafford will join the Ministry, or will merely give! an independent support; If .Mr joins, then tho Ministry aresafe; and, even if ho nieroly gives them his support in the house, aiuUiscourages iheior. mation of any' Opposition .to oust; them from the Treasury bench,..they will be ablo to make a stand ; ,agamst any com.

binalion which we can see " looming in the, future." Auckland's champion, Sir George' Grey, is that and nothing more, and with his extreme opinions on Provincialism, on the question of the Southern land fund, and on the expediency of forming Auckland into a separate province, it is difficult to see how he can secure any following beyond the circle of the Auckland members, and he will only'have a minority even of .them. Mr Fitzberbert, again, is wedded to Wellington, and is not a man greatly trusted, by' a largo section of the House. The only compact party now in. the. House is the anti-Provincial party; next session will find them more compact than last; and the problem Ministers have to solve is to keep them together. '

A. correspondent of the Auckland Eocnhuj Star telegraphs as follows:—It is rumoured that a grant of money, £20,000 is the sum mentioned, will 'be sought to be granled to Mr Vogelat the ensuing session of Parliament, in recognition of his services to the colony, to con? solo him for the breakdown in his health, and in compensation for the miserable pittance doled out to him by tho colony while in office.