THE PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2012, 16 June 1875, Page 2

THE PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1875.

These is an unpleasant odour about everything connected with goldmining in the North Island which is not to be. met •with in any other district, province, or colony that we know of. It was the nefarious practice of specimen stealing on the Thames that created the necessity for th» Quartz Crushing Machines .Regulation and Inspection Act. Coromandel furnished the material for a swindle that ended tragically for a' few—disastrously for many—in the Green Harp combination, Ohinemuri, on the day of opening, dereloped a phase of corruption, roguery or something else—we do not know how to call it yet—which could not have been devised or carried out in any other country in the world. Tairua, the latest addition to the goldfields, has proved no exception to the rule, but in view of the proceedings which are now taking place •we hare no wish to indicate particularly what'We conceive to be objectionable in its history. It is not to be wondered that a district, .like the Thames should be looked upon with' disfavor by persons at a distance when so many scandals arise to proToke unpleasant comment. We are completely at a loss to account for the

facfc that 'goldmining in the Province of Auckland should constantly be surrounded by circumstances of a suspicious character. Special legislation has been called in to meet the circumstances of our case, but still a loophole is always found to work what is called a swindle The latest

instance of what we regard as a dirty businessisthe reported rich discovery at Ohinemuri. When we received our correspondent's letter (published on Monday) which ' detailed the rumours regarding the " pipeclay" find, we hesitated to give publicity to the same; but our correspondent's account Ml so far short of that given by our contemporary that the letter was printed without eliminating what- we looked upon at first as a serious charge against the honesty of certain individuals., No contradiction has been given, that we know of, to our contemporary's disclosures and statements; no one has impugned the correctness of our correspondent's report. It is, therefore, time that something should be done to show, that the district has no sympathy with such proceedings, and that a protest should bo entered against any transaction which has i suspicious elements attaching to it. If the persons concerned in;tho mystery which surrounded the pipeclay "discovery are content' to leave the charges uncontradicted, they tacitly admit that there is truth in them, and thereby afford grounds for the insinuations levelled at the community by ' writers whose interest it is to cry down , the Thames. It is the duty not only of I journalists, but of the miners themselves, | to discountenance and expose any trans- | actions which will not bear the fullest in- j vestigation. If this is not done promptly ' and fully, the goldfields will be materially injured, as capitalists will be frightened from our midst, and the mining industry will languish. No matter how rich in resources the country may be, if investors cannot be guaranteed some measure of security against fraud and chicanery their capital will not be forthcoming to assist in the;work-of developing our resources. We very much fear that the bursting of this pipeclay bubble will seriously, inters fere with mining at Ohinemuri- and throughout the whole \jeninsula. It is.,, but , fair,, /1& mention. lin J cori-

■Tiection frith the disclosures of the Advertiser regarding Stewart and his alleged pipeclay discovery, ; that tho Thames correspondent of the New Zealand Herald states he has been, waited upon' by Stewart's mates, who aver that gold is still to be- found within the reserve, and that Stewart himself has not left the Province. If it be correcfc^-which we are inclined to doubt —Stewart should come forth and vindicate himself from the charge-made against him, by making known the exact locality of the alleged find. He might easily do this to the satisfaction of the public and without detriment to himself.- If- there is^ such a rich patch even in a Native reserve'ad-' vantageous terms could no doubt be made with the Natives, and the suspicion which now attaches to the business be removed. Contradiction only will not suffice; there must be proof of a substantial character before the matter is, satisfactorily explained. ', - , "": [_ '. ' * -.

The litigation over the TairuaPropectors' claim has been suddenly brought to a close, an agreement haying been entered into" between the "Pfo'speetofs and the objectors to-day. J. A. Miller, whoobjectedon the ground that the claim was improperly marked out, gets 20 men's ground on tile North East end.of the claim; and Bergin's party, who claim to have pegged out, before the Prospectors, get fourteen men's ground on the South end> of the claim. Neves and party retain their workings and the ground'all round, in all about 4>5 men's ground. They will therefore have' a*good sized claim after the" slices above mentioned have been taken, off, All other objections are to be withdrawn, and' all costs incurred up to the present time are to be paid by the parties themselves. While rejoicing to know that this business has been settled/the 1 fact cannot be that the Tairua shareholders have been done out of a big piece "of their ground through what would appear to be " the lpches of - the . Government, against" 1-whom they have good grounds of complaint. If the* Government had fulfilled their promise the Tairua prospectors - would. 1 have been secured in the possession of a thirty acre claim against all comers ; and they -could not have been subjected- to the,loss and annoyance which this litigation Las cost them, and for which they might reasonably look to the Government for compensa^ tion.