TAIRUA.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2118, 18 October 1875, Page 4

TAIRUA.

(To the Editor of the Evenifig Star.)

Sib,—ln your leading article last night, the remarks you madV in the former portion of it as to why'you did not publish the letter I gave you, and which, as you remarked, appeared " curtailed "in the Auckland Evening Star,"were;quite correct, or in other words, were exactly the reasons you gave me for not publishing the letter in question. However, the conclusion you have come to as to my motives in .writing it, I not only demur to, but also emphatically.repudiate. I was influenced by no other motive than that you have exactly expressed in your subarticle of the same issue, upon another subject, namely, "it is ,onlyrequisite.to make 'complaints known through the medium of the press," so as toiiave them remedied. In doing so you mny imagine I was rather severe upon the Mining Inspector} but I do not think I was, not even •'"■a x little bit." Here is a man who receives a good salary from the people's purse, and what earthly good does he do" them in return for it ? I may say distinctly, none whatever. Indeed it is questionable with many persons who are competent to form an opinion on the subject, if the office which he holds would not be much better for the public to be abolished, and some other means in lieu thereof be adopted for the benefit of the just and equitable administration of goldfields matters. It is no wonder that miners should be indignant at the manner in which socalled mining is carried on here. _The cry has been " Leases! leases! capital! capital!" and the result is that a whole area of more or less auriferous country is locked up under this system, and, "like the dog in the manger," they will not do any;wprk themselves nor let anybody else do it. You say that any piece of ground that is not .manned properly, if any- person points it out to the Inspector he will take such steps in reference to it as no doubt would be his duty to do according to his office. But after this you immediately say " it would be unwise for the Government to dispossess the present holders of the ground;" well, sir, this places the whole question just where we started frQm. Even if • the Mining Inspector was desirous to do his duty in this manner, and the Government also were willing to give• him -every reasonable assistance to do so, what effect would it have in altering the state of things which i exists at present in Tairua, especially as there r seems to be a combination among the holders of Tairua, leases to keep things there just as they are ? I may answer—no good effect whatever. It is possible that a few more men would be! employed, but that would be all; as to individual miners getting a piece of any of this ground, to work it themselves, in the face of all the law they would have to contend with before securing it from those who hold it at present, to think so on their part would be, not only moonshine, but real madness. T. C. Grahamstown, Oct. 15. •