THE MINING BOOM.

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 912, 20 June 1896, Page 2

THE MINING BOOM.

Many Thanks Indeed to the Govern-

tnent

There was a fine satire running through those passages of the Governor's Speech in which reference was made to the remarkable activity on our goldfields. It was easy to observe, in reading between the lines, that the Government took much credit to itself for the mining boom, and the conse^ quent improvement in trade. And in what terms of self-congratulation the Government touched upon the increase of over a quarter-of-a-million pounds in the output of gold for the last year. Surely it was a shrewd and sagacious administration that developed this new system of saving the finer gold and applied it to our ores, that faced the privations and exposure of backcountry prospecting in order to discover new reefs, and that furnished the capital with which to open up new bullion-producing mines. All these things were done by our paternal Government, for is it not so written down in the Governor's Speech at the opening of Parliament ?

The great mineral wealth of our Colony is, in the words of the Governor's Speech, attracting the attention of capitalists in many parts of the world, and, with security of tenure and capital expanded in legiti. mate prospecting and development of our mines, there is every reason to believe that the goldmining industry of New Zealand will increase in importance, besides affording relief to the labour market by drawing off a considerable number of men to remunerative employment. There is no question that with proper development the goldmining industry will do all these things for the Colony that are predicted of it. But apart from the glowing phrases in which the goldfields are referred to in the Speech, it would be interesting to know what the Government has really done towards that development.

It has collared from applications for licenses and rents of holdings a thumping big lump of revenue. But there is nothing very meritorious in this. Governments have done it before, and have not demurred against the trouble to which they were put, aud any Government, whether

Liberal or otherwise, would do it without grumbling to morrow And in return the Government have done wonders. Have they not taken care that, by the exercise of a policy of wretched stinginess, the staff in the several offices of the Warden's Court should be 3hamefally undermanned and overworked ? Unnecessary delays of weeks and months have consequently been occasioned to prospectors who were paying the Government heavy fees, and who were anxious that not a moment should be lost in making good their titles. Time was money to them. But perhaps the Government was wise and prudent in takin taking these steps to see that we made haste slowly.

Then, again, a strong point is made about the security of tenure. Unquestionably, this is something for which the miners are called upon to go down on their benders and thank the Government. Have they not assured to the holders of the Tairua leases security of tenure ? Did they not instruct the Warden of the Thames to protect the Tairua properties against the.Kauri Timber Company, and secure their licenses to the men, thus enabling the latter to find a market for their properties, on which so much work had been done, by declaring their titles indefeasible ? Surely the Government did all these things for the encouragement and development of our goldfields, for have they not taken credit for it all in the Governor's Speech ?

Also, those admirable light railways that the Government have constructed to Waibi, Waitekauri, Kuaotnnu and Whangamata. Of course, they have been constructed ? The Governor's Speech takes much credit to the Government for what it has done for the development of the goidfields, and light railways are a practical form of development for which we surely have to thank Sir Seddon and his colleagues by this time. And the roads? Oh, those lovely roads! They lead the traveller by easy gradients to the several most important fields. Such roads we never traversed before — so broad, and level, and well-metalled, and equal to all the strain of the traffic attendant upon a great industry. Is not the Government popular and famous throughout our upcountry goidfields districts for the admirable roads it has constructed, to afford easy means of travel to and fro ? The Governor's Speech is certainly calculated to make us think so.

There are some people, croaking Tories of course, who say the sympathies of the Government are not with the Auckland goldfields. Tut, tut. Has Premier Seddon not taken a seat upon the Advisory Board of the Anglo-Continental Company, and has not the Anglo - Continental Company got its eye upon the whole of the Tairua country ? Surely this is a practical proof of sympathy. The afore - mentioned croaking Tories also say that if our goldfields had been in the gloomy South the Government would have been up to its eyes just now in road and railway works, designed to make those goldfields more easily approachable. Indeed, they point to the Speech itself and declare that it discloses too plainly the spirit of jealousy, in one passage in particular, viz. :— ' The goldfields in the Auckland provincial district receive at present most attention, while those on the West Coast of the Middle Island are being brought into prominence, but there is every reason to believe that the gold deposits of Otago will shortly command the attention which their prospects and possibilities demand,' So mote it be. When the gold deposits of Otago command the attention which their prospects demand, then we shall hear of roads being made and railways constructed to our goldfields But they will be in Otago and not in Auckland.