West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1897. PROSPECTING IN SOUTH WESTLAND.

West Coast Times, Issue 10537, 22 July 1897, Page 2

West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1897. PROSPECTING IN SOUTH WESTLAND.

Some unfavorable comment was made at the last meeting of the Westland County Council on the reading of a letter from the Mines Department with reference to the assistance to be rendered to a parky

of: prospectors in South Westlan3. The letter was signed by the nnder-secretary of the Department, was as as follows :—: — uln reply tojyoui* letter of the 12 insfc. recommending the 'application of R. M'Morrun for assistance towards prospecting between the Cascades and Maitin'sßay. lam directed to offer a subsidy of £16, which will enable the men to be engaged in prospecting for a period of four months. Prior ta final authority for payment ef the subsidy being issued, however, the Minister of Mines desires to have a statement fro m the County Chairman that the two men are sober and reliable prospectors. In the event of the subsidy being subsequently authorised, monthly reports of work done must be forwarded through the Council before Ipayments are made." The letter, naturally, excited expressions of indignation from the members of the Council, who regarded it ss so insulting to the miners that they refused to send a copy of it to them until the Government had once more been communicated with. Anyone who knows the features of the country proposed to be prospected will at once see, how absurd the offer of the Department is. An offer of 10s a week to men prospecting south of the Cascade is so alarmingly liberal that it almost takes one's breath away. Then the provision for monthly reports and for the Chairman's certificate that they are sober and reliable. As they will be a hundred miles away from any place where liquor can be bought there is no reason for fear of their being other than sober, whilst it is equally certain that none but energetic and industrious men would undertake such a task as they contemplate. We are disposed to regard the letter, not as an evasion of a request, couched in ridiculous terms, but simply as being written in entire ignorance of ' the nature of that request. Probably to the Under Secretary the places "Cascade"

and "Martin's Bay" are simply meaningless terms and convey no information whatever. To his mind they may have been situated some half dozen miles from Hokitika and he probably regarded the offer as a very liberal one and calculated to impress the miners with the sense of the fostering care bestowed on the industry by the Department. But if we are permitted to take this view Aye are still left with an unsatisfactory impression of the ways of the Mines Depaitment. The application descrvocTsorae^ consideration and a portion of the official time might well have been employed ascertaining where tlie Cascade river is situated and what prospects fchat country offered. The manner of dealing with the request affords yet another instance of the neglect of the industry by the Department. Were proper cave and attention displayed there should have been full enquiries as to the plans of the nieu, their proposed methods of operations, and the length of tjmpjthey proposed to devote to the work they had in view. With this information obtained the Minister should have carefully considered the request and either granted a substantial sum or else given nothing. The sixteen pounds would be flittered away as thousands of pounds are frittered away annually. The instance just afforded is bu; one of scores which amply prove that there is no real attempt on the part of the Government to efficiently administer the Mines Department.

Our evening contemporary does us the honor of noting the fact that the business of this paper is conducted by a limited liability company and with a fine sense delicacy, which all can appreciate, refrains from giving the public the motive for the altered condition of things. We hasten to supply the deficiency. The New Zealand law — which does not follow the English law in thisjrespeat — will not allow a public body to pay for advertising in a newspaper if a member of such body has beneficial interest in such payment other than as a shareholder in a registered company. Mr Northcroft is a member of the Westland County Couucil and the Hokitika Borough Counci], and as the former body, under the advice of a solicitor, decided they could not advertise with him any»more, he registered his business as a company so that the leading newspaper in Wegtland should not be debarred from inserting these advertisements. Had he not done so these local bodies would have been -deprived of the services of one of the most intelligent members of the community.

A correspondent send us the following :— "ln reference to Mr T, E. Taylor's (M.H.R.) remarks on the controlling influences of the Government organ, the New Zealand Times, the share register discloses that Mr Seddon and his family (9 persons) hold between them 330 shares; Mr John M'Keuzie's family (7 persons) 230 shares ; Mr Martin Kennedy's family (9 persons) 90 shares ; members and employees of Staples and Co., and employees of Martin Kennedy, and their respective relatives (S(J persons) 903 shares ; other outside shareholders' (?9 persons) 1620 shares. Thus the interesting fact is disclosed that Mr Seddon and his allies (81 persons) control 1553 shares, as against 29 persons (outside shareholders) holding 1620 shares." "Of course," adds the correspondent, "Who shall question the power ot the one as against the other, and who would dare to question the. independence of such an impartial exponent of public opinion. It ia, however, a little peep into the management of those who are compelled to sound our praise 3in these degenerate days, and affords another illustration of how to work the oracle, through the columns of the press."

Mr W. Gray, Secretary, General Post Office, made another hurried visit to town yesterday, coming by the midday train and returning in the evening.

The forced sale of general drapery at West of England House continues with increasing success. The premises are continually besieged by customers, the bargains still being eagerly secured. A number of specially cheap lines are offered to-day, the determination being to wind-up the estate with the least possible delay. The stock being such a large and general one can only be cleared, with any speed, at greatly reduced prices. The management recognise this, and an inspection will show how low the prices are cut for cash. The many friends of Mr Archd. Jack will learn with great pleasure that he has received well-merited promotion having been transferred from the ISorth Island main trunk railway to the charge of thß Masterton-Woodviile railway works, replacing Mr J. J . Hay, who has been transferred to Auckland. Mr Jack's ability ai;d .industry are steadily taking him to the front. Shareholders in the National Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., are notified that warlants for the 44th dividend may bo obj tamed from the local branch on and after 30bh inst.