THE LYELL REEF.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 705, 1 September 1870, Page 2

THE LYELL REEF.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times.) Sir, —Being individually interested in the prosperity of these parts,. and being also convinced of their stability as presenting a large field for future remunerative labor, however much their present progress may be retarded, 1 beg the favor of a short space in your columns to express my opinion upon a few subjects relevant to the working of such ground as the prospector's line of reef by means of registered companies, and upon some other matters. Now that the time prescribed by the Warden for protecting the ground on such a liberal scale, as to allow one man to represent two men's iuterests, is drawing to a close, the question raised is, whether this protection (I may call it monopoly) will be farther extended. In conformity with the G-oidfields Regulations I candidly cannot see how it may be ; and, as is opinion of most, I venture to think this protection rather tends to keep the field back, and to iojure the interests of the present large holders than to promote the same. Comparing the

original size of claims in Victoria, which were laid out with only about 20 ft on the lino of reef, with the fact of one man holding 120 ft., as is now the case here, the disproportion seems absurd. "Were the frontage system adopted, which would be carried out very simply in such regularly defined ranges as these, until the line of reef ceases to b« a supposition and the ground fully manned, we would soon see things assume a more active aspect than at present. As an objection, on the other hand, it may be urged, by some who have been a long time up here, that as the Government does not furnish a road or assist in any way in getting the necessary machinery on the ground, and that until meaus of crushing are afforded, no benefits can accrue to any one, some encouragment is necessary to induce men to hold out. Without wishing to palliate the unsermly apathy shown by the Government in the least, I still maintain that with increased labor thoroughly to open the ground and thus bringing large quantities of payable stone "to grass," machinery would be, in spite of all difficulties, shortly afforded ; at the same time when the full complement of men are on the ground, entire protection for three months, for making a road up to the mines w r ould, doubtless, be a wise measure, or for any other cause to individual claims from time to time at the discretionary power of the "Warden. The best method of working the ground in cases like this, where a large outlay is required before any remuneration can be obtained, is by an amalgamation of interests and the formation of companies ; buc I am strongly opposed to indiscriminate leasing which too often is an infringement on the rights of the miner. Tn cases, however, where the ground has beeu taken up in the usual way —when a largo area is to worked by a company formed by the association of the several parties holding the same, registration of the same under the Lauds Leasing Act is the best means of affording a secure tenure to the ground, and, in such cases, there is no monopoly exercised, and, consequently, no valid objection can be raised to the granting of the same-

In Auckland the benefits derived, when the companies came into vogue, were immense, and I have seen many cases where the miner, after struggling on against destitution for many months without being abie to sell the whole or part of his interest at any price, was suddenly placed in the position of a small capitalist by throwing his ground in with his neighbors, and into a company. Others again who, from an unwillingness to let their ground go into the same, finally had'to abandon their interests to be a source of benefit to others.

Much as is seen of the good results derived from co-operative working, in mining on a large scale, where a large amount of money is indispensable as a preliminary, the difficulties of bringing labor and capital under one head to work together beneficially to both has always been a matter of difficulty; principally in consequence of a mistrust on both sides.

For forming a company, after the first necessary step of getting the concurrence of all the present shareholders secured by deed of association, the ultimate success of the scheme depends greatly upon placing the prospectus properly before the public, especially as in Westport, where capital is scarce, and consequently one has to look to a foreign market to float the same. "With this view, a careful selection of influential gentlemen as provisional directors is the first thing to be looked to. On the faith of such patrons, and their privately expressed opinions of the merits of the ground to be worked, scrip is more likely to be taken up than by high-flown statements of tho infallible riches of the resources of what has at any rate, even to the most sanguine, to be proved. With apology for trespassing so largely on your space.—l am, &c, F. W. M. Lyell, Aug. 29.