WHAT OUR GOLD FIELDS REALLY ARE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1687, 22 November 1861, Page 5

WHAT OUR GOLD FIELDS REALLY ARE.

(From the Olago Witness, November 16.) In our last Summary we ventured on somewhat more hopeful views concerning the future of the gold fields than we had hitherto indulged iv. Still wo carefully guarded against the least approach to exaggeration, and rather endeavoured to repress than excite too sanguine expectation. In fact, and it is now time to acknowledge it, the policy we have adopted since the discovery of the gold fields, has been to attempt to keep under and repress the excitement that might uaturajly be anticipated to follow thediscovety of vast unlocked for wealth. We knew unoertain gold discoveries were, how patches of the precious metal will jiccasiorially be found in the midst of .unproductive country; we saw that the barest intimation of facts was sufficient to draw down overwhelming numbers from neighbouring colonies, and felt that the Province might be subjected to many difficulties by the sudden overcrowding of population. Guided by these considerations, we adopted the policy we have mentioned, and we confess the result is such as we desired. It would have been easy for us to paint highly coloured pictures, of the new fields of gold, and pur remarks would have obtained the circulation of at least fifteen huudred copies, which are weekly sent by post . to the neighbouring colonies. But what end would such a course have answered. It would undoubtedly hare brought down several thousand persons more to our shores and, as things have turned out pobably the persons so coming wpuld bave found no reason to complain. But the Gold Fields might not have turned out as they have done, and the result would then have been a lamentable overcrowding of a large mining population into a small gold producing district. . The result has been very different : the large number of persons who have arrived have on the average met with satisfactory results, and if we even admit that a larger •quantity might have found subsistence, no harm can possibly arise from the number having been kept temporarily back. The policy we|pursued, we are glad to say, was eudorsed by our contemporary, and by the majority of the old inhabitants. Much to the credit of the latter, they be huved with singular moderation. Many persons in their position, benefiting to an immense extent by the increased Value of property, and by the increase of business, would have displayed undue feelings of exultation, and paraded their good fortune about. To their oredit, as we have said, they abstained from doing so ; | and the consequence was, that apparently the inhabitants of Otago, and the local press, rather under- valued then otherwise the value of the gold discoveries. Emboldened by this our contemporaries in in the neighbouring colonies, have, in shameless violation of truth, indulged in the most reckless exaggerated statemeets of the failure of the gold fields, and of the distress of the uufortunate new arrivals. One paper talks of starving hundreds; another dreads famine riots, and boldly asserts that the military was sent to suppress them ; another discusses the way i in which the miserable deluded victims should be fetched back ; another anticipates ♦' dreadful consequences" when the ship-loads on the water anive; and soores of others combiue (the only point by the bye, on which probably they ever did agree) to give Otago a desperately uninviting character. Now we can bear a great deal, but endurance has its limits, and our coteroporaries must blame themselves if they have overtasked ours. Self-assertion is foroed on us as a duty ; and besides the charaoter of the gold fields has become so assured that there is less danger now of their resources being drawn on. Sinoe the 4th ult. the quantity of gold arrived in town by escort is 70,200 ozs., besides whioh, at least 5000 ozs. have come down by private hands. Now we calculate that there are, at the present lime, about 15,000 persons engaged in digging; but a large portion of them have only arrived during the lasl|fcur or fire weeks, and if we put down 13,000 persons as absolutely employed in getting the gold, we will be in excess of the number. Taking tljese numbers as a basis, the average earnings of the miners during the six weeks are seven and-a-half ozs. per man, or 1 oz. 0 dwts per week. Now le.t us see what the average is* in Victoria By returns now before us of the raining surveyors I for the month of August, we find, that out of a population of 239,9 17 persons on the gold fields, (03,000 were actually engaged in mining. For the six weeks ' ending the 30th August, the amount of gold brought down by escort was 238,814 ozs. Although there is scarcely any gold taken down by private hand in Victoria, we will allow a little to make up the even number, and call the amount 240,000 for the six weeks, or 40,000 per week. To show how fair this average is, we may mention that during the five weeks, ending iho 18th October, the average was only 35,720 ozs>. Well, 40,000' ozs., divided amongst 108,000 miners, give leas than Ik dwts. per week per man far Vio-

tofia j whilst we have shown the average here daring the same space of time is 1 oz. 6 cfwts., or three and a half times as" jaiuoh as in Victoria.; ; These figures favor Victoria rather than- Otago, for 10,000 miners are more than the average^ ■-„ absolutely engaged during the last six weeks j whilst in. the computation for Victoria we have only sapposod two-fifths, of the gold-fields' population to be engaged in mining. In Victoria, besides, they have machinery to the value of £1,300,000 to aid in procuring the gold, " the interest on which should be deducted from the earnings of the miners. We give these figures in no arrogant spirit ; they need no remark — they speak for themselves. Last mail to Europe took home from Sydney and Melbourne most desponding accounts of the, Otago, gold fields; it is our duty to see that the misapprehension this is likely to occasionin the' Imperial country be remover!.,,,: Some two thousand copies of this .issue . are sure to find their way to Great Britain and to this extent at least, we may hope to remedy the mis-statements our con- /' temporaries have indulged in. It would '■'. be an act of grace on their part to see the error of their ways, and give the same publioity to the denial that they have to the mis-statement. For the rest, it is „ only necessary to say that the gold-fields have never looked better than at present, - that this week was the largest Bscortyet ; that uniformerly each Escort /increases* ' that thousands of ounces are known to be left weekly, that a new gold-field is reported to be discovered, and that. the pre-. sent fields are daily enlarging. No embellishments are required to facts such ..<', as these, and we confidently look to an - > increase of the population direcl from the ' ' home country, without' the intermediate process of the conversion, uf n.ew chums. ', into old colonists. ;