Wellington Independent SATURDAY, 15th JUNE, 1872.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3525, 15 June 1872, Page 2

Wellington Independent SATURDAY, 15th JUNE, 1872.

Through the columns of the Evening Post the public have been invited to condemn certain arrangements in course of completion by the principal morning papers in the colony for the formation of a press association for the purpose of placing the system of press telegraphy on a more efficient footing than it is at present. The very inaccurate statements made by Greville's agent and the Post with respect to this association, and certain unfounded accusations against Mr Yogel in his relation to it, demand some correction. When Mr Yogel was in Melbourne, Mr Hugh George, the general manager of the Associated Press telegraph system in Australia, entered into negotiations with him for the sale of the exclusive right in New Zealand of all the telegrams forwarded through Tteuter's agency from England and every part of the world, and of the telegrams of the Associated Press in Australia. Mr Vogel's idea was that it would be a good thing for the colony if the Government were to purchase these telegrams, with the view of supplying them to the papers in INew Zealand free of cost except wire charges, the Government trusting to more extended use of the wires to recoup it for the outlay ; but in the arrangements with Mr George he did not in the slightest degree commit the Government, and ultimately the sale was made to Mr Yogel himself, or any association to which he might transfer it, with a condition that no paper in the colony should be excluded from a share in these telegrams, except evening papers. The reasons why this condition should be imposed are well understood to the proprietors of morning papers, are entirely of a business character, and of no importance or interest to the public. The present Press Association is not formed at all in opposition to the evening papers, who, of course, will take steps to supply themselves with as much news as they will be abls to got through agencies of their own. But the morning papers will, so far as a large proportion of their telegrams both from within and without the colony are concerned, no longer suffer the inconvenience of being compelled, as they are by present arrangements, to submit to the discounting of the telegrams by the evening papers. It is confidently expected also that a much better selection of news, both home and foreign, will be sapplied by the Association. Each steamer from Melbourne or Sydney will, especially with regard to English and general European and Indian news, I bring to the- papers of the Association telegrams always ten to twelve hours later, and occasionally from Queenscliff twenty-four hours, beside later intercolonal news than can be had from any other source. We may also state that instructions have already been forwarded from Melbourne to Reuter's Telegram Company to supply (when the i Australian line is open) special quotations of the prices of. New Zealand produce and securities, and any other information specially interesting to New Zealand, which information will come on direct to New Zealand. The association will also, during Parliament, supply a care- ! fully prepared precis of Parliamentary i proceedings. Mr Montrose, to whom, out of what has since proved to be mistaken considerj ation, was offered the post of manager of the Association, has, both in his letter to ! the Post, and in a circular recently issued 1 to. the Press in New Zealand, endeavored to create an impression that the association is actuated by political motives. No one knew better than Mr Montrose himself the utter falsehood and absurdity of such a conception, seeing that the association will include, as proprietors and managing committee, three of the principal papers on each side of colonial politics, and that Mr Gillon is appointed as manager at Wellington.

The very gratifying intelligence whicb i we publish to day of the first successful crushing at the Inangahua quartz reefs bears considerably upon the question of the Wairarapa railway. It may appear at first sight to affect the question ver? remotely, but a little consideration will j enable us to see that the more the mineral districts of the West Coast are opened the greater necessity is thero for opening up communication from the sea-board to the rich agricultural and pastoral interior of Wellington. From the extreme care that has been taken to make the experimental crushing at Reefton a thoroughly reliable and general one, we are fairly entitled to form the opinion, with the Warden, " that the stability of the district is assuivd," and that a very large population will shortly be located in that part of the country. Indeed, it is highly probable that it will become a more important mining district than the Thames, for the reason that the quartz is in extensive, well defined reefs, covering a large extent of country, and that tho gold i 3 found generally scattered through the stone, and not in patches or " specimens," as at the Thames. "WV should not be surprised to find twenty or thirty thousand miners in tho district, and it becomes an interesting enquiry who is to feed them ? At present the district depends upon importations from Melbourne sent to Westport and Greymouth for general goods. Cattle and sheep come in small numbers from the Amuri and Wanganui, but mostly from Chriatchurch, whilst Nelson can barely keep up the supply of butter, eggs, cheese, &c. Surely Wellington — a port distant only about twenty to twenty-four hours by steam — should secure some of the large trade that will spring up in commodities suitable to its production. We are told every day when we ask questions of this sort — " We can grow j'ou plenty of fruit, produce any quantity of excellent butter, cheese, and bacon — but the cost of bring, ing it to port— and the absolute .im-

possibility of doing so in some cases prevents our competing wiih other places." Andnodoubt.solongas theproducingdiatricts are cut offfrom-rapid and cheap communication with the port, their progress and prosperity will be retarded, and settlement and cultivation be unprofitable. It is by no means an improbable conjecture that the miners now having discovered the bearings of the reefs near the dividing range on the West Coast will puih their researches northward in the direction of Marlborough, where auriferous reefs have to a small extent been discovered and where more important discoveries may at any time he made, resulting in large mining settlements in Cook's Strait. Wellington is specially favorably situated for supplying that part of iho country, and we have no doubt that the construction of the proposed railway to the Wairarapa would lead to a prosperous development of the agricultural resources of the province more extensive than the most sanguine could anticipate. We are boiling down our cattle and sheep for want of a market ; our fruit rots ou the ground ; it will not pay to convert our milk and cream into butter and cheese ; whilst if we had cheap transit to the port we could have access to large and constant markets. These are words which the settlers of Wellington may use, and we hope the Government is equally alive to the necessity of pushing on the Masterton railway with all convenient speed.

Our expectations of the defeat of Mr Duffy's Ministry hare not been realised. The Governor refused a dissolution, and the Opposition leader, Mr Francis, is now Premier. The fact is mainly important to ua, as it affects the provisionary contract entered into between Mr Yogel and Mr Duffy regarding the Californian Mail Service, and we have scanned the reports of Parliament in order to ascertain how the present Cabinet is likely to be affected towards the contract. We are unable to say that Mr Francis appears to regard it with faror ; on the contrary, he has expressed himself in terms which, although not condemnatory of the service, are strongly opposed to the terms Mr Duffy agreed to on the part of Victoria; and from the tone of the Melbourne papers we are prepared to expect that New Zealand will have to make concessions to Victorian pride if this colony is to hope for any considerable relief. What those concessions are remains to be seen — possibly, making Melbourne the port of arrival and departure will be one of them. It is an unfortunate thing for this colony that domestic political disputes in Victoria should have led to unlooked for complications upon this matter — certainly they are not due to any fault of Mr Yogel, who, in all his negotiations, endeavored to obtain as much advantage for his colony as was possible. Sut should the contract altogether fall through, we should be surprised if the enemies of the Government would . be delighted, although the Assembly lias pledged the colony to a payment of £50,000 a year for Beveral years to come. We hava been requested to publish the following telegram for general information, which was received yesterday from Reefton (Inangahua) by C". E. Haughton, Esq :— "Mace's crushing is completed. 603 tons gave 1116 ounces retorted gold from 2790 ounces of amalgam. The stability of the district is now assured." The secretary of the Tnterprovincial Regatta Committee desires us to acknowledge the reoeipt of a donation of £25 from the directors of the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company, to assist in making the prizes to be offered at the regatta euch as cannot fail to induce crews from other provinces to visit us and compete iv Wellington waters. It is possible, too, that when it is seen that the acquatic contest of New Zealand is to bo sustained as a colonial undertaking, and that the centres of population are quite willing to subscribe liberally towards a prize worth coming for, crews from the neighboring colonies will be willing to visit us. The liberality of the S. S. Company is an example that might bo followed by other persons in the city. Liberal as the act is, it is one which is not likely to prove unprofitable. We clip the following from the Lijttelton Times: — The new regulations for introducing immigrants upon t ho nomination of friends in the colony seem to be working exceedingly well ; the applications are greatly increasing in this island. Lists of applications were forwarded by the outgoing English mail for the passages of over 25fe> souls, equal to upwards of 170 statute adults. The sum of £374 was paid in advance by the nominators, and bills were given to the amount of £173 15s payable after the arrival of the immigrants. Free passages have been granted for more than 50 single women. This return does not include applications from Invercnrgill, Blenheim, or Nelson, which are not yet advised at the Christchurch office. Petroleum oil has been made from a material found near Coorong, Adelaide. The Otago Daily l l i?nes of June 7 saya : — We are glad to announce a discovery, which gives every promise of being an important one for the province. Some twelve months ago Mr William Heckler, a miner, found specimens of copper in the neighborhood of Mount Watkin, near Waikouaiti. He himself did not know anything about copper mining, so he got Messrs Elias Nankivell and William and John Clyma, natives of Cornwall, and who had had an almost life-long experience in copper, tin, and lead mines, to take part in the search for copper ore. Since that time the wholo four hove been more or less engaged in the search — being confident, from the indications which thoy found, that copper existed in abundance in the vicinity. They looked about closely over the neighborhood, and n few days ago found the long searched for lode, which they are sanguine, from surface appearances, is a large and payablo one, and which, for the good of the province, and as a reward to their energy and perseverance will, it is to bo hoped, prove so. The lode on tlit surface of tho ground is from 18 to 40 feet in width, and consists of what is known as " gossan," intermixed with oiide of copper, and yellow, grey, and green copper ore, It gives what is considered by the party to be every appearance of payable ore below. They also think it is not improbable that they may come upon tin or lead. Yesterday they received protection from the Wnsto Lands Board, and they intend to set to work at once to put down a trial shaft. Fiji news to the 4th May, received via Sydney, contains the following items :— The schooner Nanoba was wrecked leaving Levuka. The Matatobau natives, who killed the Rev Mr Baker five yeurs ago,

have made another attack on the coast tribes, and murdered largo numbers. Captain Muir, of tbo schooner Alcanty, has been murdered bj a seaman named Antonie Franks. It is stated that the captain had been drinking, and vrent on board the Marion Kenny, where he quarelled with one of the crew. Tho man sharpened his knife, aud stabbed Captain Muir, who dropped down dead. The murders has been tried by the Supreme Court, conVicted, and sentenced to death. The settlers of Soma Loma held a mooting, afc which the lawlessness prevalent at Levuka was condemned, and a resolution arriyed at to support lavr and order. The British consul has seized ninety natives recently landed, on the ground ol their, having been kidnapped.