CHARLESTON ARGUS.

Charleston Argus, 9 March 1867, Page 2

CHARLESTON ARGUS.

If the Pakihi district was but well supplied with water it is nut too much to say that it would the best goldfield on the whole West Coast, even including the most favored spots in Westland. As is well known, there are hundreds of acres of

I auriferous ground where the precious metal starts from the very roots of the I grass that would pay splendidly was it possible to sluice it, but which now is almost totally valueless from want of available water. There is room for a very large po- ! pulation if this was supplied, and what is more, it would prove essentially a poor man's diggings, for, with the rudest appliances, the metal can be extracted, and the first day of work be the first day of gold. It is true that some plucky ventures have been made to brin»- in water by private parties, and it is quite certain that their enterprise will not only be well rewarded, but will be a vast boon to a large number of miners who now, though possessed of rich dirt, are unable to wash and extract its hidden wealth. At the same .time, such works as those in progress, though great for a few individuals to carry out, are only a very small instalment of what is needed, and to properly supply water in the quantities required must necessitate the outlay of far larger capital than could be reasonably expected of private persons to lay out, even if they possess it. The fact of a large tract of auriferous country lying useless on this account is admitted on all hands, and the question comes, what are the best means to adopt in order to turn this wasted ground to account. We do not profess to be engineers, or to offer any opinion as to how or from where such a supply as we want can be procured, but that it can be got there cannot be the slightest question, provided sufficient moueyucan be raised to execute the necessary works. If private individuals can, onj a small scale, bring in laces sufficient tol supply a jaartaiji-Jiiunber ftfheads oLaa^m

a company with a tolerably large amounH of capital would surely be able to eonj struct works on a large scale that wo furnish the miner with all that he nowj waits for. The question is one that inte-' rests everyone ou the Pakihi especially, and the miners on the coast generally, and it should be taken up by all. It is quite certain, in the first place, that the scheme would be profitable to all. The yield of gold would, we believe, be doubled at lest, the diggers would have what would, be, in fact, a new field opened to them, and could depend ou their labor being well remunerated, while the storekeepers, of course, would share in the enhanced prosperity of the district, and all would be gainers thereby. All being therefore directly interested, surely there will not be any difficulty in floating a company to carry out the undertaking, and shares in it would, we should think, be readily taken up by eveiy one on the field. It require. o , however, that some one should start it, and before this can be done a great deal of necessary information is absolutely required. A careful survey must take place by a thoroughly competent person, and when that is completed the residents could go to work with spirit, and also when there wa3 something definite arrived at, appeal to the Government for such assistance as was reasonable to ask and right for them to grant, Now, so far we feel sure every one will agree with us, and will wish the undertaking God speed, but sympathy or good wishes, though very well in themselves, never made a cart or dug a ditch, and something more tangible is required to get it going. What is everybody's business is proverbially nobody's business, and this is a case in point. No one, unless backed by public opinion clearly expressed, cares about pushing himself forward, and if we wait for some person to step <;ut and endeavor to launch the proje :t singlehanded we may wait till doomsday. This difficulty, however, may be very well got over by calling a public meeting on the subject, or, for the matter of that, holding two or three in different parts of the district, though one should be sufficient. Let the matter be then discussed, and its (advisability canvassed ; as to the decision that would be arrived at tiieie can be scarcely two opinions. The question to be first decided, was a v« ater company on a sufficiently large scale practicable, and could a supply be obtained with as much capital as was likely to bj raised I The survey alone would answer these, and the next point to turn attention to would be to get this done as soon as possible. Now, it is very improbable that any skilled engineer would set ]

iic iiad souir •>!ihrtun his labors wouHi bo rewarded. or, wor-ls, Lhat lie would be paid for tlicmpH tlie meeting would have to elect a cdH mittee for the double purpese of pushiifp on the scheme by all means in their power, and to gather funds to pay the preliminary expenses. A very small subscription from each cf the business men and miners, for the litter are equally interested, would suffice for this purpose, and when the practicability of the project was proved and the cost estimated, we do not think there would be any difficulty in filling the share list. Sliou d this be carried out, we would suggest that invitations to the professional men not only here but elsewhere should be issued, asking them to send in designs and plant, and offering for the best and most economical a suitable premium, besides a commission 011 the supervision of the works whei in progress. In order to encourage connection a premium for the second best migit be added. To do this, as we before said would take but very little money from individual persons, and by so doing we shoild secure the best possible advice 011 the matter. We most earnestly recoinmeid the subject to the attention of all resdents. It affects one and all, and an impetus to the advancement of the district woild be given, if carried out, that at preseit can hardly be calculated.