GOLD-FIELDS LEGISLATION.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 15, 23 February 1870, Page 5

GOLD-FIELDS LEGISLATION.

Our gold-fields are at onoe the source of prosperity to the Province, and at the 1 same time its bane. If we wish to attract immigration, an appeal is made to the valuable nature of our auriferous resources; if wo desire amongst ourselves the execution of any publio work adding to tho productive interests of the gold-mining community, we are mot with tho reply that they cost more than they contribute to the revenue. Upon a bare statement of facts as they appear in the Estimates, this latter assumption seems correct. It is not so, however, in truth. The gold-fields are never credited with the value they add to pastoral pursuits, to agricultural interests, to mercantile and trading transactions, to the employment of labor, with the means they supply to banking transactions, •fee. It is almost impossible to estimate the value of the gold-fields to the Province or the Colony by a mere examination of their returns and revenue receipts as they appear in the balance sheet from time to time. Largely as they have contributed to the actual revenue, their value is yet indirectly to be guaged, as we all know, one way or another, by a far higher standard than these results of revenue amounts or escort returns. It is a matter i of regret, therefore, that the value of the gold-fields has been so continually ignored, ’ as far as regards the development of grants-in-aid, or by surveys. A better time now , appears to be dawning ; it is becoming re- , cognised that the Otago gold discoveries . occurred in the nick of time to help the , colony ; that the West Coast rush did ac- , tually stave off a Colonial bankruptcy ; . that the Auckland rush has removed the , direful state of gloom that threatened that < Province and hung like a black cloud over , the Parliament of New Zealand. We , shall have no more of those mournful i appeals to “ Auckland’s state ;’’ no more ] of those sympathising committees of the i Legislature to deplore that for tho nonce the glory had departed from the veteran ‘ Province. Auckland is itself again, ag- 1 grandising and asserting once more powerfully its right to be considered the Province 1 par excellence —for this is what its recent ! assumptions lead to. Thus we find again * that here the gold-producing interest has ■ been the means of turning a state of gloom ; and darkness into one of hope and vigor— 1 of light and sunshine. With these results before us, we cannot say, as so many ! 1 others amongst us have done, that Mr j Macandrew’s words on the opening of the Provincial Council were more eloquent ( than they should have been. Let us examine these so-called sanguine remarks 1 of Mr Macandrew. “ Although, in all ( “ probability, we are on the eve of a nesv , “ phase in the development of our gold- f “ fields—one which, as likely as not, may , “ throw all that has hitherto been clone “ into the shade—-I allude to the discovery , 11 of numerous gold bearing quartz-reefs,— : “ at the same time there is an amount of “ uncertainty about this description of | “ mining which does not apply to alluvial “ diggings. With respect to the latter, it “is well known that the auriferous re- “ sources of the Province have been “ scarcely touched - there are literally “ mountains of gold. This is no matter of “ mere conjecture, the ground having been “ fully tested. What is wanted to increase “ our production of gold to an enormous “ extent is an abundant supply of cheap “ water. This supply cannot be procured, “ unless by loan, which, unfortunately, we “ have no power to raise without the sane- “ tion of the Colouial Legislature.” We see nothing in them exaggerating the present state of affairs. They only faithfully describe the position of mining affairs in this Province. Yet how little has been done to develop that interest which has so largely contributed to the advancement of the Province and the interests and wellbeing of the Colony: almost nothing. The Superintendent spoke of the gold-fields being yet only scratched, as it were. We might add that the assistance furnished in return for valuable contributions has been actually and veritably nil. All that has been expended upon so valuable an interest his not been one-fifth of its due share —taking the gold- fields’ position and contributions to the revenue into the question. The recent strike of the miners at Mount Ida has prominently brought before public notice one feature requiring amendment in our gold-fields legislation, and one feature, we venture to say, that presents one of the strangest anomalies that can be presented even amongst a gold-fields community. We allude to the high rack-rents charged by the holders of the water-races supplying the lower gold-fields. The rent charged for a head of water by the Crown is 5s : tho price charged weekly for a supply of water has, according to the petition of the minors, been exhorbltant. Charges of £2 10s per week, and j£TIOO per annum, for a single head of water figure amongst the statements. All tho efforts of the Provincial Council are passing indeed when their very best intentions are frustrated by the greed of capitalists.