Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, SEPT. 19.

Cromwell Argus, Volume II, Issue 97, 19 September 1871, Page 4

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, SEPT. 19.

The Financial Statement of the Colonia Treasurer, delivered in the Assembly 01 the 12th inst, is not reassuring. Whei we learn that the revenue of the Colony fo the past year is £16,000 less than it wa estimated it would be, and that it i £82,000 less than the revenue of the pre vious year, wo feel rather inclined to hi startled. While pointing out the cause of this falling-off in the revenue, the Trca surer confessed that the Government hai not looked for such a largo decrease. IL expressed his conviction, however, tha the depression which has so long cxistei is in course of removal, through the in strumentality of the influx of immigrant which may shortly bo expected, and th inauguration of great public works. Tin deficiency for the financial year is £76,000 and to this has to be added £60,009 of ai overdraft which has remained unpaid fo two years, thus leaving the Colony actual! in deficit to the extent of £136,000. Th Government, however, boldly grapple witl the difficulty, and express an opinion tha it is very undesirable that this large sun should be added to the perm ment debt o the Colony, their proposed plan of aciioi being to charge £1:6,000 of the amount o: present year’s revenue, and the remaiude on that of the two succeeding years. On readers will naturally ask. Js there an probability of the revenue fur this and th two succeeding years being likely to yiel this large amount, over and above curron expenditure 1 It is clear that very heavil increased taxation would have to be n sorted to in order to wipe off such a extra burden ; and the Government, wit wisdom, recognising the fact that an ii crease of taxation to any great exten would not he tolerated, announced that th main feature of the Budget would bolarg reductions in the expenditure of the C( -lony. Of course, these reductions mus press heavily in some quarters, and we ar therefore not surprised to find that th Provincial revenues are to bo shorn c their fair proportions in order that the may assist largely in the inauguration ,f the Retrenchment policy of the Govern

meat: as Mr Vogel puts it, “It would be easily understood by hon. members that in determining to make such a reduction, the Government could not fail to look in the direction of that expenditure which related to so large a proportion of the pub lie service. He meant the money put apart for Provincial purposes and Provincial services.” Asa solatium, however, the pleasing information is conveyed to us that the subsidy to Road Boards is to be increased from £50,000 to £100,000; further backed up by the announcement that the General Government desires to

assume the entire control of anti expense connected with immigration arrangements. This latter fact may be looked upon as a driving of the wedge into the tree of Provincialism ; and this is borne out by the expressed intention of the Government to assume control of the affairs of Provinces whose Governments display inaptitude and inability to conduct things satisfactorily. The imposition of an import duty on timber, all cereals, and rice, and the extension of the Stamp Duties Act so that it shall bring other documents within its pale, are also to contribute to the desired and necessary increase of revenue. Among other important innovations upon the system of government of the Colony is the proposed Colonial Board of Public Works and Immigration. This body is to assume the control of public works and to take charge of immigration arrangements ; the Assembly deciding upon the works to be undertaken, but only upon the recommendation of the Board. With the Board fairly constituted, of which due care will have to be taken when the members of which it is to be composed are elected, there seems no reason why this arrangement should not work moderately well. Then we come to the question of the construction of Railways under the Public Works and Immigration scheme, and the manner in which their cost is to be charged. “ Two principles,” it is announced, “the Government have quite determined upon. One is, that no railway shall be constructed which does not at once promise to pay working expenses ; and the other, that in order to prevent an indiscriminate scramble for railways, a power of local rating shall, under certain contingencies, be provided.” For the construction of lines of railway in the North Island the Government considers that the only course to be adopted, js the acquiring of land representing the value of i the works to be constructed ; and in the [ South Island, as such a course would interfere largely with existing land laws—land the rights under such laws are, in j all conscience, sufficiently complicated alj ready—it is “ proposed to charge the cost i of construction of railways upon the land I fllTlfl Allfl it. IQ nlsn fliut

event of a railway not paying, the deficiency shall be recovered from the Province in which such railway is constructed, or, if necessary, “ a special rate shall be levied upon the persons in the vicinity of a railway who derive benefit from its construction.” This latter provision, we opine, will meet with opposition; although, if the matter is considered in a logical light, such should not be the case. Wherever a line of railway is constructed, it is palpably evident that land in the vicinity of such railway will be materially enhanced in value, owing to the increased facilities which are afforded for the rapid despatch of farm produce and imported goods to marketable centres, and at a cheapened rate of carriage. And in any case the rate levied would probably be a small one only, iln the matter of coming retrenchment, i we find that “ the proposed expenditure I for the year shows an immense reduction.” j The total expenditure for the present year |is computed at £982,000, as against j £1,050,000 last year, and this includes the | £IO,OOO which we have previously mentioned as being the proportion of the deficit from the previous year to be charged to the present year’s expenditure. The ■ estimated revenue for the present year I shows a reduction of £45,000 more than the actual receipts during that year. Whether there is any probability of the ] receipts of the present reaching a larger | sum than those of the past year is ex|tremely doubtful, notwithstanding the fact that we have a slight increase in the stamp duties taxation, and the imposition of a duty on timber, cereals, and rice. Speaking for ourselves, we look forward to a considerable deficiency when the next annual Budget is declared, instead of a surplus of £7500 as is anticipated by the Treasurer. We shall bo most agreeably surprised if such is not the case, however ; and we earnestly trust that the Treasurer’s computations for the present year may be characterised by a degree of accuracy which is unfortunately too seldom the case in J anticipatory statements of revenue and i expenditure.

We have from time to time published in this journal descriptions of the most improved methods of extracting waste gold from quartz tailings ; and in to-day’s issue will be found some account of what is called a “ triple-action grinder and amalgamator,” apparently one of the most effective machines of its kind that has yet come under the notice of the public. It is well known that in Victoria, even with the best crushing-machines, a large quan gold escapes from the ripples and with the tailings. But in Victory tailings are not suffered to run to waste'.?'they are carefully hoarded up, and afterwards submitted to another process—a more searching test than ordinary crushing-ma-chines afford. Where the stone is rich, and especially where the tables are defective, handsome returns are often secured by the use of tailings-machines,—thus proving beyond all doubt that a very considerable proportion of the gold is carried over the ripples along with the sludge. This waste, we believe, occurs in connection with all the crushing-machines in this neighbourhood, and much gold is therefore irrecoverably lost. What guarantee have the owners of quartz-mills in this district that even the greater part of the gold is saved in the process of crushing ? They are accustomed to place implicit reliance upon the ability and skill of their working manager's, who may be in some cases mere novices in the art of gold-saving. Perhaps some of the “ poor crushings” that have resulted from apparently rich stone may in more than one instance be attributable to the imperfect nature of the appliances used for extracting the precious metal from the pulverised quartz after being subjected to the action of the stampers. At all events, we think the subject deserves the attention of our quart; - nining companies.