Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JAN. 30, 1872

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 116, 30 January 1872, Page 4

Cromwell Argus AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, JAN. 30, 1872

In the Provincial Government Gazette <Jtt moer the IGth instant, are published the condifB < * ers ' tions under whicii applications wui be re 3 ceived by the Minister for Public Workjjpnfow for advances of money to aid in the struction, extension, or improvement oil?) % water on the Goldfields, to be used fo^ e( j mining and other purposes. Our readergiadayS will remember that the " Immigration anlsgn anyt Public Works Act," provided that a certaii«jje Tj| sum out of the Loan should be set apari-^ for the especial encouragement and assis B gine del tance of persons who might engage inswikpS. works for the extension of the "*% Water Supply ; power being given to Minister for Public Works to make thefcfabcai regulations under which the advances m. { s should be made by the Government. t regulations are on the whole liberal, andna'xfc Th we think ought to be viewed with favourtHß Kev throughout the mining districts of the We; Colony. Borrowing money for the prose-Bequenc cution of an enterprise is generally a disagreeable proceeding, always an expen 6ive, and sometimes a ruinous one. Butpuni is in the present instance, few of the usual Q ne objectionable features in connection withi* e an loans are observable. The high rate of in- clause ! terest which has usually to be paid is re-Infuta i duced to the (for the Colonies, at any ratc,)**^*^ 8 | moderate amount of seven percent.; j Government take, as their security, a lien W e will ! over the works proposed to be constructed, ~ ; (which have to be registered in the War- "♦ i dens Court of the district when the ad- vemm , Ivance is made); and, lastly, the " capital quarte: | sum is to be repaid out of the profits of lice, f« the enterprise in the same proportion as* ul . ly . ' | the amount of money bears to the paid-up th ! capital of the Company." Sub-division 7 well," j of Regulation 1 provides that the amount the to ! of money proposed to be borrowed must +r ary ', j not exceed one-third of the estimated cost ] oc \n ; of the construction of the works ; this, we Tetary 1 think, is the least liberal part of the whole Counc j plan. When the proposal to devote " fclia f t ' I .£300,000 towards the development of the gj % I Goldfields was first made public, we antici- there pated that the Government would make the d advances at the rate of £1 for every £1 of rpi the paid-up capital of any Goldfields Water j Supply Company which might be formed, day e | We grant that some degree of risk is in- * n, j curred by the Government, seeing that the * n . •! only security they have is the works con- <j aVi structed, which, of course, may possibly upon prove unreinunerative. But, after all, the occas risk is slight; for it may be well imagined £? I that no scheme of water-supply will be f or t . I gone into rashly where a large amount of _, j private capital is necessarily at stake. | There is a tendency to rashness—to a great 0 r 3; : want of consideration, at all events, —where dare I Government money is concerned ; but in Srai 'undertakings of the nature alluded to, *f? where private interests are so intimately tn ' e associated with those of the Government, mile , comparatively little apprehension of reck- Siai f lessness in dealing with the capital to be " m f! raised need be entertained. We do not ' ; cavil at the Government, however, for bin' I guarding the Treasury against loss, al- of I I though they have commenced rather late 3 j to economise, and that in a direction where J* 3 1 rigid economy is almost unnecessary. Mr s | We hope to have the pleasure of record- spl s i ing that this district has been among the *"* 5 : foremost to furnish applicants for the Go- «?; 3 vernment assistance, and that the Coal s Creek Water Scheme—to which we have , , s devoted our leading columns on several op , s recent occasions—will be among the first enterprises brought under the notice of the , Minister for Public Works, as presenting an eligible and favourable opportunity for se: devoting a portion of the Loan to its legiti- H mate object. The surveyor's report has 7? ■ demonstrated that the scheme is practic- , able, although the route the i\ace will have se to traverse is of so rugged a nature, that hr l " its construction will be a work of some V E j difficulty, and considerable expense. We ie have every faith in the enterprise of those hj le who have already identified themselves p 1 c . with the project; and as the undertaking, 5' if successfully and speedily carried out, „ will very materially add to the prosperity a '' of the district, we hope to see energetic « i steps taken towards an early commence- r °* j ment of the works. We learn on good ' c ie authority that a number of small streams at (the right to all of which has been secured 1 jn by the Carrick Range Water Supply Com- ' pany) intersect the course of the proposed main race within a short distance south of ] Duffer's saddle ; consequently, on the com- ' pletion of about ten miles of easy cutting from the proposed termination, a consider--20 able quantity of water can be made availin I able, long before the principal source of i supply can bs tapped. The utilisation cf

ese side-streams is a most important and luable feature in the undertaking, as it .11 enable the Company partially to supf the existing demand for water at an rly stage of their operations, and will 50 provide them with a source of income at may greatly lighten and diminish the lmher of " calls" made upon the sharedders. j i j j

TflS ?o!1oTV1T!£? rSSOllltlOllS WPl" a naß«e>d A.UW *V**V l< x»*g »~«~»—„ -■ £..._.., at the half-yearly meeting of the Education Board, held in Dunedin on Thursday week. They are expressive of everything that could be desired by the most scrupulous conscience. It was resolved (I) that the schoolmasters and other teachers employed under the Board be enjoined to adhere strictly to the terms of the Education Ordinance, 1861, in regard to the hJible and religious instructions ; to take care that both parents and children be informed that attendance at such reading or instruction is optional; and to avoid the use of any lessons containing words or expressions offensive to the Roman Catholic or other denominations of Christians. (2) That the isoard express their appreciation of the prudeut and fair manner in which they believe the school committees and teachers have generally acted in reference to the reading of the Bible and the imparting of religious instruction in the public schools. (3) That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to every school committee, and every teacher connected with the Board.