GOLDFIELDS COMMISSION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 313, 24 April 1868, Page 3

GOLDFIELDS COMMISSION.

Through the kindness of Messrs. Shepherd and Haughton, the report ■of the (ioldfields Commission is now before us. We extract the following, as being specially interesting to our readers in the surrounding districts:— Mount Bknop.r.—There is only one Officer of the Goldfields Department resident in ■this District—the Warden and Resident Magistrate, who holds the Offices of Coroner, and Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages; he also acts as Receiver of Gold Revenue, performing his own clerical work. We find that the business transacted in this District is comparatively small—the War■rlens' Cases, on Summons and complaint, average only two a month. We arc of opinion that the Judicial work of this District might be accomplished by a visit of a Warden at stated periods, as the Warden, discharging all the duties of the Station, finds his time but half occupied. This District is peculiarly placed, being upwards of thirty miles from the head quaters of any other Warden; the only District with which it could be ultimately amalgamated would be Switzers, a course, the adoption of which, •we would recommend immediately upon the completion of the road now in course of construction between the two places; but if this were [carried'out, it would be found necessary to station an Assistant-Receiver, acting also as Clerk, at Mount Bengcr. QueenstoWn.— The Queeustown District, as at present constituted, consists of Queenstown, and tho out-station of Maori Point, where a Court is held monthly by the Warden. From the Returns, it will be observed that the Mining Population of the District is comparatively small. It appears, however, to be incneasing in importance as an Agricultural District. The Staff at present consists of one Warden, who alsoliolds the appointment of Coroner; one Reeiever, acting also as Clerk to to the District Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts;nna .Receiver acting also as Clerk to the Bench stationed at Maori Point; and ono Bailiff. Upon examination, we are forced to the con-

elusion that theOfficera of this District are not sufficiently employed, nor does the convenience of the Public require a staff which was quite sufficient when the Population was very rsach larger. The Arrow.—The Arrow, embracing Cardrona, has at present a Staff consisting of one Warden, holding also the offices of Coroner, Returning and .Registration Officer for Hampden and the Lake District, Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, and a Receiver acting also as Clerk to the Resident Magistrate's and Wardens' Courts. It will be observed from Statistics attached, that the Mining jjPopulation here also has very much decreased, while the Agricultural Population has been on the increase. The only place in this district in which a regular Court is held is the Arrow, The Warden has, however, visited the Cardrona once a month during the lasi four monihs, for the despatch of general business. Taking, therefore, into consideration the limited Population now residing in the whole of this and the Quecnstown District, including Cardrona, and also the fact that during the last eight months, with short intervals, there has actually been only one Warden discharging the duties of Resident Magistrate ami Warden in the Like District, we are of opinion that the Staff sufficient to carry on the business of the whole of thi.s District, having due regard to the convenience of the Public, should be one Warden, one Receiver aciing also as Clerk to the Bench, one Assistant Receiver and Clerk, and a Bailiff. The Warden should make such visits for tike purpose of folding Courts and discharging other business, accompanied by the Assistant Receiver, as may appear tohimnecessary. So far, however, as we can judge, we would suggest that Courts should be held once a week at Queenstown, fortnightly at the Arrow, and once a month at the Cardrona ; the Court now held at Maori Point, from apparent paucity of cases appearing in the Return, might be gradually discontinued. In reference to the Cardrona, it may not be absolutely necessary to hold Courts once every monthly visits, we are of opinion, should be made. Dunstan.—This District embraces Clyde, Cromwell, Alexandra, and Nevis. At Clyde, which is the head quarters, is stationed the Warden and Resieent Magistrate, who holds also the appointments of Coroner, and Registration and Returning Officer forihe Goldfields, Goldfields Towns, and ! the Disrict of Manuherikia. He is also Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for Clyde. The Warden holds Courts at Clyde once a week, at Alexandra once a ] week, at Cromwell once a week, and at Ne- | vis once a month. As will be seen by at- j taehed Returns, the duties of Receiver statioued at Clyde are, comparatively speak* igg, small, while the Mining Population is almost nil; but being a mercantile centre and the seat of the District Court, we are of opinion that Clyde ought to remain the head quarters of the District. The contiguous Station (Blacks), we. would recommend, should be amalgamated with the Dunstan District. Our reasons for recommending this are—First, that Blacks is within an easy distance (eighteen miles) of head (platers (Clyde), and over a level road; and, secondly, that it has been temporally attached to, and is at prudent under the sn- } pervision of the Warden of that District. This amalgamation may be made we think, | without the slightest inconvenience to the public service. Looking at the proximity of Alexandra to Clyde, only seven miles distant, and the number (if miners resident there, we are of opinion that this station might be dispensed with, perhaps gradually, | and the business concentrated to Clyde, which, as already remarked, has, by being ' the scat of the District Court, and for other reasons, become a centre. At Alexandra, there is at present stationed a Receiver, act- j also as Clerk to the Bench, who holds the ap ointment of Registrar of Births, Deaths, | and Marriages. These changes in this district would necessitate the following staff: —One Warden, having his head-quarters at Clyde ; one Receiver and Clerk for the same place ; and one Assistant Receiver, residing at Cromwell. Of the Clerical and Receiver's work at Black's we will speak when we come to St. Bathan's. The necessity for having the Assistant Receiver and Clerk in the Dunstan district resi iing atC'romwcll arises from the growing importance of that sub-district, as will be seen on reference to the attached return of revenue, &c. A considerable population is also settling down in the Upper Clutha, and, so far as we can judge from the number of mining applications made to the Warden, is steadily on the increase. Indeed, the Warden deemed it necessary to bring under the notice of the Commission the desirability of extending the boundary of the goldfield, so as to embrace all the upper waters of the Clutha (vide general remarks unr.er this head). In : reference to the Nevis, which tho Warden at present visits once a month, we are of opinion that its requirements are not such as to neccsitate the holding Courts there; occasional visits would be amply sufficient. UrrER Manuherikia.—This District at present embraces the two stations, Blacks and St. Bathans, and has the following staff of officers:—One Warden and two Receivers, acting also as Clerks to the Bench, stationed respectively at St. Bathans and Blacks. The Warden, besides his appoint, nient as I Resident Magistrate and Warden holds that of Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, for tfee Blackstone District. This district we, have already alluded to, while speaking of Dunstan, purpose to amalgamate, part (viz, St Bathans portion) with the district of Mount Ida. While making such amalgamation, we fear we will have to depart to a certain extent from the system of centralising, which we have endeavoured to introduce, for the following rea-Bbn»;-.-Ut. The necessity that at present exists for the Assistant Receiver in the

Dunstan District residing at Cromwell. 2nd. The fact that we find an Assistant Receiver will be required in the Naseby District 3rd. Our opinion thai the Receivers at the centres should not move about, or on any occasion have their office closed. 4th That the interests of the Public, as appears from the Records, would require frequent communication between St. Bathans and Blacks, and we would recommend that a Receiver, acting as Clerk of the Bench, should be placed in this district to discharge the duties of both stations, viz, Blacks and St. Bathans, making returns fram both places, as those stations would then be iu different districts; the Receiver to visit weekly between St. Bathans and Blacks, suiting his visits to those of the Wardens from Naseby and Clyde. St. Bathans has for the last four months been supervised by the Warden from Naseby, and can, in our opinion, continue to be so, fortnightly visits being sufficient; this portion of the Upper Manuherikia can therefore be permanently amalgamated in the Mount Ida District. Mount Ida.—This district, as already stated, will, in addition to Naseby, Hyde, and Macrae's, (the three lar.t mentioned stations, judging from the statement of the Warden, being unimportant,) embrace St. BathauV, and will have, as at present, one Warden, one Receiver (acting as Clerk of tile Bench), and one Bailiff, with, so far as St. Bathan's is concerned, the assistance of a Receiver, acting as Clerk. fiENEKAL REMARKS. Receiver. -There are at present a great number of these officers on the Uoldiiel :s----corresponding with, and accounting direct to the Treasury. Looking therefore to the principle of limiting the numb >.r of persons entrusted with the control of public monies we would beg to suggest that there be but one principal Receiver, who might be also Paymaster in each District, located at its head quarters. This will, in our opinion, simplify the method of accounting to the Treasury, and will reduce tho number of Accounting Officers to six instead of ten as at present. Assistant Receivers.---It will doubtless occur to the Executive that the office of Assistant Receiver is an innovation on the rules of the Colonial Treasury, which enjoin all persons collecting revenue to account for it direct to the Treasury. It is with no view of stepping beyond the scope of our inquiry that we presume to suggest any change in the Goldfields Stall' of that Department, but because at almost every sta. Hon visited we found far grcnter indirect innovations on those regulations, such as Wardens collecting moneys at out station, with a view to accommodate the miners and the public generally, together with the fact that at every station we were informed that the chief part of the time of tho Receiver, however great or small his collections, was taken up with clerical work in making out returns of those collections. The appoint- I ment, therefore, of Assistant Receivers is '■ suggested with a view to centralise as far as I possible on the move important stations, or j those places that have been from various causes recognised as centres, tho collection of and accounting for revenue. It will be seen by the return of the proposed alter-.- j tions in the staff that those officers will, with one or two exceptions, be sta ioned at ' the hea l -quarters of each district. Their | duties would be, when so stationed, to assist ; the Receiver and Clerk of Courts in the general routine of the office, and, to accom- ' pany the War 'en iu his visits to the outstations where it is considered necessary to hold Courts or collect revenue, r ceiving applications and performing the duties of Clerk to tho Bench at such places. He woul'. while thus employed, be responsible for the revenue collected by him ; but it should be bis duty to account, immediately on his return to head-quarters, to tho Receiver of the district for such collections. He should therefore be required to find security for the faithful discharge of his duties. This will obviate the irregularity which now exists of the Warden's collecting revenue at outstations. Wardens' Visits to Out-stations. —lt came under our special notice that the Wardens, in hoi iing Courts at their out-stations, do not observe that punctuality which, for obvious reasons, [is desirable. Wo would recommend that, when Wardens notify a day for holding such Courts, they should give their attendance without fail, except in cases where insurmountable difficulties arise. In such cases the Wardens should be enjoined to give timely notice, when possible, and another day should be named for holding the Court so omitted. Wardens ought also to be instructed to use very great cautian in establishing Courts at out-stations, and should use every endeavor, except when great public inconvenience would result from it, to conoentrate all the work upon the head-quarters of the district. We are also of opinion that the Wardens' time might be very much economised in some places if, instead of having several Court days in the week for the disposal of judicial business at the head station, he were to fix one Any in the week for such Court, as, judging from the returns, the cases are not so numerous as to render this a matter of very great difficulty. Assessment of Stock Depastured on Coldfields.—The word " Assessment" is, as thus \l3cd, an anomaly, inasmuch as persons depasturing stock on Crown lands within goldfields arc. not assessed. As a general rule, owners of stock pay for any number they chooso to return. We are quite satisfied that tho public revenue suffers very much by this system, and we beg to recommend that the rule which applies to runholders should be made applicable to all persons depasturing stock on goldfields, viz., that they should be compelled to attend and make a declaration before the Resident Magistrate of the District of the number of sheep and cattle depastured by them on the 30th of September and 31st of March of each year. We would also beg to recommend that the

various Sub-Inspectors of Sheep in tho province be instructed to assess cattle depastured on goldtields in their various districts, and make half-yearly returns of the same to the head of their department. Mining and Agricultural Leases.---The Commission are compelled to take very marked notice of the unaccountable delay that appears to take place in the issue of both mining and agricultural leases, particularly the former. This is apparent from the returns compiled. The results of such delay are various : I. Great loss of revenue to the Government. 2. Dissatisfaction to the mining and agricultural community, 3. Monopoly of mining and agricultural ground, causing often unnecessary disputes. The mode of application for those leases may be somewhat the cause of the delay; but into that the Commission do not consider it their duty to inquire, particularly as they observe that a Special Commission for Revision of the Goldtields Rules has been appointed, who will doubtless inquire into the rules pertaining to this important subject. We find the greatest delay at present takes place after the application leaves the Warden's office, surveyed and reported on. The delay must therefore arise in the preparation of the deed of lease, which certainly, iu cases of agricultural leases, cannot, a3 a rule, involve any great legal consideration. We would there, fore urge upon the Executive that some system ought, without delay, to be adopted to facilitate the issue of those leases. While on this subject we would call attention to the difficulty that has arisen on some of the fields where lenses have .been issued upon which the lessees refuse to pay reut. Two cases of the kind came under our notice, one in the Tuapeka district and the other in the Lakes district, rendering it necessary that some simpler method ought to be adopted for recovery of rents than that indicated in the GoLifields Act- Following out the system of centralising work whenever possiple, it would be very desirable that all applications for leases should be received and all rents male payable at the headquarters of every district, as in that office only should complete records of all these transactions be kept; and we would recommend that the Receivers be enjoined to use great care and attention in promptly and accurately posting the entries in their various rental books, and to this end it would be advisable to furnish these officers with bonks that would readily show when rents are payable. Before quitting this subject we beg to call the attention of tho Government to the necessity of causing agricultural areas to be surveyed and set apart, as soon as possible, at Mount, Benger, Switzer's, and the Mount Ida Districts, as on all sides we found miners and others evincing the most ea"er desire to settle do .mi and take advantage of the agricultural lease system. Survey.—The system of Survey now in force on the Goilfields appears to be, on the whole satisfactory. It woull bo well, however, if it were thoroughly understood that, in the event of a Warden requiring, at any time, a Special Survey to be immediately made, or the scientific advice of a Surveyor on mining or other matters, he : should be enable! at all times, by direct j communication with a Surveyor in the District, to obtain such services. I Exte sio" of GnldtiehK— I; was brought \ irdtr the notice of the C'ommisrion while a*! the D'.iustan, that a large number of th> m ncis were engaged in working the Cluth i Rivr and towards the H wea Lak», outside the houndary of the Gddfi Ids District. Upward* of one hundred heads of wa t r had been implied fur in this locality to the War ten of the Dunstan District, applications which ho possessed no legal power to do il with. We were also informed, while in the Arrow Distiicr, that minim* ODerations hud i ended to the Maietapu ; and as here seems to be a prubabibty of iiiini.ig c xtending iD the direction of the Likes |H r»ea and Wanaka. we would recommend th.it all that piece of country iyin£ between the boundary of the Canterbury Province and the present Goldfields boundary, limited on the east and »est sides bv a north line drawn from Mount St. Bath ns and F'ix's Peak respectively as indicated on the attached map, be included in theGoldtields. It may appear that this is a very large area to embrace in the G ildfieldl; but as it is fur the most part mountainous country, we do not think this extension will interfere with Agricultural Settlement, and it may save th» necessity of auv future extension in that direction. There exists also a simi'ar necessity for the rxteu.-ion of the boundary of the Mount Ida Goldtields in the direction of the Kurow Moun tain and little Domett Peak in which locality the diggings known as Clark's are situated. A plan of the proposed extensions is attached. Management aud supervision of the Department.—Having minutely and carefully enquired into the whole system of tho Goldtields department, we are of opinion that there should be a Goldtields In»pect«r appointed whose principal duties should consist of active supervision and inspection of the Golofields. he necessity for such an Officer has repeatedly pressed itself upon our notice in consequence of the irregularitits and want of system which appear to prevail throughout the whole of the (toldtiehis; and we would particularly rccom. mend that this Officer should be empowered lo inspect and check the accounts of the Receivers of Gold Revenue. This portion of his duties, indeed, shonld be closely assimilated to those of a Bank Inspector. The necessity for such an Officer must be apparent, from a perusal of the Return." shewing the Revenue of the Goldtields, and the various sources from which they arc derived, more particularly Lease Rjnts.