The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1870.

Dunstan Times, Issue 416, 8 April 1870, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 1870.

Beneath the Ruleof Men entirely just the pen is mightier than theswop.D

Mh. Whitworth’s overland journey from Martin’s Bay to the head of Lake Wakatip, a short account of which appeared in our telegraphic intelligence in last week’s issue, must he considered to satisfactorily set at rest the possibility of a tolerably easy land journey between tin But

and West Coasts of Otago. One of the greatest drawbacks to the prosperous inland towns of the Dunstan and No-them Goldfields comparatively little traffic passing through them, this arises from the fact that they lead to nowhere, and beyond the supply'of local necessities our highways and byeways are seldom caked into use, Lake Wanaka on the one hand, and Lake Wakatip on the other, are almost the confines of civilisation, beyond them, lies a country shrouded in mystery and for the little and imperfect knowledge we possess about it, we are indebted to the honored journeys of Messrs Hector, Pyke, Caples and some other few*enterprising explorers, who at considerable nersonal risk and inconvenience penetrated the unknown wilds of the terra incognita laying between the head waters of those great Lakes arid the Western seaboard. The new settlement at Martin’s Bay will be advantageous in many ways, it will bn the means of the whole coast line, one hundred miles north to Okarri being thoroughly prosp-cted for gold, while south, similar researches will also he made, nnd if we may judge of the success obtained by the two prospectors, who were passengers bv 'he Charles Edward from Dunedin with Mr. Whitworth, a payal le goldfieid in the former direction may with confidence he reckoned upon. We have latterly erne across several parties who were engaged in the search after theyoTow metal upon this part oflhe’coast, and all appear to have found it in quantities sufficient to induce them to remain, and continue their researches, could they have onlv obtained provisions, but such was impossible, and they were reluctantly compel ed to retrace their steps. Mr. Pyke’s journey from Lake Wanaka to Haast River will now stand a good chance of being turned to profitable account, here again there was no doubt about the existence of gold in payable quantities, but the ■difficulties of supplies were not to be surmounted, nor will such be the case, unless we get a population settled somewhere in the vicinity, and forming as it were a basis for further opera (ions. Proportionately' with the success of the new settlement at Martin's Bay, so will population extend itself along the West Coast, and both the Wakatip and Wanaka rou'es will come largely into use, not on! v as a highway' for tra voders to and fro, but for the transport of stock, a very considerable trade in which must of a necessir.y’spring up; supplies of meat must be derived from here for some time to come. The unfavorable accounts which continue to reach ns from Hokitika and the Grey will cause the'tide of population to set in towards Otago, our solid advantages must prevail against their ephemeral ones, and such who left, ns for those once famous fields will in a great measure find their way back amtin This may already be considered to be in course of rea isation, for scarcely a week passes, but that we come across parlies who have journeyed overland back again to this district. From these we learn that there is a great desire on the part of the West land mining population to migrate to Otago, the want of a road and the means to travel being the only difficulties in the way. The traffic through our townships will become largely increased", as travellers on the score of time and economy will prefer making the journey by land, while as population must of necessity extend itself into the interior towards the great dividing range, it will be cheaper for them to obtain many aitides of supply from the outlying portions of this and the Wakatip districts, than from he Coast itself. The prosperity of the new settlement at Martin’s bay will lie largely participated; in by ourselves, as the whole of the overland traffic to and fro must pass this way. Mr, Whitworth informs us that, the difficulties of making a dray toad from the head of Lake Wakatip, aic by no means so great as were encountered in the construction of the road between Christchurch and Hokitika and as Martin’s Bay is about the nearest point of land between the Smith Island and Australia, and the probability of extensive coal fields being discovered there, together with the advantages of safe and capacious harbors at short distances from each other, accessible at all times and in all weathers, this portion ot the Province of Otago may be said to possess prospects, not equalled by any of the older and already settled distric s.

Ho we vHi unsatisfactory the working of the Bankruptcy Act may be to Dunedin tradesmen, its inconveniences are felt to a much greater extent on the goldfields, and, instead of relieving the necessities of the honest trader and those who (from unforseen circumstances) found their pecuniary positions embarrassed, it is taken advantage of by the dishonest to rid themselves of liabilities they might easily discharge, and which a little time would enable them to do easily withered t to them selves and satisffiction to those to whom they were indebted We may even go farther, and say that, had the present Act no existence, such would have been done. Instead of this, what»do we find! No sooner do persons discover themselves in difficulties than, without economising or using a little extra exertion, they seek the assistance of the law, and, by its aid, wipe off their liabilities At once, leaving their creditors to find consolation in the fact that what would have discharged a considerable portion of their del>ts has been expended in the process of whitewashing their debtors In a newly-settled country like Otago, and more especially on the goldfields, where every service is so highly pah l , and where none need lie idle who choose to work, there is no need of a Bankruptcy Act so easy in its pvo' i sious as to be resorted to upon the most trifling occasions. It is a premium for dishone.-.fy, and we have no hesitation in saying that not one in twenty who have availed themselves of it need to have done so. Scarcely any of the evidence taken in the healing of insolvency cases show that the petitioner came before the Court through fear of arrest or pressure of creditors, nor is there any desire for an equal distribution of their estate shown. The debtor is only desirous of ridding himself cf his liabilities, and, in several cases, be has done tins in tlie face of offers of increased credit from those to whom be was indebted. Since the new Act lias come into operation its working has been found so disastrous that compositions are accepted by traders out of all proportion to amounts due. and this is readily submitted to rather than let debtors go through the Court, creditors knowing full well that, where estates wou'd realise sufficient to pay a. moderate dividend, nothing whatever would bo left were they dealt with under the Bankrupt cy Act. The majority ot tradesmen now look upon diaid- nds from insolAout estates nnnli in the same way as sailors in llu olden time looked upon the distribution of prize money, Jack concluding that it was first sifted through a ladder; what pared through went to the officers, and what remained upon the steps was his. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the Court expenses and other charges swallow up so much of an estate that what remains for dividend is not worth receiving. The interests of the trading community are seriously prejudice l by the new Act. Before it came into operation some attempts were usually made by debtors to discharge their liabilities, or good cause for their indebtedness was shown ; but now, no sooner does a man find that he owes money than he seeks the assistance of the Insolvent Cmn't, and shows no cause for doing so beyond the fact that he is in d dit. and the law releases him from liabilities which he could easily have discharged infull had he possessed any inclination to do so.