COUNTY AID TO PROSPECTING PARTIES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 970, 19 November 1880, Page 3

COUNTY AID TO PROSPECTING PARTIES.

The following letter from the Cle'k of Maniototo County Council to Mr J. C. Brown, was read at the last meeting of the Tuapeka County Council: “Naseby, November 6lh, 183(1. “Dear Sir—ln reply to your note for information regarding County prospecting. J have much pleasure in informing you that the County Council of Maniototo last year and this year voted the sum of L2OO for_ prospecting within the County., Last year about L 260 was paid to persona and parties engaged in prospecting. These parties were appointed by a Committee of the Council. Application was made to thS Government for subsidy by the Council as a ‘local body,’ under section ‘Aids to Prospecting.’ (See Government Gazette ) “Aft<T some trouble with the Government as to the proper expenditure of the money, tbev ultimately agreed to accept a voucher cc-tifie 1 to by the Warden for the District, that he had examined the receipted vouchers, and that the money Had been paid by the Council. Some two mon f hs ago the Connell received the sura of Ll3O, being the half of the amount expended. None of the vote of this year has yet been expended, although a number of parties are out. Of course the • Auditor (Mr Livingston) takes exception to the passing of this item of expenditure, he■cause not authorised by the ‘Counties Act,’ and will also, I believe, object to the Government giving the subsidy. It would be quite competent for the Municipal Council or a Mining Association to apply for a subsidy, bat as the Government only subsidises the money expended, the funds of a Borough or a Mining Association might not be able to stand the strain. 1 may mention that the.new diggings at Vinegar Hill and Shepherd’s Hut Flat were discovered through the inducements' held out by the prospecting subsidy. From one .claim alone something like 1409 ounces of fold in six in mths were taken out, amountvg in gold duty 'Slone (exclusive of other contingent revenue) to Ll4O . “Seeing that our land revenue is gone, and subsidy disappearing, the members o(

tliis 0 uinoil are anxious to give as much oni: •nragement as possible to prospecting, in tin- hope that that portion of our revenue derivable from gold duty (almost the ' only source of revenue now left Goldfields Counties) may be so augmented by the discovery of fresh fields that the loss of the 20 per cent of End revenue and reduced subsidy will not be so severely felt. 1 enclose you a.copy of our conditions, and will be glad, if required, to afford you any further information on this subject.’’