THE Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1913, 23 June 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1869.

An instance of the operation of the Consolidation of Loans Act in obstructing the development of local resources, is afforded in the necessity that has arisen for referring arrangements by Local Governments, for supplying water to Goldfields; to the General Government. No doubt it was exceedingly inconvenient in times p ist, when Provincial loans were required, that they should be of less value in the market, because of their not having the guarantee of the General Government. But, bad as that was, it seems worse not to have the power to raise money for investment in reproductive works, without first appealing for permission to the Central Legislature. It is now above twelvemonths since several of the mining districts of Otago were surveyed with a view to the construction of reservoirs for storing water for gold washing. It was shown then that at a comparatively small outlay, ample supplies could be obtained for districts which cannot now be worked profitably, and that when the gold was exhausted the reservoir would still be useful for water supply to the inhabitants of towns in the neighborhood or for agricultural purposes. It was estimated that the cost of constructing these reservoirs would have been reimbursed to the Government with an

additional ample revenue in a very short time, but that, from the nature of the works, they were hardly likely to be undertaken by private companies. Had it not been for the consolidation of Loans Act, it is more than probable that before this time the Provincial Government would have taken the necessary steps for the further opening up of gold mining. But had application to Parliament been made for power to raise a loan for such a purpose, it would have been refused, The General Government appear to have set their faces only in one direction } and can see the necessity for borrowing only for one object—the Native war. Otago, too, is a marked province. It is the only one that has made a shadow of a stand against Central aggression. Every annoyance that could be visited upon it, from witholding the delegated powers to refusing the Post Office Hall for holding a public meeting, has been given. Its Railway Bill has been virtually a dead letter, and it is very doubtful whether it will be allowed to pass ; and attempts have been made to foster discontent between different districts of the Province, in order that the inhabitants might be led to seek a remedy at the hands of the General Government. Luckily for the Province and the Colony up to this time, these sinister efforts of the Stafford Ministry have proved fruitless. Otago is still undivided, and to all appearance is likely to remain so, after Mr Stafford and his colleagues have ceased to mismanage New Zealand affaii’s. Under auspices likely to find more favor with the Ministry, than if the proposition had emanated from Otago, the question of water supply to the goldfields has been brought under the notice of the House of Representatives. Mr W. H. Harrisox, once resident in Otago, and now representing the County of Westland, moved for the appointment of a Select Committee “to con- “ sider the question of affording the “ encouragement of the Government, ■< either by loan guarantee or otherwise, “to the construction of permanent “ works for the supply of water on the “ Goldfields of the Colony.” Mr Harrisox is a supporter of the Stafford Ministry, and consequently likely to find favor with them; though, singularly enough, some very important omissions in the persons he proposed as members of the Committee caused him to withdraw his motion. Possibly those omissions arose partly through Mr Harrisox’s being only a young member of the House ; but still more probably partly through design, and partly through forgetfulness that Westland and Otago were not the only gold-pro-ducing districts. Exception was taken to the constitution of the Committee, because Auckland was not proposed to be represented in it. Westland, of course, was abundantly provided for*, and Otago was not forgotten; but, as in duty bound to his political demi-gods, Mr Harrison carefully omitted from his list of members the only Goldfields member who can be depended upon for independent action—Mr VOGEL. Both Mr Haughtox and Mr Bradshaw were included —gentlemen whose connection with Otago is of so very questionable a character that it is not likely they will continue to represent it in any future Parliament. Not a single Auckland member was proposed, and strangely enough not a member of the Executive was mentioned. We do not know that these omissions were so vital as to render it necessary to withdraw the motion. It was quite competent for any member to propose that the Committee should be appointed by ballot, and the withdrawal of the motion on such slender ground'gives coloring to the idea that, after all, nothing serious was intended ) but that the tempting bait was held up to the eyes of the digging population to shew how ready the paternal Government of Stafford axd Co. is to confer benefit upon them, —always provided they can have their support.