The Evening Star. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1870

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2168, 19 April 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1870

From every mining district reports come to hand of increased and increasing yields of gold. Without parade, almost without notice, this progress has been made. In fact, while rumors of startling yields calculated to unsettle the minds of our population have reached us from other provinces, our miners have been silently working and realising wages that throw the earnings of the majority in Auckland and on the West Coast into the shade. We in Otago are not apt at letting the world know how easily this wealth is attainable. We spend our time in striving to settle differences between those who assume to be settlers and the squatters to the comparative, neglect of an industry that, developed, would enrich both. Two wardens’ reports have been published giving statistical accounts of the Tuapeka and Queenstown districts. In each there is much that is worthy of close attention, The Lawrence goldfields, we are informed, comprise a district of 279,500 acres, “ all more “ or less auriferous,” and of this only about 13 square miles has been worked —about one thirty-fifth part. It is by no means certain that ground as rich as any that has been worked, does not exist within this area. It would appeal-, from the report of the Warden, that attempts have been made to “ prospect ” the district, and we know that some money has been sunk in vain attempts to discover deep leads. In all probability, had these rude and unscientific researches been guided by sound geological knowledge, the money might have been profitably spent in successful experiments, while under the influence of ill-founded hope it has simply been thrown away. It cannot be forgotten that for years Dr Hector was paid a high salary as Provincial Government Geologist. What result has the Province received from his labors'? One of the chief ends to be attained is that such knowledge shall be given of the rock formations of the different districts as is calculated to prevent useless expenditure of capital in exploration. Instead of that, beyond a few occasional stray remarks, the direction that labor should take has been left pretty much to accident, and prospecting to this day is as much indebted for its success to the divining rod as to Dr Hector’s investigations. This is not creditable to the intelligence of the age. The last twenty years must have furnished pretty accurate data on which to found generalisations telling us, at any rate, where deep leads are not likely to exist. It would be asking too much, considering the capriciousness of the depositions of gold, that any man should be expected to say it is to be found here or there; but much would be gained by saying where it is not likely to be, or if there is a probability of its being found at all, under , what circumstances. It is just the same in other Provinces. As an old Maori who cannot count ten years upon his fingers is looked upon as a seer in respect of the weather, so some old miner, whose observations have been confined to digging a few holes in Victoria or California is trusted, and his opinion regarded as oracular with regard to gold prospecting. According to a resolution passed at the last session of the Provincial Council, we are to have a survey of our goldfields. It is to be hoped that it will be so conducted as to realise more practical r-esults than we have reaped from the labors of Dr Hector. The report as published yesterday from Queenstown is more encouraging than that from Tuapeka, It tells not only of a rapid expansion of mining but of the development of other industries.

It tells of districts permanently settled, of agricultural prosperity and maim--factoring activity, of saw mills and flour mills in full employment, of coal mines worked, of beer brewed, of such trade in flour, timber, grain, and wool as would give full employment to a greater number of drays than are available. Lastly we are told what must strike any one as true, “there is but “ one thing wanting in the district, “ and that is population to develop its “ vast resources.” Much has been said and written about immigration. A large class in the province opposes it, and from time to time complaints are made in the public journals of want of employment. The senselessness of such complaints is evident from two circumstances: the rate of wages and the class of persons who are at present reaping a rich harvest in our goldfields. In the Lawrence district wages are from L3toL 36s per week; in the Queenstown district as high as L 4 10s is paid for dredging. Surely where such high wages are to be obtained, any man willing to work may find it, and there is this peculiarity in gold mining ; no competition is likely materially to reduce wages; for the greater the yield of gold, the more certain are they to be maintained. The other striking feature of both reports is the number of Chinese on the goldfields. Out of a mining population of 1500 on the Lawrence goldfield, 500 are Chinese, and out of 1343 miners in the Queenstown district, 635 arc Chinese. We have no prejudice against the Chinese, but as they are not settlers, it would have been more satisfactory had the proportion of Europeans been larger. It is much better that our goldfields should be worked by Chinese than that they should lie idle ; but they come to work, and to save, and to take their surplus earnings away. They have neither wives nor families. The advantage reaped by the Province from their labor is their maintenance while they are here. Had Europeans been in their places, the capital accumulated would have been invested in the Province, and permanent ad vantage derived from their labor. How is it that our own race cannot find a resting place in a district so well able to sustain a large population in comfort and prosperity '? There must be some fault in our colonising arrangements that requires investigation.