The Evening Star. THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2550, 20 April 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1871.

The Provincial Government Gazette contains an announcement of some importance as regards goldfields management, It gives notice of the intention of the Executive to prepare a Bill for the consideration of the General Assembly, to amend and consolidate the laws relating to the goldfields ; and, that they may be rendered as practical as possible, invites the residents on the goldfields to appoint delegates to take part in a Conference to be held in May. But not only are the laws to come under review : the regulations also will be revised. This is necessary on account of the changes that have taken place in our modes of working, consequent upon improved machinery and the new conditions under which gold deposits have been discovered. As we regard the development of our goldfields the most important means of advancing the interests of the Province, we are glad to perceive this sign of the present Executive being alive to their importance : the last was hopelessly apathetic. The delegates from the various goldfields will each bring the claims and requirements of his district before the Conference, which will be canvassed and considered : we need not therefore trouble ourselves about those subjects. The interests of miners of all classes—sluicers, quartz-crushers, deep-sinkers, and puddlers—will all come under review, as well as those of storekeepers and diggings tradesmen : the only unrepresented ones will be the people outside the goldfields—the rest of the people of the Province. Judging by the style of argument one frequently hears, we should expect to find some persons, on reading that sentence, exclaim what have they to do with it 1 We reply, “ Much every way. They “ are interested in the laws and regu- “ lations being such - as to encourage “ the settlement of population on the “ goldfields, and in making them avail- “ able as means of providing labor “ when other sources of employment “ are closed up. And they are inter- “ ested also in devising a plan, if pos‘4 sible, by which the gold may be taken “ out of the soil, and that soil remain “ available for agriculture after the “ miner has done with it.” This boasted liberty of ours leads us to many absurdities. It leads us towards individual instead of combined action ; and, in consequence, to indulgence in many wasteful processes, through fear of fettering freedom. We could give abundant illustration of the mischievous results of the laissez-faire system, as well as of pernicious meddling on the part of Governments. The misfortune is that when they have interfered in times past, it has usually been in a wrong way for wrong ends. But as they are conservators of the public estate, we take leave to suggest a problem for their consideration. If they feel it their duty to provide a supply of water for sluicing purposes—that is, for washing away the soil for the purpose of getting the gold out of it-—is it not equally their duty to devise plans by which that soil can be afterwards available for agricultural purposes 1 Our miners have hitherto been allowed to make use of our rivers as tail-races ; they have been, and are now engaged in sluicing away thousands of acres of fine rich soil, which is washed down by our rivers, converting them into muddy streams, unfit for the habitation of fish ; and through the raising of their beds, rendering wide tracts of country liable to destructive floods. We need not say that under our present system, wherever the sluicer comes, all chance of utilising the spot he leaves ceases after he has done with it—he leaves a bare and useless rock. We should like to know, is this absolutely necessary 1 With our present knowledge of natural laws and mechanical science, is it really true that we are obliged for present advantage to throw away that which has not only a present value, but, if retainod, may be useful in all time 1 We should think in most instances a very easy solution of the difficulty possible, if only we can make up our minds to submit to organisation. Most engineers would be able to point out a plan—some would go to work more expensively than others ; but from observation of the means used in what is termed “ warping ” at Home, after a place of deposit has been formed, by allowing the soil or a part of it from the first claim to flow away, we imagine the remainder might be vex-y easily in-

duced to settle down into the vacant spot, without interfering with the working of the remainder of the claims ; and with every advantage to the Province. Some trifling outlay in the shape of a simple sluice-gate might be required to prevent the sludge going away, but generally, by a little management, even that might be avoided. We just throw out this hint in order that the subject may be well considered. It is by no means a trifling one. It involves much more than the mere value of a few acres of land ; for the tendency of our present system is to destroy the usefulness of our rivers, and to flood tens of thousands of acres on our plains. What we ought to see to is, that such modes of working are adopted as will guard the Province against the evils of wasting the soil, and to secure to it the benefit of its retention.