The Evening Star. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2959, 13 August 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1872.

The reports which are constantly being received of fresh discoveries of mineial treasure in Otago, should lead to some systematic endeavor to develop them, so as to hasten the settlement of the Province by a large and industrious population. We look upon this as one of the chief purposes to be answered by the prolongation of the lives of Provincial Councils. The problem be solved by them is, how to give efficient assistance to private enterprise without doing injustice to the community. There is a natural jealousy amongst the inhabitants of every country lest one class of industry should be more highly favored by Government aid than another ; and this jealousy has led the farmer to look with suspicion upon the miner and the miner upon the farmci . while the artisan and the unskilled laborer regard anything done specially for those classes as unjust to himself. We have an instance of this jealous watchfulness in the proceedings of the Committee of the Miners’ Association, Arrowtown, published in yesterday’s Evening Star. The evils of the almost exclusive attention to a class, which has marked the career of the Provincial Council, especially during the last seven years, are beginning to shew themselves. The leading thought of our Provincial statesmen has been set tlement of the country, but only in a particular way. It is very strange that notwithstanding the experience of ages—notwithstanding the known fact that occupation of the country by leases is proved to be not only possible but advisable, because of the power of resumption of the land on ecpiitable terms that may be retained under such a system —no other idea of “ settlement” has been realised by the Council than that of alienation of the public estate. Men are found willing to open coal mines on lease, to work goldcontaining areas on lease, to cut waterraces on lease, to invest money in constructing mills on lease, to put up flaxmills on the mere chance of the continuance of indigenous supply although others may gather it as well as they, to construct jetties on license, to raise sheep and cattle on lease; but if a plough is to be put into the ground to I'aise corn, it is only to be done on condition that the land is the farraex-’s own or held on such conditions that he may purchase if he choose within a stated period. The evils of alienation are continually pressing themselves upon attention. They have been shown in the prices paid for the resumption of land by the Government on our lines of railway : they are seen whenever private property is required for public purposes ; and now the miners have taken alarm because of the danger of the Provincial Government parting with large areas of land in order to raise money to carry out public works. We considered that the issue of agricultural leases would have shown the way to a better system, and it has undoubtedly demonstrated the fact that alienation of land is not necessary to the settlement of the country. It is plain that what is really required to induce cultivation of the soil is security of tenure. Cultivation under agricultural leases has been carried on with such success that provisions in the interior are as cheap as in Dunedin, And now the weak place in the system is showing itself : those who began to cultivate leased land have realised sufficient capital to buy it, and the demand for it threatens to seriously interfere with mining industry. We reprint the opinion of the Committee, for, as an expression of deliberate conviction, arrived at from experience, it is valua ble :

“That the committee is of opinion that (while acknowledging the immense benefits which have resulted to the district from the working of the agricultural lease regulations) the time has arrived when it is desirable iu the interests of the miners that any further alienation of land for agricultural purposes should be suspended in this district, and that in cases where the lands alreadyleased Jhave been proved to be payably auriferous, the purchase of the freehold by the lessee should not be permitted, with a view to the future determination of such leases by the Governor as the present rapid development of the gold workings may demand.

But the evil is not confined to the evident setting of class against class indicated in this paragraph. It is rendering the mining population discontented with the Provincial Government. While the theoretic party in the General Assembly are striving to rouse opposition to the Fox Ministry, because of their assumption of executive powers in the construction of public works and immigration hitherto

exercised by Provincial Councils, tlie large industrial section of miners are asking that Provincial Governments shall be still further curtailed in power, and that the administration of the land shall be virtually taken out of their hands. We may, and do very much doubt whether the remedy proposed by the miners would not be worse than the disease, unless they at the same time have influence sufficient to obtain the passing of a law to provide for the occupation of the unsold land

of the Province on lease. The great objection raised to the sale of the Island Block, of the still later purchase by Mr Clarke, and of the sale to Messrs Cargill and Anderson, is that those blocks are supposed to comprise large areas of auriferous land. If so, these sales virtually shut up a large amount of mineral treasure from public utilisation, except on terms which in effect confer a monopoly upon individuals. Although, theoretically, the precious metals are not sold with the land,' the sale of the land containing them throws such impediments in the way of obtaining them, as to render working the ground too expensive. A miner may be disposed to risk his time when no royalty is payable except on the gold obtained. But when he has to pay a rent, gold or no gold, the, expence is certain, while the return is uncertain. The ill-effects of alienating gold-containing land has long been felt in Victoria. Effort after effort has been made to devise some law that shall meet the difficulties of the case, but without effect. During the present session of the Victorian Parliament, a Bill to facilitate mining on private property has been introduced. It may be safely predicted it will be a failure, unless it provides for the resumption of the land by the State on equitable terms. It is worth the consideration of the miners of Otago that the Victorian difficulty is not the result of Provincial or local legislation, but has been brought on by the action of the General Government: and what guarantee have they that the General Government of New Zealand would be wiser than that of Victoria ? The growing discontent is a just retribution upon the obstructive party in the Provincial Council, Avho refused to bring the Hundreds Regulation. Act into operation. Had they done this, the Provincial Treasury would not have needed forced sales of land for carrying out public works. The only compensation that can be hoped for is, that it may be a means of bringing prominently into consideration the possibility of introducing a sound system of rental for the use of land, giving power to the Government to resume it whenever it is required for industrial development.