ARROWTOWN.

Evening Star, Issue 3004, 4 October 1872, Page 2

ARROWTOWN.

(FROM our. own correspondent.) September 30. John Telford appeared at the Resident Magistrate’s (.'ourt to-day to answer to a charge of stealing gold from a tail race on the Kawarau. It appears that a miner named James Morris, having found occasion to employ several wages-men in his claim, on washing up a paddock from which he expected 40 ozs. got about 20 ozs. It so happened tlpit two of Morris’s men started for Dunedin en route for the same time Morris telegraphed to stop one of these men, and Telford was brought up. No evidence connecting Telford with the robbery was produced, and he was therefore discharged. You will have observed that the actors in jth,e late fpacas ijbt Arrpwtown got off pretty cheaply, and with very ligtyt sentences. 1 cap assure you th it npost people here think that they ought to have been more severely dealt with. Tbs progress of mining industry on this field will most likely bo greatly retarded for some time to come by the departure of many of our miners for now fields in Australia. Those possessed of some means which would have boon employed in developing the roSources of the district are among the first to depart. A proposition is on foot among the miners to subscribe fund* to (suable a trustworthy mau to be sent as a special reporter from the Arrow to Port Darwin, and it appears likely that some arrangement of the kind will be made,

For some time past a growing improve' ment has boon visible among the minors here in regard to the interest taken by them in the p ‘ blic affairs of the district and of the Colony, The utter apathy of past years seemed to be giving way to a healthy and active public opinion, and it is to be hoped that the present rush will not have the effect of marring the many projects of advance, ment which were op. foot, and throw ua back again to the dull times which followed the exodus to the West Coast some years hack, One of the ideas which finds favor with us at present is to|draw up a new Goldfields Act, and an Act to regulate mining partnerships, as we are thoroughly-satisfied that nothing applicable to the circumstances of the miners can be reasonably looked for except from the efforts of qualified men of their own class. It cannot be expected that men following commercial or pastoral occupations, however able and desirous of treating the mining interest fai ly, can legislate satisfactorily upon it. One of the gravest mistakes which have been made has been not to hold out sufficient inducements for miners to settle and become permanent r’paiddht 8 i This cfinJ4 have been effected by a liberal allowance of land to each miner as a residence area, and also a liberal area for gold mining: leases at a moderate rental. Many improvements could be suggested in goldfields legislation tending to protect the miner from present uncertainty, delay, and expense in many points. As there are many intelligent,

earnest men among the miners here, I have no doubt but that they will be rendering a service to the Government as well as to their own class, in devoting their attention to the task indicated A prospecting association has also been mooted, as nothing whatever has been done in this direction since the early days of the field, and we have here ample evidence in the shape of specimen gold that valuable quartz reefs wiil most probably reward the labors of the prospector. The efforts to have Arrowtown incorporated as a municipality do not seem likely to be successful, as the property holders cannot be brought to see the advantages to be gained, and are fearful of anything in the shape of taxation. This is to be regretted by all who wish for the advancement and well-being of the town. Strange to say, the same feeling exists among the farmers in reference to a Road Board‘in spite of the liberal subsidy provided for them by the late Government of which every community should have availed itself, as they cannot expect it to be continued.