MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 3589, 24 August 1874, Page 2

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

ARROW, [From our own Correspondent.) August 12. 1 he immense quantities of wheat produced last season on the ftrtile flats are far urexcsss of present local 1 requirements ; arid i question of how to utilise our grand hgricnti tural resources is forced upon the attention of farmers and business-men. The falling, off of our mining population, owing to the held becoming gradually unremunerative to individual mining and the attractions of new fields elsewhere, is sensibly apparent; and although joint-stock mining companies will in all probability re-establish mining enter* prise on a grander and firmer basis than ever, such a result will be of slow development unless some exceptional and at present unforeseen instance of success turns speculation into this channel. At present sur mountains are covered with sheep and cattle, and our barns are lull of grain*, but we have - ah inshfflinent number of consumers of these productions • and to find remunerative employment for a more extend'd population is therefore a primary consideration. Some twelve months back Mr J. W. Kobertsou, of Queenstown (whose firm have, by developing the vast timber resources of Lake Wakatip, already givtn a great impetus to the progress of the community), contemplated the starting of a woollen factory, but owing to various causis the preliminary steps have not yet been taken An Arrow merchant, of high reputation. (Mr R. Pritchard), has now, however, devoted himself to the task of introducing such an industry. He is in a / position to offer the tempting inducements of I suitable land, and water-power, which, coupled with the advantages of the district in cheap living and fine climate, as well as its position as the centre of an enormous arpa of mineraj, aud depasturing corintiy capable of great future* development, wilt he thinks, ensure the success of hip pfq. ject. ft is unnecessary to djlate upon she manifold benefits which would follow in the tram of such a .business if fairly carried out, the subject haring been thoroughly ventilated recently when the Mosgiel Factory was started, Mr Pritchard believes that onethird of the capital would be subscribed withm a radius of 101) miles from this place, and doubtless investors at a greater distance will be readily found for such a truly patriotic and certainly profitable undertaking. Mr Pritchard proceeds to D media at once. One of the principal reasons for interesting himself in this direction is his anxiety for the future progress of this part of the Province, iu which he holds an enormous stake 08 a merchant and farmer. The proposed sue for operations is probably unrivalled in the Colony for natural and commercial advantages—a plot of nearly level ground of twenty acres in extent, with large Government reserves on each side, aud within half-a-unle of the main trunk road Ihe wpter is teventy feet higher than the laUd referred to, .and- immediately bfehiridlfi.l It is not liable' to flood, as it is the outlet fot Lajte Hayes which never rip's above a foot, wjplp its volume is nearly the same ail the year round, and ample to supply power for several such works as the one in question. Another most important item is that the Water would flow from the works into the Kawarau itself, and this would not interfere With any existing interest. The exceptional facilities just recited would enable a company to extern! their operations to leather tanning or kindred industries with little additional expense, The ne w Municipal Council consists of Mr ? U n’ May ° r ; aud Councillors b. N. Brown (‘Olsimr , Wm. Jenkins. Letcher, O’fineji, and Pritchard. The locS | ournal, in re m-ig to the late Mayoral election, said that matters municipal ‘cquld not have been worse than during the term of &ow * Ma> ° r V M i r S& “ uel Goldston. fas in Hii'a first four months j, ..I caae ) ©f a municipality, |>pt n-J* J "plowed puder tpe Apts nr w?U?-a Ao ?' desired * ®» d that if thi* d ?“ d accurately and in strict con. lormity tyith law, a valuable foundation is \ iaid for future action. Mr Ooldston did ail

all this, besides laying down preliminaries for a water supply* and doing other things of importance. As far as his work is concerned, the Arrow will not be placed in the bumiliatifcg position which Queenstown has held of not being able to enforce its regulations for Want of proper compliance with the law. A little scene occurred during the last term of office of a Council not 100 miles from here, which is worth noting. A meeting havibg transacted its business, was c’osed in due form by the Mayor, and that dignitary left the room. Some of the Councillors not being satisfied with the decision arrived at, proceeded to appoint a chairman, and revoked the decision of the meeting. When the Council met again the minutes were read, including the transactions of the second edition of the last meeting. The Mayor asked who had dared to usurp his chair, and was told that Cr. Bilkin had taken the chair ; that worthy urged that Cr. Bullfinch had voted him into it; while Cr. Trotter struck the table with his fist, and declared that the Mayor was their servant, and should not differ from them in any way. The Mayor pointed to the law hooks and defied Cr. B. Trotter to show any justification in them for such a meeting as bad been held ; that gentleman in turn defied the Mayor to show anything prohibiting such a meeting. The minutes showed that the second meeting had decided to forward a petition to the Was 1 * Land Poard exactly opposite in purport to the resolution previously parsed by the full meeting. The Mayor remarked upon the absurdity of a Conned proceeding by petition instead of by. resolution and with a reprimand for the illegal meeting and threat of fine if repeated, the matter dropped. The petition was afterwards forwarded by the Councillors ex officio, and, as it was antagonistic to the resolution forwarded from the Council to the Waste Land Board, that body, apparently disgusted with the affair, took no notice of either. A Chinaman has been apprehended for larceny at the Twelve-mile His depredations extend over a considerable period. In my next I propose to forward a description of that gem of our alluvial workings —the Cardrona lead and sluicing country.