THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1868.

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 412, 3 September 1868, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1868.

Thjsjie are "croakers" iv every community, and it is not to be expected that Westland should be an exception to the general rule. We have had to put up with the uncongenial company of these individuals ever since the West Coast was populated, and to listen to their prophesies of evil on many occasions. Years ago they told us, iv the most emphatic language, that the beat thing any man could do was to get off this Coast as soon as possible, that " the country was done," and nothing could save it from being rapidly depopulated, and handed back to the Natives as a fishing ground. But the population did not leave, and the country was not deserted. Since then, at marked and frequent periods, the well - known "croak" has been heard, and again and again the waruiug note of prepara. tion for approaching departure "en masse " has been sounded ; but, strange to say, we still exist ! We exist as a prosperous, settled community, whose commercial prosperity is established on a firmer and much, more secure fouudation than it was even a year ago. The past few years of experience have taught us that Westland is no ephemeral creation, but is a country richly 'endowed by nature with the resources which alone give an incitement to rapid development, and an assurance of permanen.t prosperity, We have no sympathy with those who seem to take a delight iv prophesying evil ; and, not content with looking on the black aide of things themselves, endeavor to make all over whom they have any influence look at it also, and continually strive to hide the other, the brighter and more hopeful prospect from view. Yet such persons are to be met with who, iv defiance ef the past history of the West Coast settlements, and the many useful lessons to be gathered front it, when viewed in a broad and intelligent light, persist in "croaking," and rendering not only themselves but also their neighbors uncomfortable by the utterance of those oft-repeated warnings of impending ruin and desolations Does a vessel take a few extra passengers to the North Island, or to Queensland, then you can hear him on the wharf, or at the street corners, with ominous shake ©f th« Wd, expatiate upon the rapidly

approaching climax in our existence as a community, always leaving out of sight the fact that whenever there is a new discovery made miners will be ready to rush to it, and the further away the .more alluring are its charms for them. So long as there is a gold field, there will be a surplus population rushing about from one place to another ; and it t is quite as well that it is so, else where j would all our new discoveries be ; upon whom would the prosperity of a new country depend, if every miner was set r tied down at constant work, without the desire to change, or the spirit to risk something for the chance of gaining much more 1 Eecently a considerable number of .miners have left the Coast in pursuit of ! more profitable fields for their labor and enterprise; but in this fact there is nothing upon which to hang even a small " croak," although our IJokitika contemporaries have improved the occar sbu iv that direction. The exodus has ,been almost iufinitisiuial when compared with the highly^colored statements pub? lished in the newspapers of other places, both in the Colony and out of it, framed with an eye to drawing away a large proportion of the population from this Coast, The miners of the West Coast appear to be in special favor both in Queensland and Auckland, and much is made of the fact when a party of them land, but nothing whatever is said when they take their departure, Whether it be that the training of the West Coast miner enables him to put up with hardships and privations which •vould frighten those of other countries, or, as a rule, they are more experienced in their profession, and therefore valuable acquisitions to the population of any young gold field, certain it is that more vigorous efforts have been made to cause a rush from this coast than from any other, It is not, therefore, to be wondered at that many should go ; but it is rather striking that so many should return, both fiom the much vauuted gold fields of Queensland and Auckland. And those who have been fortunate enough to get back, state that hundreds more would be only too glad to follow their example, if they had not expended all their savings by joining in a foolish iush. It was not without being warned over and over agaiu that the fields to which they were ri rung were over-populated, that there were thousands there before them who could find no employment and were upon the borders of starvation, that wages were a mere fraction of what they were on this Coast ; but still many went to see, and all who could have returned, heartily wishing that they had paid more heed to the timely warnings which were given them. But miners will be the same as long as there is a claim to work, and there is no cause to mourn over this | characteristic of their nature, so far as Westland is concerned. Our miners are becoming too well acquainted with the value of the gold fields on the Coast to leave them lightly. It is becoming now well understood, and recent bitter experiences have taught it to many who were previously unbelievers, that it is only on the West Coast that miners cau as a body expect to find steady and profitable employment. In Auckland and Queensland there are a few rich prizes to be found among the many blanks ; but here in Westland, although the prizes are not quite so valuable, the J blanks are much fewer, aud general em- ' ployinent, with good average wages, can i be obtained all over the country. This is a state of things which is rapidly becoming appreciated by the miners, recent discoveries having shown that this country is gold-bearing from the sea-coast back to the dividing ranges, and that the present known workings are but as a few little spots in the centre | of what will in future be a vast gold field. There is not the slightest cause to cast a shadow of a doubt upon the future prosperity of Westland — it is founded upon too permanent. a basis to be shaken by any rushes such as those which have recently taken place— and will continue to be a rich gold-produc-ing country when all such quartz T leader workings as Auckland and Queensland are numbered among the things of the past.