GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 769, 22 December 1870, Page 2

GREY VALLEY DIGGINGS.

(from our own correspondent.) Ahauba, Dec. 21. Nothing of general interest has occurred lere during the past week, but the news r rotn the Inangahua has created some jxcitement. Several gentlemen connected ivith the reefs and the Murray Creek Sold Mining Company passed through the place from the Inangahua on Saturday and Sunday, and' tKey all agree in 3tating that there is;eyery prospect "of an. important reeling district be opened up, but they also feelingly lament the great ; scarcity of ready money and the want of machinery to test the quartz and give employment to the large number of ; people who are roaming about doing nothing. The ' accounts- 1 .from the upper diggings - generally is devoid of interest. The miners are hard at work making preparations for Christinas, so that it is not likely anything new or startling will be heard of until the new year begins. Meetings have been held recently about / the establishment of a Cricket Cliib; the ' : new Hospital, and the roadi to the Inangahua. '" ' : ' '■ With respect to the latter subject, the majority of the people here are decidedly against giving any money towards its formation, They object generally, that the continual subsidising the Government^ if it expends even the smallest sum on public works, is wrong in principle." It has became the fashion for the Government, if the necessity of proceeding with any work, no matter how urgently required, be pointed out to it, to. eiiqphk ; first how much the people will subst^ye towards the contemplated improvement. The people are under the impression that ; ' they have liberally contributed before by means of the taxes levied on them^, but "the man at the wheel" can't see it. Another and a local reason why the residents of the Ahaura will not contribute to this fund is, that they are not likely to derive much benefit from the proposed road. Even if the Inangahua traffic could be diverted through the Grey Valley, the New Ahaura is out of its course, by reason qf the geographical position of the town., This was pointed out to the individual who selected, the site of it at the time it was done, but he disregarded the' advice offered to "iim, and: placed the, tq.wn in such a situation that, so long as the Upper •Grey and Inangahua diggings depend on water carriage for supplies, it is out of the : reach of competition. This is the principle reason why the residents of the Ahaura refuse to give anything towards making the road, and a reasonable objection it is, but - then the people of the Ahaura are not the sole inhabitants of ihe Grey Valley, The opening of a means of communication from this side of the ranges with the vast and unexplored tracts of auriferous country at the head of the Inangahua and Maruia rivers interests every miner on the Upper Diggings. It should -not be, left to the few business people in the Grey Valley — the storekeepers number under 40 in all — to raise this money ; the miners ought to give something, and it is very likely they would if they were asked. It is evident the Government will not make the road, and it is very probable the LSUO would not be offered by the authorities if it was thought that the other LSOO could be raised, It is plain this cannot be done by the traders, therefore the miners must come to the rescue. The ;; principle of allowing, indu , viduals to do the work of the Government is w long, and cannot be defended, ];>■ --.■^.-:-«<ML«ioition_ has^been_signed _by. the majority of the business people" through-? out the district to whichever of the banks will accept the offer by opening an agencyhere, guaranteeing it the whole of the business (in banco) of the persons signing the document. There is no. doubt^tke establishment of a bank agency here would be a great public convenienge, but there is no reason tp suppose,, as some, people seem to. do, that the opening of af bank agency at the Ahaura will be the salvation of the Grey Valley, commerr cially speaking. The desirability "of having, a branch here has , been pointed , out before in these letters;:' first, 'in/ October, 1869, ana at different times since. And there must be some coinbipa' tion or influence brought to bear on* they* 7 or some of the baukiug. corporations would have seen it would be to their interest to meet the legitimate requirements of the up-country trade by establishing an agency here long ag^. ■ There will not be any sports at the Ahaura at Christmas or the New Year • all our forces will be reserved for the forthcoming race meeting, which is to take place in February, and which, from present appearances, will be a great 1 success. There is a splendid racecourse, one of the best in the colony, and friends at a distance "will please accept the intimation " that there will be between L7OO and LI 000 to be run for.