THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, MAT 9, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1179, 9 May 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, MAT 9, 1872.

We very recently drew special attention to the evil influence that the Superintendent and the Executive of Nelson have exercised over the Gold Fields of the coast within the boundary of that province, and we specially instanced the strange manner in whfoh leases that had been lately recommended by the Warden at Reefton had been dealt with by these gentlemen as a whole, or by Mr Curtis on his own account. It would seem as though the Provincial Government were bent on defying public opinion on the matter, for in reply to Mr Donne the Provincial Secretary said, on the 6th inst., that the Executive had exercised their own discretion in the course they had taken, and were solely responsible. The result of their discretion and responsibility has been to curtail, or refuse, some twenty leases, and inflict the most serious blow on the prosperity of the district that has beeu dealt since the field has been opened up. Under this sagacious policy there are miners who hold ground under their miners' rights, in accordance with the regulations, equal to all the area of lease that they have asked for, and yet in one case we know of, only one-half the extent is granted as a lease. Of course the men will not trouble more about the lease ; their only idea in applying for it was to obtain a bttter, or rather more permanent title to the ground being worked. Several of the applications have been partially granted, but the limits prescribed are so minute as to render tbe leases utterly valueless, and as a matter of course applicants will not take them up. It is most unfortunate that on nearly every gold field some bete noir to the introduction of capital, in the shape of a noisy frothy demagogue, comes like other scum to the surface, and at the Inangahua Gold Fields the class is represented. Very recently one of these individuals established a kind of mining protectorate, by which he undertook to defend the cause of the individual miner,and he actually found fools who believed in him, and are only now being made to understand what evil he has wrought them. As all our readers, even though they have not paid the district a personal visit, must be well aware, from the descriptions of the country which have been from time to time given them, it is only by the expenditure of capital, as a rule, of a far larger amount than is usually at the disposal of the working miner— that there is the slightest chance of the district being opened up properly, and the Gold Fields duly developed. It is not at all probable that capitalists will invest large sump, unless they have some tangible security, or, at least, hope of security, and this can only be afforded by liberal concessions. They Bay, either let us enter into a speculation that will re-pay oar outlay in case of it proving fortunate, or we withdraw altogether. The individual to whom we have referred made himself particularly officious at the time of Mr Curtia's visit, and mis-represented himself as being the mouth-piece of a large number of men who were directly opposed to leasing on anything like a large scale. He played Mepnistophiles to Mr Curtis's Faust: silly simple Faust accepted his dictum, we imagine, as being the wish of the miners, and hence the result of the late leasing applications. But the very people that Mephistophiles chiefly deluded are those who cry out loudest in deprecation. The " individual miner" has now found that he cannot get the gold himself without the aid of capital, and though the dog in the manger idea prevailed originally, it is completely dissipated, and its promulgator has subsided. Granting moderate leases 'such aB the Warden from his local knowledge recommends, on certain conditions/ % being complied with, means affording employment at remunera-

tive rates to a large number of persons. It is for the Warden to impose such terms as will prevent ground being taken tip for speculative purposes only,; or in such manner as would allow it to remain locked up without improvement, and these are invariably attached to all grants of the kind. Thus whilst capital is encouraged, labor is protected, and good accrues alike to both. A meeting to consider the subject was held about a week ago in Reefton, at which the leasing advocates had it all their own way, and thoae formerly most opposed gave in their adhesion to the cause of common sense. The few anti-leasing individuals denied that the meeting had been fairly convened, or that it fairly expressed the feelings of the miners, so an adjournment took place, aud a second meeting was called for Saturday last. This was the most numerously attended meeting ever held in Reefton, hundreds of diggers from all quarters being present. The victory was on this occasion still more decisive ; not only did it determine that leasing under reasonable restrictions was in the highest degree desirable, but censured the Superintendent as deeply as the English language could convey, and by way of giving practical expreaaion to their viewß, a atrong memorial to the General Executive praying for the withdrawal of the powera delegated to Mr Curtis under the Gold Fields Act, and begging that|the General Government would administer them direct, was carried by acclamation. The memorial will be very extensively signed, and we trust will have the effect, at head-quarters that ia designed. Be this as it may, it ia clear either that some such course must be taken, or that there is at least some danger of disturbances taking place on the Nelson South- West Gold Fields.