THE WEST COAST

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 142, 2 October 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE WEST COAST

[From the Canterbury Press, sth August]. For many weeks past reports Lave been stealing into the place respecting the gold on the West Coast, and the prospect of a rush thither in the Spring from other parts of New Zealand and from Australia. It is very difficult to come at the origin or at the truth of such rumors. Specimens of the gold have been brought to us, but we have no means of knowing how far such specimens indicate an abundance of the precious metal; but it is certain that several persons were on the West Coast in the course of last summer, who were prospecting for parties in Victoria and elsewhere, and who were said to have formed such favorable opinions of the prospects of the country that great numbers of diggers may be expected to resort to it in the Spring. We regard it therefore as highly probable that there will be a considerable rush to the whole of the West Coast, from the Nelson province of Otago, as soon as the breaking up of Winter shall render the country habitable. This is a matter of great importance to Canterbury. It is not indeed likely that we shall reap much benefit in the way of trade with the West Coast. No one of course would think of sending all round the Island for stores, when they can be procured so much nearer from Wellington or Nelson and prodably even more reasonably from Melbourne ; but indirectly the population of the West Coast must make a great difference to us, because, in a gold-producing country at least one where there is anything like the supplies of gold which Victoria and Otago have produced, the wealth created is considerably greater than is required to pay fur the imports. There is, in fact, a considerable amount of capital saved and realized beyond the cost of producing the gold. All this capital seeks for investment, and there can be little doubt that a very large part of it will find investment in Canterbury, especially in land, should a ready means be supplied, by which it will flow into the settled country this side of the mountains. No one would advocate a dray-road, which could only be constructed at an enormous cost; but we do hope the Council will insist on a bridleroad being carried on with the utmost possible expedition, so that the gold may find a free channel into the Christchurch banks. We shall never, indeed, see the same state of things which existed in Adelaide on the first breaking out of the gold-fields of Yicto-

ria, but it will make a very wide difference to this province whether the gold is sent over by escort hither, or sent entirely to Melbourne by sea. The whole fortunes of Adelaide were changed by the establishment of a gold escort overland from the Nelson diggings, and the same effect would be felt here, though in a far less degree. There is another point which ought to be immediately taken in hand. If there be really any large supply of gold, land must be sold there. Now there is no provision, so far as we are aware, ior any sale of land except at the Land Office, Christchurch. If a rush take place to the Grey, Teraraakau, and Hokitika, there will be numbers of persons wanting land on which to erect stores and shops, and even probably land for cutting timber, and cultivating farms and gardens. Is every one to come over to the Land Office at Christchurch before he can buy a section, and then even perhaps at the risk of finding that it has been bought by some one else on speculation on this side ? This is a subject presenting considerable difficulty. It has already been complained of as a grievance that persons at Akaroa and Timaru are compelled to come up to Christchurch to effect a purchase of land, but the case will be ten times as hard if the land be at the mouth of the Grey. A Branch Survey and Land Office seem to be indispensable, not indeed to establish at once, but to be contemplated as an early necessity; and it seems especially desirable that the matter should be now considered by the Government, and if any legislative action be necessary, that the Council shall not be allowed to break up without providing for what may prove a very sudden and pressing emergency. The Government ought to foresee and provide at once for the requisite action in case a gold-field be found in the spring. The cutting of the bridle-track will admit of no dely; that work will amply pay us, whether the gold field be established or not. For to the West Coast we shall, ere long, look for the greatest supplies of timber, as well as coal, for the whole of the Middle Island. Indeed it is now hardly intelligible how it is that large logs of timber are brought to Canterbury from the Rimutaka range, which have been carted some thirty or forty miles into Wellington and then shipped, whilst the fine timber on the West Coast is growing down to the water’s edge. The bridle track will be always and in any case essential to develop the resources of a most valuable district. But, should a large and rich-paying gold-field spring up, much more will be required. There must be a power to declare a district to be a gold-field under the Gold-fields Act; that, we believe, can be delegated to the Superintendent. If so, the delegation ought to be applied for. It will be indispensable that a Resident Magistrate and a Gold Commissioner should be on the spot, especially the former, without delay. There ought undoubtedly to be some power to sell land, especially town land, forthwith ; and, lastly, there should be some local power to commence those public works, such as roads and bridges, which are so essential to give facilities to the operations of the diggers. In no country these facilities been given with sufficient rapidity. Nelson has been remarkably backward, and even in Otago complaints have been frequent. We hope that if a gold-field breaks out in Canterbury, our Government will notbe taken by surprise, but will by careful previous consideration of the proper steps to be taken, have foreseen what will be wanted, and will be prepared to'Hake immediate action without delay. A very few months at the first opening of a gold-field will determine whether wa are to share any of its benefits, or whether the West Coast is to become merely an out-, port of Melbourne.