THE GOLD-FIELDS.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 94, 19 October 1868, Page 253

THE GOLD-FIELDS.

; .- v™ mAMEa .. [y HOar oua OWN COBUESPONDENT.] Shortland, 10th October. WHEN l last wrote thes aspect of affairs .was. decidedly more promising than at any previous time in the history of-these mines. The amount oi cash invested in claims, and. as its sequel, tlie amount of wages paid, was making itself felt. Since then the change is marked. Sharebuying appears to have reached its limit—in homely terms, the length of its tether, —and shareholders soon tire of paying wajEjes and “reading glowing ac counts of the Thames gold-fields,” unaccompanied by dividends paid to the owners; now the general feeling is, that some alteration in the style ol working the ground is necessary. During the sharebuying mania purchasers appeared to have cast aside all ideas of caution or judgment; a claim with a high-sounding name,, or in the neighborhood of some “ noted ” claims, a was saleable, and there appeared no limit to the credulity of the speculators. There is no doubt many of them have, in vulgar terms. “ hurnt their fingers.” Now it is difficult to sell any claim, except one yielding oold. Wages have been gradually lowered during the last fortnight, the average reduction probably seven to ten shillings per week. Men out oi work are plenteous, and a notice, *‘ Men wanted,” would speedily attract a swarm of ready men.

The yield of gold is still ridiculously small when compared with the glowing accounts daily published in both the Auckland and Shortland papers. I would give the export for the past quarter, but the only paragraph I have noticed on the subject was evidently not correct, or at least so absurdly small that I dare , not quote it, as my wish is to give real facts, not imaginary ones. Opinions may - vary, and may prove erroneous, but facts should be genuine.

Oup Warden’s Court continues to be fully employed, and is far from giving general satisfaction. Whether the two new Wardens will change this remains to be seen. One point de serves attention. The litigants, or the Warden at his pleasure, may choose to have their cases heard and tried by assessors (a jury of four); every holder of either a Miner’s Right or a business license is eligible as au assessor. So far, correct: practically, a few chosen meu are the assessors of the district; some of them apparently honest and respectable, but to others of whom it is doubtful whether either term is applicable. Common report, right or wrong, attributes to some of the chosen few practices which, if proved, could not be too severely denounced. Men who pass as miners, and frequently form the jury, are known to live by the only claim in which they work—the Warden’s Court; others are said to add to the culling of assessor that of card-player at one of the numerous licensed hotels in the neighborhood. Further, it looks at the least suggestive to see four men hobnobbing together in one hotel in Ihe evening, and to read in the next day’s Court news'of a case in which two of the said four sat on the jury, while the other two were co-partners as litigants, and the decision given iu their favor. A Court of Mines is much desired by the miners, ancl is to be established as soon as the Government can get Through the Usual circumlocutory course.

James Mackay, jun., Esq,, has been relieved of the duties of Warden, but continues to hold the office of Civil Commissioner, with which he now combines that of laud speculator, one purchase of his being now advertized for sale in small lots as a township, and, according to public rumor, another very large block of land has been ceded by-the Maoris to him. How the duties of Government Officer and Private Speculator will tally I do not attempt to point out. • 1 ‘ ; .

Mr Mackay’s dung-hill, after existing some mouths close to the brook that intersects Shortland a!nd furnishes its; “ water supply,”; was • removed about a fortnight ago: V.*- : Houses hud business places of all descrijptions continue to arise like mushrooms. Carpenters are very busy, but: probably a reaction Wili shortly.' ;i :- =: :

Reports of gold discovered near Whangapoua, .a harbor on tba east side of this Peninsula, have bees prevalent during the last few days, but have not ybt been authenticated. The distance and bearing may be- abont N.E., twenty-five'miles from this.

* The Upper country is the hops of half the miners here. But for it hundreds would ; return to the various places from which : they have come. The local press encourages the hope that it will soon be open. It-may or may not be 500 n..., * Like others, your correspondent. would like to .see it fairly tested. Even a few good claims would be advantageous to the public. Hope pictures a tish alluvial gold-field in. the Ohinerauri district. .1 cannot see any particular reason why that portion of the district should be supposed to. contain alluvial deposits, while the rest of the district appears only to contain gold in the matrix. But time will prove the test., Oiir few good claims continue -to keep their position ; the terms “as rich as Hunt’s,” “far richer than Hunt’s,” “ richer than anything yet discovered,” are frequently seen in published reports on particular claims; but these terms are all misnomers. Hunt’s are probably yet obtaining from one-third to nearly one-half oS the entire yield'of the field—so what of the dozen or score claims that have been advertized as equal to or richer than Hunt’s ?

On all other gold-fields that I have heard of, the officials are prohibited holding any-interest in claims,, and rightly so, as the very fact of their holding such interest destroys all confidence in their impartiality; here the officials break the rule with impunity. I was privately informed of this three months ago, but had not the means of verifying the statement, so refrained from reporting it, although tny informant is a mau on whose word I durst rely ; but such a serious charge should not be made unless it can be proved. Since then, however, a case has come to court in which “the Warden’s share” in a claiarwas at issue. The person who caused the affair to become public was threatened with Lynching and tarring and- feathering, by the self-same Warden, and was snubbed by the local press, the conductors of which appear to consider their duty to lay in the way of defending officialism, and making things smooth for it. Oue gold-fields surveyor, holding his appointment under the Provincial Government, attempted once to jump some claim on a technical plea; yet he was continned in office, and apparently no notice taken of his conduct, A free press would have made his office too warm for him.

No greater condemnation of the Press need be given than was published in the Weekly News of the 3rd inst-., being part of the letter of a Wellington correspondent, as follows—-

The Press lias lost its power in the Colony.. What with deliberate inisreporting - , to serve party purposes; what with insertion of facts which never occurred; what with gullibility tiiat placea the Press itself at the mercy of- partizans,, who make use of it for their own purposes; wlmt with one Jailing or another, it no longer influences public affairs, for no one knows how muck, .or how little to believe.

Unless 1 am quite mistaken, the hand that penned the above lines baa had more to do with, bringiug the press into its present state than any other Auckland politician, for politician and legislator I assume the writer to be. But unfortunately the description is true, too true, of a portion ofi the press of the Colony, and not least so of that of Auckland.

Commercial speculations ruled the Cross aud Heraldpolitics and public questions are admitted or omitted according, to their fibaucial bearing; hence neither has at the present time real, political influence. At the ensuing genqrar election (I assume that an earlyi dissolution is inevitable),, it is scarcely likely that either journal will influence public opiiiion.except.through personal and financial pressure. It is with-regret I write this, for I should respect a journal; even though differing .from its conclusions, if its opinions were . expressed independently and. caudidly, without the taint of the -financial power behind-the ; scenes.; ; ; • The disastrous news from the Patea district caused ~a great, .seusatiqii.;liere.' Von Tempsky was well known /here* and much respected;/ His death is a national loss. No other man .in the Coloiiy could soaU be spared. The; whole affair to/have been ill-; planned and worse

: .f:^w^rViri^Vyeliin^ ; 3ton^appearato)?c<>iiti!nuevjiljwtialbat|*tri m ptsld t^cimomisipg:ate Mtsi'ld. • ? Our ifthtefcdqml ; ProymdaUtqG^ taxUtiod hi ent aof : ourrekf^3i«ef'-^iso- v csll^d) !f Givilr£>er-j .vice. tWitvh<mt r approying.oof ithe pro 4 awd wit Irrtit pledging ‘inysei^tp^cpnfideTiciß: in likn;? and? be ifeving "-a> •oim'ngP tolib'e rnedessary; ;?1 dieanother trlaL ;? The. d»Ubgling, misiftanagfenienti and inosni-; ■j>e/etoee fcfi tbe-present'Miiiistry iis'to<> %lanngf,. too- palpable, to Re excused Jly &riyf J dne‘- except; ! ai thick ?and •1 h ini sup - : pPrteVi ;r The aspect? of the; Maori; iis how more unsatisfactory d»efore.> 'The extravagance «f *the Government cannot be •excused;-aOd ? none bu t placeinen wil I defend it.- - The 'Auckland -representa •tween 'GcvVernment and; ; ttnd taking into "account the financial pressure that may possibly" be brought to bear on -the elections,' it is quite Uncertain how many of them may bt ousted frotn tiieir seats.

, 12th October. ; A public meeting was held on Sa-; 'turday, 10th last;, and several reso iutions passed, unanimously in all cases; ‘btitone, which was a resolution ex | pressing confidence in Mr Mackay. 'and regret at his resignation being accepted. The necessity and desira : bility 'of a Mining Board or Oourt ol: Mines was the principal object of re tnarki and its institution was the ciiief tare of the promoters of the meeting.

. The prospectus of a second locai paper, to be called -the Miner’s Advocate, has been -before the public some time, but there appears to be a hitch Somewhere, delaying -its appearance As our existing local Organ has leaned iiifliertd to the “ powers that: be,’ probably the new* journal will be ult democratical, which I should regret.

; The lawyers and..company floaters are now reaping a rich harvest, and it is to be feared that tlie next profitable employment ■connected with many o! thbm will be the winding up, and that the only dividend the shareholders will receive will be after that operation. But ; these remarks" rinust not be construed to apply to all. Several of tin companies ought, under proper management, to pay good dividends: but many are holders of claims that are Comparatively worthless;