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Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1921, Page 2

Thk legal opinion disclosed at tlio County Council meeting this week with regard to the exclusion of certain evidence proposed to he tendered at the recent sitting of the Greymouth Har-

bor rating Commission, confirmed very amply the attitude taken up by Mr Murdoch, on behalf of Westland County rate-payers at the opening sitting of the Commission in question. Mr Murdoch put the matter very plainly to the Commission, but was met with a rebuff at once by the Chairman, who, speaking on behalf of the Commission, said the question of past administration could not be gone into at all. Mr Murdoch

pressed his point, arguing from the construction of the order of reference to the Commission, but still the Commissioners refused to go into the question. Mr Murdoch said it was a most important'ruling, and further stressed the matter for the favorable* attention of the Commission, and meeting a lurl.ier rebuff had to let the point drop, remarking that lie was present quite under a misapprehension as to the position. However, his protest was very emphatic, and it is plain from the opinion just published from Mr Skerrett K.C., that Mr Murdoch was on the right lines, and the whole question has a most important bearing on the final issue. It is not necessary to anticipate

the finding of the Commission oii the rating area question, bnt whichever way it goes, the local bodies affected will have a grievance, because a wrong construction was placed on the order of reference by the Commission. The County Council of Westland is taking tho simple course of appealing at once to the Governor-General who was responsible for the issue of the Commission, and pointing out the apparent shortcomings in exercising tho Commission. The course is preferrable to costly litgation later, to attempt to upset any declared area by a legal course. The Government by the the protest now determined upon, can go into the question in advance and deal with the report of the Commission on the actual merits of the case with a full knowledge of the position beforheand. ft shows the right spirit that the legal situation is thus raised well in advance in this simple manner.

lit was refreshing to find that the subject of the revival of gold-mining was mentioned at the Chamber of Commerce meeting the other evening. Very little is ‘heard of gold-mining in Westland now-a-idays, and yet there must be an abundance of gold in the country. West land was famous in times past for its rich alluvial deposits, and these have been tapped only in regard to moderate 'depths. Very little deep level mining has been indulged in along the West Coast. In Westland in particular, there has been very little reefing done. The reefs contain the prime deposits of tho gold, and location of the matrix deposits has never been satisfactorily look <xl for. Reefs which are more or less

gold-bearinfi are known to exist at the Taipo, tho Upper A rah urn River, Cedar Creek, and in the south. The prospecting has been by men of limited means and the country has not had the genuine trial it should. Now that gold is of the value it is, and seeing its great importance from an economic point of view is stabilising currency, there should he some desire on the part of the Government to foster gold production in every way possible. It is an oft repeated statement to say that this country lacks a mining policy. It has its Mines Department and its Minister, but they are very little heard of. It takes an effort of memory to recall at the moment who is Minister of Mines, and who are the important-offi-cials of the department. They are seldom seen here and little heard of —here in a district which helped so materially to lift young New Zealand ahead by leaps and bounds when the gold fever brought such an inflowing population fifty years ago. The country as a whole has forgotten its indebtedness to mining as a means to open up the country. The very industry itself is dwindling away for lack of proper attention. Mr Massey is Minister of Mines and lias promised to do things When is he going to take the desirable action? It would be well to .advise him of the position when here next week.