Original Correspondence.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 214, 17 May 1865, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

%* Our columns being impartially open, tee do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our correspondents.

To the Editor of the Lake Wakatip Mail. Sir, —On the recent occasion of Mr Manders' meeting the electors of the Goldfields in this town, I was somewhat surprised to hear after the question being put as to whether the candidate for legislative honors would support the leasing of quartz reefs, the questioner (one of the late candidates for the honor of representing Queenstown in the Provincial Council) after receiving his reply, in true Sir Oracle style—but greatly out of order at such a meeting—intruded an address, in the course of which the following erroneous idea was eliminated:—" That the leasing of quartz reefs to capitalists would only l«ad to monopoly, and by depriving the individual miner or small parties of the opportunity of working these reefs would tend greatly to impoverish the district generally." Experienced men all agree that opening the door to capital in a mining district, to be used in the development of ground not occupied—and especially quartz reefs, which cannot be developed by individual labor or small partiesmust ultimately bring population into the district, as the capitalist can only get a retnrn for his capital by hired labor; and we know that working men are a steady-flowing source of wealth to a community generally—especially if the labor be permanent—far more so, indeed, than the occasional excesses of a few lucky diggers, while the larger proportion of their brethren—the unfortunate class—are being supported by the storekeepers who, for repayment are—with more of anxiety and less of the hope which inspired Mr Micawber—constantly "looking for something to turn up." The questioner then stated that an application had been made by a company of shareholders from other parts for a lease of 15 acres of one of the quartz reefs at Skipper's; and after some rather severe and uncalled-for remarks as to the impropriety of the application " even being received," and some few stock phrases of questionable taste, to attempt to mislead a few members of the mining community present, he concluded by " trusting that his public remonstrance against the leasing regulations would have its due effect." For one, I doubt not it will. But, on inquiry, I find that the application in question is not for 15 acres, but really for only as much of the reef as under the ordinary regulations (not the leasing regulatious) twenty miners could take up ; while one of the stipulations of the intending lessees is that they will employ fifty men. As to the terms "monopoly," "huge swindles," and other expressions of the ad captandum vulgus order (with which this gentleman's speech was strongly interlarded,) with sensible men they will also have their ' due efiect.' There must be a lack of ability to handle his subject when the orator descends to their use; and this reflection caused me to make further inquiries, when I found that the reef at Skippers had already been traced nearly eight miles; therefore they admit any amount of capital, in reason, and 1000 miners at least, in excess of our present population ; and your practical quartz reefers will then tell you that the work of a long life-time is before them, leaving also abundance of room and opportunity for those miners already in the district desirous of so doing, to secure for themselves a fair slice. If the district is to wait for development by individual labor or small parties of miners, I would ask how long it is likely to stand still, considering the miners have been looking at these reefs merely for the past two years, and for want of capital have been able to do nothing. Twenty yejirs hence, without capital is introduced and companies are formed, we shall have to deplore the same state of things. Yours obediently, Quartz. Queenstown, May 12th, 1865.