MAEREWHENUA.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 195, 22 November 1872, Page 5

MAEREWHENUA.

(From our own Correspondent.) . A general feeling of complaint agairisfr* tfteGovernment prevails here. It is thought that before the survey of. Mr. Campbell's application is proceeded with, steps should be taken to ascertain whether or not the ground to W alienated be auriferous, or not. The prevailingjopinion among.the'miners-is that the Government is very much to I lame in allowing the survey >of Mr. Campbell's application to be proceeded with until the auriferous or nonauriferous character of the land proposed to be alienated had been determined by actual prospect ; and that should the Government allow the sale to proceed further (haviug the power to prevent it), they would be simp sy sacrificing the permanent interest of the country for the sake of having at their immediate cuniuuind a few pah 17 thousand, pounds. The unfortunate position in which the Government have placed themselves in.this matter should act as a <-autioH for the future',-and bring to their recollecfeiou the world-wide axiom that we should " look before we leap." The leap, in the case of Mr. Campbell's application, has been a leap in the dark, and it is only to be hoped that no injurious effects may. result therefrom, and the surprise is, that after the representations of the delegates, the Government should not have taken steps to have the matter set at rest. The proposition th-jfc a -Commission should be appointed to inquire in;o and report upon the subject is one with whieh the Government should have been only too happyseeing their past laxity—to have complied;. This field is looking up, aud, among otbVr enterprises, I may mention that a Hogburn'fe some other/burn) Company have applied for and obtained!very important water rights for; the purpose of bringing in:;a large supply of water from the Kakonui River. The undertaking will be a costly oue, but ono which, when completed, cannot fail to bring upon the workings a full and permanent supply of> water for sluicing purposes. The -names of the Company, which have appeared in a previous issue, will, we feel sure, be a satisfactory proof that the enterprise will be carried 0 it'alike with energy and with caution. Th© held is one of alums', unlimited extent, and all we.-require is water to make it available. The field is .at present in its' infancy, but is ere which, in my opinion, will eventually' proveitself a " giant." ' ".".-':