PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ITEMS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 229, 25 July 1873, Page 7

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL ITEMS.

SCIENTIFIC BEPOBT UPON GOLDFIELDS. Mr de Lautour moved—" That in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that a respectful address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him j to take such steps as he may think necessary to obtain the services of such competent scientific direction in his opinion sufficient to examine and report upon the probable lines of deep leads and quartz reefs throughout the Provincial Goldfields." In speaking to the motion, the hon. member said that this was one of the most important motions which had been considered by the Council. He observed in the earlier portions of the day that.|he,3 seven members representing Dunelfinf were all present when the toll-bar question was under consideration, but he did not see one of those members now present. He was very glad to see the motion of the member for North Harbor unanimously adopted, because what applied to coal "mines applied with double force to gold mines, because gold mining was a practical industry in- the Province, while coal mining at present was only theoretical, The waste of labor by a gold miner through ignorance was a waste absolutely without equivalent. Further, it was a great harm to the country, because an abandoned _ work was a standing movement to drive away capital from legitimate enterprise on the Goldfields. The experience of Victoria was that it paid to keep up a staff of mining surveyors and other thoroughly competent men, who did nothing else but issue quarterly reports embodying the minutest detail of every transaction on the Goldfields. He would point out that the miners were asking very little. They had been contributing an annual revenue for, the last ten years of over £40,000, while the administration only cost about £IO,OOO a year. Mr Clarke seconded the motion, which was supported by every member who spoke, and then unanimously carried on the voices* GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. Mr Oliver moved—"That in the opinion of this Council, it is very desirable that the Geological Survey of the Province, which was begun by Dr Hector, should be completed, and that the Government be requested to obtain as soon as possible the services of a competent Geologist for that purpose." It was seen that in many cases mining enterprises were undertaken without any means of estimating success, and such scientific examinations would tend to render investment more certain. Similar work was done in "Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, the Cape of Good Hope, and the Province of Canterbury. The necessity was seen early in the Colony, and Dr Hector was engaged, but through his appointment by the General Government it had been interrupted. Had that survey been completed, it would have led to more accurate observations by miners, and have led to discoveries being estimated at their true value. He considered the work would pay if undertaken; but if not, it would be a valuable contribution to science. Mr R. Clarke opposed it on account of the expense, which he thought should not be incurred until roads were made. The motion was carried. The petition from the residents of the Mount Ida district, praying that a survey of the Strathtaieri road be made, was presented to,.the Council by Mr Oliver on "Wednesday the 9fch inst. The following reports by the Goldfields Committee were brought up by Mr M'Kellar : —On the petition of 120 inhabitants of the Mount Ida district: That its prayer be granted, so far as that the Government consider whether the bridge prayed for could be erected oh the plan proposed for erecting bridges in the Kawarau and Wakatip districts, and if it could be done, that it should be constructed at a point suitable for the requirements of the district as a whole. In

T 7 Ca if e *^ e Committee opinion that the approaches should at once be made to a safe ford near Hamilton.—On the petition of 181- residents in the Mount Ida district, that it be favorably considered by the Government, the Committee further recommend that, as the Government proposed to bridge over the Deep and Lee streams, the line of road through Strathtaieri to the Taieri river, crossing -near Kyeburn, should be reported upon by the District Road Engineer, and that the road might be made available for the conveyance of produce to the Dunedih and Mount Ida markets, as such report might show to be necessary. 4.x, °£ Til ursday last > in reply to questions, the Government were not aware that, durmgthelastfew days, 700 acres of landinthe neighborhood of Maerewhenua, and supposed to be auriferous, had been sold to the Hon. R. Campbell at 10s. per acre; but the Secretary of Lands would make himself acquainted with -the facts, and would answer the question next day. Oh the following day (Friday) the Secretary of Lands said the Government were of opinion that the 700 acres at Maerewhenua, sold the other day to the Hon. R. Campbell, was not auriferous ; and it was therefore sold for 10s. an acre. In reply to a question it was statedGovernment had caused seeds of forest trees and ornamental plants, grown in the Botanical Gardens, to be sent to public gardens, cemeteries, and other places, but no private individuals had been supplied with them. ■-,

The Licensing Ordinance was referred to a Select Committee, consisting of Messrs Bastings, Davie, de Lautour, Fish, iraeil, Stout, and Turton. On Wednesday last Mr Oliver presented petition from the inhabitants of IjHyde and the neighborhood, praying for the construction of a bridge over the Taieri river.