TOPICS OF TALK.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 277, 26 June 1874, Page 3

TOPICS OF TALK.

Apparently the few Goldfields officers who are maintained for the convenience of the miners are sorely grudged by the Government. "We find now that Queenstown, a district returning a very large revenue to the Provincial Treasury, is to do as best it may while Mr. Beetham gets a holiday trip for three or four months to the West Coast, and Mr. Simpson gets an opportunity to test whether there is anything in his old theory that he hitrjjself, and a good bailiff or two, can overtake all the work of the Provincial Goldfields. There is a vast difference between doing work and slumming it over, as "Warden Simpson himself should know, after his report on the Miller's Flat block to the Government —a report flatly contradicted by the evidence furnished, after careful inspection, from the ground itself. Anyhow, Mr. Simpson has now charge of Clyde, Queenstown, and the Arrow. The Lakes district must be very poorspirited if it does not resent such treatment.

Notwithstanding the failure of the County of Westland as a County, it would almost appear that the only way by which such a district as that just referred to can obtain justice and a fair return in works of its own revenues, is by obtaining the benefits!.of local expenditure that would result if a County were obfained. At the distance the Lakes district is situated from Dunedin, and considering the ignorance of our Dunedin statesmen of the interior of the Province they conceive they are sent—heaven-born—to govern, we are certain that no measure of justice will ever be dealt out to the Lakes by Provincial authorities so long as Provincialism is tolerated. All, apparently, that Provincialism does is to foster lavish and foolish expenditure in spurring on competition, at any price, between towns separated by a Provincial boundary, that should be working the dne with the other instead of each against each. Not only is Provincialism adverse to the advance of the Lakes district, but it also appears to be the drag which is to hamper and impede, wherever possible, the Goldfields interest.

It is intended to offer a prize for the best gold-saving apparatus that can be devised for the better saving of gold in hydraulic sluicing, which shall be cheap enough to be practically applicable. Everyone deplores the immense loss of fine gold in the best-constructed tailraces and boxes, and yet no remedies have been attempted to our knowledge. It is here that science can step in and assist the practical miner. We do not think the attention of clever men and scientific mechanics has ever been properly attracted to the better saving of gold. If such attention is drawn by the proposed bonus, which is to be competed for subject to such conditions as the Superintendent may be advised to impose, the Council's vote of £250 will not have been thrown away.

The rather discreditable proceedings connected with the late election at Clyde for the office of Hospital Surgeon have led to the Ordinance regulating such elections being amended. Mr. Hazlett proposed that the electors qualified to vote must have paid their 20s. subscription at least three months before the day of election, and that the Central Committee should have power to appoint out-district polling-places. On Mr. Hallenstein's suggestion, the amended Ordinance was made to enact that the Committees—no,t the subscribers—shall in future have the election of all officers in their own hands. This should do this much good, that more interest will be shown in the election of, Committees. A. few gentlemen will not be allowed —in sheer despair of getting anyone else to act as Committeemen—any longer to have to elect themselves. Nothing could be more for the better than anything that could awaken more public interest in the election of all honorary Committees. The only danger in this special instance appears to us to be that the subscriptions might fall off slightly, each subscriber not having directly a voice in any special medical appointment. Probably this, however, is the lesser evil.

It is to be hoped the appointment of a new Athenaeum Committee will be the point round which a popularizing element may be introduced into the management. So far financially and socially the Athenseum has been a failure. The reasons are many. Pobsibly the principal have been—the too high, charges made, for membership, the close shutting of the readingroom till lately, and the extremely vexatious and wholly unnecessary deposit to be paid before books can be obtained. Single volume books might be very well let out to members without such precaution. The fact of a member paying his subscription fee should be a sufficient guarantee that he will return a book from the library. Then again the suggestion thrown out in the opening address of Mr. Pobineon might be followed up by the Committee—the encouragement of lectures on light subjects ; or even the attachment of debating societies, chess clubs, &c. • Popularity must be attracted to command success. The room may be kept lighted and warm, the tables may be perfectly arranged with newspaper files—yet, unless every member feels a pride and an interest in the Athenaeum, it will never be jthe success that similar institutes are f/.sowhere.