To The Editor of the Evening Mail.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 108, 7 May 1874, Page 2

To The Editor of the Evening Mail.

Sir — As the electors ofthe province have got *wbat they Feemingly desired, viz., a new and increased Executive, besides several apparently active fresh representative memb'-ra, it may be preFumed that some practical work will emanate from their deliberations during the session, in order that this exceptionally stagnant ond inert portion of the colony may begin to move towards utilising some of the valuable raw material which nature has so bountifully scattere*! around ub The people of Nelsm are getting heartily tired of Council specche") and tall talk, they want something more tangible than that. Might I suggest to honorable members that there is a district in our own bay within a few hours' sailing from the room in which tbey are met, called Para Para, where they can see hundreds of thousands of tons of valuable iron ore, positively at grass, ready to pitch into the smelting furnace, with coal, limestone, and timber in tho neighborhood for its reduction into saleable iron fitted for all purposes. Would it not bo a fair subject for our reprefentafitfes to talk over this fact, with a view of suggesting some mode of encouraging the working of this mass of treasure, cither by bonus or othtrwisa. Can we not look beyond road boirds for one session, and try what indirect benefit we might receive by the force of the blast furnace. No province in. New Zealand lias an opportunity of fostering tbis industry with such certainty of success, and I venture to say that no other Government in the country, if tbey had the same opportunity, but would have found out both a. way ani a means of supplying, at least, their own iron rails by this time. Every effort ought to have been made iro mediately after Mr Vogel's Pubiic Worlra scheme passed the House of Representatives, and if such efforts had been made then, ani in earnest, valuable results towards forwarding one of the most import mt of all industries might hive followed ere this. I may be told tbat it is not the business of a Government to work iron mines, possibly not, but there arc many ways by which a Government which holds the public estate, may encourage and promote them . lam, &c, A I.OOKEK-ON.