HOW WE SUCCEED IN NOT DOING ITI.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 151, 28 June 1877, Page 2

HOW WE SUCCEED IN NOT DOING ITI.

_-.---._ To the Editor of thb 'Evening Mail.' Sir—fit one of the New/Zealand Partia-j; mentary Blue Books published a year or so ago, there is an account of-evidence given by s one of our Nelson citizens in reference to the" smelting of iron atone. I think the sum required to erect a trial furnace is named ai J-250, and I beiieve that had the person in question been allowed the opportunity' he would haVe. fulfilled all that he promised, to do, and by-this time have been the means of establishing and flourishing snTeieibg and rolling works.Y But the citizen ih question is passed by not only by the Government, j but,by th^Para Para Company; and this, asfar Jas his personal advancement or otherwise : is concerned^ is a small matter .ror the pro- ; yince. It,is simply an individual case of in-. justice out"of of --4a fifc-maii being-put down, and', muffs and pretenders being set. up.. As regards the man I say this is" a very - small matter, but as regards the;provii_Be it \ is a very great one." It means.; a thriving , industry'hindered;;:: it is the; talent.-busied: b§ariqg no interest. Something, wdrseufchis - Nelsoh than merely,being a^sleepy hollow. _ Bufc there is a method Yin this as - shown by J th& likeness,of management which _ characterises lhe efforts -at mining displayed h by all the, companies- emanatjtig-f rom Nelson. * I do not; pretend to be fully with? the proceedings of the Para^PatU Company, - bufc I thin^thafc I am'nghfc"in'-jsayinjg.'.fchafc£ they built a railway and barges to" convey r*' their ore and 3 a Wharf to receive it, but; all *" they ever did in the way of producing.any ore was to advertise for an enonppus jjuantifcy of bricks^". -Agai&pribt 'only one coti_pai_y, but fourlor.]five commenced operations, at Wangapelfa by bnilding steep tramwayS"and waterwheels, erecting batteries and constructing dams and water races, and getting ripples and copper plates and other appliances for saving gold before they got any gold to save, whereas the shareholders' money ought, io-. haye been spent ia thoroughly prospecting the reef before machinery -was seriously; thought of. I will only take one other in-: stance (as I fear I may be charged with preaching too long a sermon)—the Nelson Dredging .Company. I witnessed their operations on the MafcakifcakD .A dredgM was constructed on the bank of the river, a large quantity of heavy ironwork was carted tothe Howard, and at a great cost packed on! horseback over tEe^ Lake Hill. At lengEfi." dredging was commenced, but a part .of -_the river was selected where it'was very- well known by the miners on the 'ground thatthere was ho gold. After a few days, nor. a- „' week at the most, the dredging was abandoned, no other spot being tried, and the dredge was left to the mercy of the floods. In conclusion,-1 would ask,ls it not time allthese ill-directed efforts'shouid cease? Is it nofc time tha,fc„ we' brought the ablest .and fittest men .to thefront regardless of all coii-' siderations except their, ability and fitness? ,If icertain ps_rtre_ Tnnsr have secretaryship^' and managerships found them, give them tife'; name and pay. them to [smoke their.cigars at home, but don't let their incompetency and unfitness mar pur prosperity any longer, otherwise we must be content to_le_ thgy^ijis of coal and iron which,so.,abound, exist,only to be a reproach and shame to u_ and'fche J province—l am, &c.i A' \ A. ■:.'-■'• ,j. y. _,;; James -Grove.