OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4411, 10 May 1875, Page 5

OUR TARANAKI LETTER.

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) May 1. Since theletter in the Auckland Echo appeared, the gist of which was telegraphed over the colony, ironsand smelting prospects have been much canvassed in town. There are few persons here but what are earnestly anxious for the success of the undertaking. There are few who care to risk a ten pound note to help to furnish funds to carry’it on. Scarcely more than one hundred and fifty shares all told are held in the province. Once bitten, twice shy ! At one time we were petroleum bitten. Indications of oil may still be seen in the locality of the boring grounds. The framework of the-rod-jumper still stands as a reminder of past folly. The rods, bought at a heavy cost, used for a time, sold for an old song, shipped away to Auckland after lying by for years, were repurchased at a fair price by new men, and are now believed to be doing service at the Poverty Bay petroleum works. We got bit! The ironsand has been a trouble and a joy to us for years. We have been buoyed up with the hope of being able to turn it to good account, and troubled lest others should step in and benefit most by it. We have had an ironsand mania more than once. Feeling tolerably sure of success, in our little-minded way we went to work with vigor. As well as desiring each to secure a heap of the looming wealth, we were anxious to have all the credit and do the managing. Strangers were not to be trusted. Of course we wanted all the information possible from practical men—got a few here, fished out what of their ideas and knowledge we could ; hut we were not disposed to trust them to carry on the work. By reading and study, and correspondence and talk, we got to know all about the matter, and undertook the management. We got bit 1 During the war we had a mama for building houses. High rents were easily obtained. The troops were here, and there was plenty of money to be made. For years, since the war, houses in galore have been empty, and many have crumbled and rotted away from disuse. Some got burnt down. Still we were bit. Houses are very scarce now, but we are not likely to build many. Our speocuiations have generally been unfortunate. We have always stopped short at the wrong place. In the flax, also, we got bit. At ttie present time we are bumingly desirous that the ironsand smelting shall prove a success. Our enthusiasm is used up so far as spending our own money is concerned. Morally certain that the ironsand smelting problem has been solved, yet don’t expect us to take shares in the company. We have witnessed the smelting process, have seen the molten metal running from the furnace, and have handled the iron made. Our last experiment proved that the ironsand could be smelted in largo quantities. But the furnace got gobbed ; and for want of allowing a pratical man to have sole control, (we could not trust one,) our expectations were not realised, and the few hundred pounds which was all that was required to enable the experiment to be again tried under a practical man, we were not inclined to furnished. The failure furnace on the great South-road is a monument of our folly. We are quite aware that that promising and talented gentleman (Mr. E. H. Davis,) whose life was unfortunately cut short by drowning, was prepared to stake his reputation on bringing iron from the sand with even a moderate sum jilaced at the bank to his credit, and freedom to steer his own course. The funds were not furnished, nor are any likely to be furnished by us at the present time. Success in this matterwould bring'us a harbor, and population, and trade, and open up our magnificent

agricultural lands, and settle the native difficulty ; but we should have to bait with a shilling with only the prospect of getting a pound, and we prefer to keep the shilling. Just in the nick of time, when the new furnace was finished, Mr. Eraser, of Auckland engineering repute, and Mr. Wilson, of Canterbury waterworks note, happening to be on their way to Auckland, paid a visit to the Henni, and after a thorough inspection of the furnace expressed satisfaction with the workmanship, Good bo far. Much yet remains to be done before a test can be made in smelting. The engine, boiler, and blowing gear are on the ground, and the bedding stones lor engine nearly in place. Tenders have been called, and were supposed by the general public to have been accepted, for the building of enginehouse and stack. But there has been a hitch in the affair. The successful tenderer has gone away—left the province. The engineer has for some time been on the works, hut the idea is gaining ground that he stands pretty much in the position of a captain without a ship. He can do but little till the brickwork is finished. There is a certain amount of distrust in regard to operations carried on. The managing men are considered to be straightforward and thoroughly honest. The furnace builder has done his part of the work well. The engineer is thought to be in every way fit to perform the work for which he engaged, and of the reputed manager of the works, or furnace man, in point of honor he is thought to be thoroughly reliable; but he is getting on in years, is ailing at times, is easily flurried, and lacks confidence; and however good he may be in the mere matter of working a furnace, ho is considered altogether out of place as manager. Persons in town who hold him in high esteem as a man, and are fearful of saying the slightest word which would be likely to prove detrimental, either to him or to the concern, lack faith in his 'capacity to grasp such an important undertaking. It is thought that when the pinch comes he will get flurried, and sink under the worry and bother of anxious and meddlesome theoretical men, and so damn the whole undertaking. He lacks vigor. Such is the general impression. And then there is no independent supervision over the workers. There are different contractors, each busy iu bis own particular line, and of course specially attending to bis own work and interests, none of whom are likely to care what becomes of the affair so long as they are cashed up on the completion of their respective contracts. Capable and trustworthy supervisors or local directors, having no contract or working interests near hand, who also could frequently inspect and report to shareholders, would give confidence to the concern, which ■it unfortunately at present lacks. Scarcely a person in town hut is desirous of a successful issue, but very few have faith in the way of working—there is too much of the family party amongst the workers—lacking, as the company does, a tnistworthy local directory. Everybody here is anxious for success; and there is no mincing the matter, very few really expect it unless a thoroughly capable and earnest manager is secured. E. M. Smith is altogether iu the shade. He is said to be as earnest and enthusiastic as ever, but he has been relegated to an outside seat. Contractors appear to carry more weight with the directory than Smith,' although he is reputed and claims to be the originator, and clings tenaciously to his shares, assured that sucoessmust resultif the plan of working devised at formation of company is adhered to. In the last attempt he got shelved when the critical time of trial came. It appears to have been thought that he and others had been pumped sufficiently for the purpose, and that the theoreticals were beat able to perform the practical part of the work. It seems to be a case of ditto repeato this time. Perhaps if Mr. Smith is ever fortunate enough to get another Government armourer billet he will stick to it. He has lost a good billet twice on account of the ironsand, and has certainly worked hard, and it may he assumed as a fact that except for his persistency the present furnace would not have been built nor the.present company formed. Although Mr. Smith has been thrown overboard, he manages to rub along in some sort of fashion in town, evidentlydetermined to he a spectator to the end, if not allowed to be a worker.

As so much of the ffiture prosperity of Taranaki hinges on the successful smelting of the ironsand, and the colony at large is so much interested in the result, it is to be hoped that the shareholders will see the present experiment through. How to restore lost confidence is a matter of deep concern to the province and to shareholders ; and such as are committed to the affair, should resolve on seeing it out, as the most likely way of recouping outlay.

A great secret is out. It was telegraphed: from Wellington here a case of sending coals to Newcastle. An exploring party has penetrated forty miles or more to the northeast of Mount Egmont. The party is credited, with having discovered what has been long known to exist—a large area of. level, open, and bush land. The ground has all been' cone over in past time, and the land, about; which many people are gushing as open and so on, and as thought to be newly discovered, may be seen on maps which are now old,: having been in existence for years. Whatever of gush there is comes at secondhand—none of the gushers being of the survey party. The advantage to be derived from the present expedition will be that more definite information in regard to country'traversed will he put on; record, and data furnished for a possible road or railway when' the time is ripe for carrying; out such a project. We old identities lack faith—there is a good deal'of the Thomas a Diddiinua. about , us. Some short time back a gentleman from the South came amongst ns, > imbued with progressive ideas. He had' witnessed, the rapid strides which had been made under the Vogelian policy, and how quiet, slow-coaching, stagnant people and places had been stimulated into life. . ,His advent was unpretentious. Struck with the magnificent surroundings of the town in the way of agricultural lands, with the prospect of • speedy sale for purposes of settlement, and of the, probability of roads and railways being , made, he, , felt sure the place must soon begin to move. He took up his residence and essayed farming. He rented a farm, with purchasing clause. Farm had been begging for a tenant for years. Such a price was agreed to as made us half inclined to howl the man but of the town as a lunatic. Said gentleman could now raise a couple of hundred sterling or more on_ his bargain if disposed .to clear out. Judging from the manner in which land had run up in price in places less favorably circumstanced, the gentleman concluded that it was safe to secure land. He did so. We thought him cracked. Certainly the slow progress made with railway works has taken the edge off oven his anticipations ; but still we are beginning to see that ho was not so far wrong, and that he. will be likely to profit by his ventures. We are too slow.

The Hospital Board is thoroughly awakened to the necessity providing more extensive accommodation for patients, and putting the establishment on a better footing. Our Superintendent was waited upon during the past week, when it was explained to him that the lunatic patients must of necessity be moved clear of the hospital premises. At present the two classes of patients resident under the one roof are a continual source of annoyance on the one aide, and of danger on the other. The lunatics disturb the sick patients and prevent their recovery. The sick patients are apt to prove infectious to the lunatics. His Honor the Superintendent, never in a hurry to act without due deliberation, and no doubt mindful that the term of provincial existence was likely soon to close, thought it would be well to get the lunatic patients distributed amongst the asylums of the other provinces. He would write to the various Superintendents and inquire if patients could be taken, and on what terms ; in this way good accommodation might he found for the patients, and steps could be taken for making efficient provision in our own province. Jam not sanguine that any change will be effected within a twelvemonth, unless, indeed, the Hospital Board are determined to [cut the matter short by resigning unless the evil complained of is remedied. As the Provincial Council is shortly expected to meet, Mr. T, Kelly, a member of the Execu-

tive, has been doing a round tour. Starting from New Plymouth along the newly-made bush road to Inglewood, on the Moa block, inspecting as he went, he journeyed on along the mountain road or track, as the case might be, till Patea was reached. The completion of this road is urgently needed. The object of his mission was to ascertain the needs of various districts, so as to be in a position in Council to lay cash out to best advantage. He interviewed residents on the way, and spoke in public meeting. The General Government were t"ken to task for an omission in the matter of road work, a. gap through the Sandhill, Carlyle, which ought to have been seen to long ago. If only the General Government would hand over the proceeds of sale of land which will shortly take place, Mr. Kelly, on behalf of the Provincial Government, would guarantee to do that as well as other much needed public works in the district. It is to be hoped the General Government will snap at the chance. Mr. Kelly made his way back along the coast by the coach road, and arrived in town this afternoon.