Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, MARCH 1. 1890.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 450, 1 March 1890, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1. 1890.

* This aboy® all—to thine own self bo fcrq®, And it must follow as the night the ejay’, ' Thou canet hot then bo false to any ?nan.’ SIIAICKSi'EAHH. .

The amount of qnqera] land locked qp in tlijs and adjacent njiuing djstrictH, uppn yhjch übsplutely no work or capital wlmtevqr hq9 been expended for ipany months past (apd in too many jnstaneps none Worth mentioning since the leases we,rc granted), js a that wq trust will receive tfie early and careful consideration of tiie Warden. Weare strongly in favour of every reasonable facility being afforded any and all yfip, (ake up new ground with the bona fide intention of honestly prospecting and deyelppjng it, and are well aware no stereotyped set of rules or regulalions can ever be framed tfi“t "fill meet all eases. In no branch of Government administration perhaps should greater powers be accorded those placed in authority, than to the Warden of a gold field ? aqd ip no department is there more need for (he, exercise of sound judgment in dealing the peculiarities pf individual cases as they arise. We are sure it will be readily nqd generally conceded that since Mr Warden bfot(ih croft was appointed to take charge of Ilauraki goldfi hi, lie has, as far as it was possible for him to do so without neglecting his many other important duties, endeavoured to personally acquaint himself with the various mining centres njthin his district, their particular peculiarities and needs, and also any special features connected with individual mines and companies ; and his efforts in the direction in Heated have been highly appreciated by all classes of the community. He has also been extremely lenient with respect to enforcing any con litions that would necessitate the abandonment of ground held by those apparently willing to develope it. We are glad such lias been the case, and it is satisfactory to note the Warden’s disposition to temper justice with mercy. But whilst large sums of money have been expended on vaiious mining properties in the district ; in prospecting, opening i.p the mines, the erection of re duction works and tramways, etc., giving the owners a just claim for reasonable protection for a time, when good and valid reasons are advanced for asking it ; there are on the other baud many claims we could mention U|io(i which scarcely any money whatever has leeu expended, and upon which beyond a doubt the owners have no inception of expending any capital for the bona fide prospecting or working of the ground, which apparently has been taken up and held it for purely speculative purposes. It is high time claims held in this manner were either forfeited and thrown open to prospectors, or the owners compelled to do at least some reasonable amount of work tbereon. Where the labour conditions are systematically and continuously avoided, it may be taken for granted the ground is held solely with a view of making a rise from the unearned increment, that no mineral worth exists, or that the lessees are un able to obtain that which does exist. This being so, the ground should be thrown open to others to see what they can do with it, and useless monopolies no longer alloweJ tq retain i(.