The Thames Advertiser. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1870, 6 October 1874, Page 2

The Thames Advertiser. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6 1874.

Major Jackson, who voted for the abolition resolutions, has received a unanimous-vote of confidence from his constituents in Waikato, who have also specifically approved of the step taken by Mr Vogel in having these resolutions passed. There is no doubt, therefore, that Waikato, like every out district in the colony, will assist to destroy the provinces. Rumours have been circulated that Major Jackson intended to resign his seat, and it is said that if he did so, Mr Oox, who occupied the chair at the meeting, and who was formerly in the House as a member for a Canterbury constituency, would be the most likely successor.

I The ' Southern Cros3' has a long article on goldfields tramways, in which there ard some truths and a good many fallacies. The Superintendent was waited upon by a deputation at Ooromandel in reference to a tramway, and in reply, he spoke of the advantages of tramways in general. Upon this the ' Gross' bases its article. It states that the tramways on the Hape, the Karaka, the Waiotahi, and the Moauataiaricost "about £4,000 of provincial funds," and then it goes on to show that in several of these cases the traffic has been very little, and that even in the case of the Moanataiari, the cost of conveyance has, fallen largely on the public, besides the charges to the rniues. For " provincial funds," we should read goldfields funds, for the gold duty since the field opened has paid for the tramways. No doubt, in several cases the tramways have not conveyed the quantity of quartz it was expected they would have had to accommodate, but at the opening of the field no one could speak with certainty as to how particular districts would turn out, and from the number of rniues in work in all the creeks, it seemed at one time as if all the tramways would have continual employment. Everything on a goldfield is speculative, aud the formation tof means of conveyance must also be so to a great extent. The choice lies between the danger of making a tramway or two which shall be of little use, and extinguishing the goldfield by making none at all. "We do not for a moment deny that there has been a heavy expenditure upon tramways on the goldfield, but we certainly contend that they have in every instance answered useful purposes. Circumstauces incidental to the advancement of mining operations have occurred which have in some instances rendered their use unnecessary ; in others the mines for the advancement of which they have been constructed have failed to meet expectations. The former remarks' will apply most forcibly to the Moanataiari tramway, the latter to the Hape, Karaka, and Tararu line 3. The section of line on the "Waiotahi Greek has, although an abortion to which there was no beginning nor no ending, been useful so far as it has gone, but on the whole we have no reason to regret that the tramways were constructed, although the expenditure was out of goldfield revenue, not out of provincial funds, as claimed by the ' Cross.' There is no question that in any case roads should be formed, and we. think it can be easily proved that roads 'could not be constructed or maintained at as light a cost as tramways. A portion of the expenditure has no doubt been since found to be useful, alchougb. not all, so far at least as profit on the outlay is concerned. Bub let us for a moment look back at the circumstances under which these tramways were constructed, and ask whether there was not ample inducements for the expenditure. We will refer to the Karaka tramway as that which has been least successful. Before that tramway was constructed the miners who owned claims in the creek had with their own labour and money constructed a roadway through the dense scrub and bush, and over the rocky bed of the creek as far as the Lucky Hit claim. In this locality claims showed brilliant prospects—specimens were common amongst the pioneers of the upper Karaka, and there was reason to expect that the range's still further back would be found to contain rich i reefs. Under the circumstances, therefore, when there was sufficient inducements for miners to construct a road under such unfavourable circumstances, when capitalists had prospects before them which lead to the erection of the Lucky Hit and many other, crushing mills on the creek, it was surely not too much to expect the Government to step in and. expend a portion of the revenue derived from the goldfield in opening a means of transit for those who showed so much willingness and energy in helping themselves. On a goldfield at'first everything is speculative, and a Government must, to,some extent, make means of communication on speculation. The only question for consideration, is whether roads or tramways were most suitable. In our own opinion roads would have been best; but they should be roads which

would cost a very tuucli larger sum than that expended on tramways. They should be good roads, with proper gradients, and good macadamised surfaces to bear the traffic which has tatt sustained by those wooden tramways; It is unfair to a system which has served so many useful purposes to condemn it, and we hope the time will come when further extensions will nob only be necessary, but when there will be better and more substantial inducements for their construction than there was when those tramways were first proposed.