THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2055, 5 August 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1875.

It is scarcely necessary to call attention to the annual report of Mr C. E. Haugh*ton on the Goldfields of the Colony, '. which we publish to-day. Any document of an official character embodying facts and figures showing the progress of the mining industry must necessarily possess an interest to xts hero; aod this report contains both facts aad figures of wore

than usual significance. Not that we consider either exhaustive, for although it is clearly shown that a very large amount of capital is invested, the statistics from this field would have proved that the figures might have /been en/ larged upon,without overrating thejimpprta'nce of goldmining as an industry in] the Colony. JJnder the heading pf^m^--chinery some- figures might have been given which would have-exhibited the enterprise of the people, and also have served asi a ?prbof of the confidence which is felt" in the permanent character of this portion of the goldfield. vi\Te<do*«ot intend to>enierraupo.«;.; any, lengthy comments on the ..report, but there is'ftn'e paragraph to which we take .exception. : Mr Haughton, under the head Mining ifbpulation," says— " ThVreturh of the numbfer of persons enga|e&in goWmimrig show^ a; marked diminution for the' year;" and further (after? giving for the years 1874 and 1875)—" Idonot suppose that the mining '"population "has received any pei!dejpEil)Te!>accessibnri: from the 55,000 immigrants'vinfcrdducediunder the Immigration and Public-Works policy; whilst 6ne result of that policy lias been to with- , =draff/from tbev -goldfields of men who find more regular employment ml connectionVwithfthe public Vrorks of, the colony and the Provinces, and in the private enterprises of various characters which the present state of the country tends to create and foster." We have no wish —neither could w-e if wished—to impugn the statement that there has been a marked diminution in the number of perspns engaged in mining pursuits; but" we may safely assert that it does f :not. i apply to the Hauraki district, > for ; Ahere^ has undoubtedly been an increase in the number 6f persons sb engaged, owing to". ,theppemng;of,new fields ofan auriferouscharacter, and a renewed vigor in working the older portions of the-field;; That themini»g population 'has not received an| appreciable accession from the immigra^ %bn may be true of the older, goldßekM of the Middle Islands, but it is not so * of this -dfor we are prettycertain that t&e nominated system of immigration encouraged, by the Government has been the means of introducing into this district .a valuable contingent of. skilful Miners fr^tn;thsß^^ no period of probation to acquire a ;fchowledge of thert/callingj 'but who had "bieen brought up;toit frbni their earliest years. We believe this statement could be fully verified by returns from the local immigratic a officer, and that the accession to the populatidn has been considerably. The new comers have all found profitable employment,, and if the prospects of the district should continue as bright as at present there will be ample room.fpr much/larger accessions to the population of the district if judiciously selected from the mining centres of Great Britain. If we are ; correct in pur assumption—and we have no dpubfc bh^tlie matter —it follows that while the mining population of the South has been reduced by the withdrawal of a considerable number of parsons to engage in diher pursuits, the number engaged in mining in this djsiiric£inust liavis* increased to an appreci|bl6^exte^^br the^ returns upon which JM!r^-^ugll<^4ha|> f founded His report would have shown "a much larger decrease in the number of persons engaged in mining throughput fthe Gdlbny^.'.. ' '