Proposed Changes in the Goldfields' Department.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4979, 24 December 1884, Page 2

Proposed Changes in the Goldfields' Department.

Government circulars were received yesterday by the County Council and Mr F. J. Burgess, Keceiver of Groldfields' .Revenue, announcing that as it has been found necessary to reduce the expenditure in the Mines Department, and as the whole of the revenue derived from goldfields is payable to the County Councils, Government intended to abolish the offices of receivers throughout the colony after Feb. Ist next, thus throwing the onus of collecting such revenue on the local bodies. This scheme would no doubt work well enough on the Sou»-hern fields, where the land is the property of the Grown, antf where all the revenue does go tc the County Councils, but several s.Grious objections stand in the way of its adoption in relation to this district. The land on which our mines are situated beloags chiefly to the Maoris; next to them come European holders, smd the County Council only receives about one-eighth of the gross revere. It is therefore hardly fair to expect the Council to pay officers to collect all the revenue when they thetgselves receive, comparatively speaking, so, small a portion, aor would private holders, we Hja/se bold to assert, feel altogether satisfied that their income gfcoutd first pass through the County coffers, whereas every confidence is expressed in the present arrangement. We hope the circumstance^ of iho ease will be fully represent^ fa Minister issuing $$ circular, a.nd that wheu he ]$ttr.ns tlaem,, he. will see the necessity of making a, modification in relation to this district, at any rate.