REVIEW.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 74, 10 July 1869, Page 3

REVIEW.

Essays on the Settlement of the Gold Mining Population in New Zealand, by R. H. Eyton, F. W. Hutton, and E. T. Gillon. Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly, by command of His Excellency. Wellington, 1869.

It will be remembered that some time ago the General Government offered prizes for the three best essays on the above subject. The publication before us contains the successful compositions. Although we may doubt the prudence of any government openly advertising for a policy, and question strongly whether the prizes offered were sufficiently handsome to tempt the competition of the highest class of literary talent, we must confess ourselves agreeably surprised with the sterling excellence of two at least of essays before us. The first prize has been awarded to Mr. Eyton, and no one will hesitate in approving the decision of the judges. His essay displays thought and research, and is not marred by any partizan feeling. The essay of Mr. Hutton, which gained the second prize, althongh inferior in literary merit to that of Mr. Eyton, also shows a careful study of the subject, and contains some valuable suggestions. The third essay is very much inferior to the other two. It is, indeed, nothing more nor less than a cleverly-written leading article. It has all the faults inseparable from that ephemeral species of literature, being superficial and one-sided, wanting that gravity of tone and- strictness of reasoning which should distinguish an essay of the kind. It is somewhat curious to find that only in Mr. Gillon's essay is the land question treated as of any importance, the measures suggested in both the others having reference to the development of the mining resources of the colony. This canhowever, be easily explained ; for only in Otago are there facilities for settling a large body of miners as agriculturists. The physical features of Westland and the native proprietory in Auckland must for a long time prove insurmountable obstacles to any suchresult on two out of the three great goldfields of New Zealand.. Mr. Eyton's essay opens with a cleverlydrawn portrait of the alluvial digger.

His recklessness, generosity, and wandering disposition are all pointed out as reasons for there being little hope of settling him as a peaceful tiller of the soil. The only way to ensure his permanent residence in the colony is to be found in settling him to mine in a less precarious and more settled manner than he usually does*. A convenient distinction is drawn between the alluvial digger aud the alluvial miner, the former term being applied j to the man who extracts gold from the surface and from the more recent deposits only ; the latter to the worker of deep placers. There is every probability that auriferous strata exist at considerable depth in many parts of the colony. The Blue Spur and Wetherstones cement is an instance of a belt of the earlier auriferous deposits existing in this province ; and it is well known that similar formations are to be found in many other places, notably Evans' Flat and the Beaumont. So much for our own district. From the facts stated by Mr. Evton, it appears that on every other goldfield the alluvial miner has every chance of finding remunerative ground. But to open up deep placer claims requires an amount of capital rarely possessed by the alluvial digger. The problem, then, is reduced to the question, How can Government encourage the influx of the necessary capital without overstepping the limits of its proper functions ? Mr. Eyton's suggestion is that the local governments should make it their business to diffuse authentic information, and where there existed no division of interests, by even more energetic means. He points out the evils which have airsen from the conflict of interests under the Provincial Governments, summing up with the following judicious remarks :—: —

I fear New Zealand has a great deal more to dread from her different Governments undertaking too easily tasks which sKoiilcl be le£fc to pri-Cate persons, tKan from official indolence. The latter would work its own cure ; the former tends to make the people more and more dependent, a tendency which, though its effects may not be easy to discover, will eventually produce the most wide-spread evils, and end in the paralysis of all honest public spirit. Generally speaking, it may be said that industries grown by the hotbed system of Government interference are liable to pine away when exposed to the open air. It was most easy for the British Parliament to create provinces with a view to the local government of New Zealand, but it would be very difficult for it to find a remedy for the injury which has thereby been inflicted upon the out-disfcricts, in the stunting of their industrial and political development. For whatever has been said or written of Centralism and Provincialism, a dispassionate observer cannot deny that it is a false issue which is raised ; Provincialism, far from checking, is in itself a most unfortunate instance of centralization. If our statesmen can cany through any plan of self-government by which districts may be relieved from all interference not required for the general welfare of the Colony, I believe that, in spite of the mismanagement and impecuniosity which will probably ensue for some years to come, more will have been done towards the development of New Zealand's industries, mining included, than if the Government had expended millions in itself experimentalizing on behalf of the people. Mr. Hutton takes a more extensive view of the metalliferous wealth of the country. He points out that the geological formation of the Southern and Middle Islands consist of the older metamorphosed rocks, such as granite, schist, slate, &c, to which class far the larger proportion of the mining districts of the world belong. The North Island, again, belongs to a division composed of volcanic rocks of very recent origin, and in which gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, mercury, and arsenic are now being profitably worked. He shows that in both the Middle and North Islands many traces of valuable metallic deposits besides gold have been found. He purposes to encourage vein mining, by a system of rewards to prospectors, and by the Government adopting the following measures for the opening of the mining districts : —

1. By publishing maps of the most likely districts. 2. By making bridle tracks and roads in mining districts. 3. By offering rewards for the discovery of metallic lodes. 4. By framing regulations to facilitate as much as possible the working of the lodes. 5. By selling all the neighbouring agricultural land, reserving the metals. 6. By establishing schools and savings banks ; and

7. By connecting the towns with the principal mercantile ports by means of the electric telegraph. Mr. Gillon's essay we have already characterised as a clever leading article. He appears to be a strong partizan of late Government, and intrudes his political leanings into the discussion. As far as literary merit goes, his essay will boar favourable comparison with either of its more successful rivals ; but in research, thought, or originality it is immeasurably below them. He is both superficial and arrogant ; more inclined to deal in rash assertions than in close reasoning. Indeed, if the unsuccessful candidates displayed no greater ability than ■he does, we sincerely pity the examiners,- for their task must have been both wearisome and unpleasant. Still, the practical value of the productions of Messrs. Eyton and Hutton is enough to modify the displeasure we might have felt inclined to express at the waste of public money in the publication of gaseous rubbish.