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honest facts. An educated public opinion is what is wanted 

 with regard to this and other kindred matters^, and to that end 

 is the object of the present efPort ; and I may add without 

 much fear of contradiction that those who chiim to themselves 

 the office of guiding public opinion are pre-eminently con- 

 spicuous by their inability to interpret phenomena, to apply 

 facts in the right direction, and to perceive fallacious deduc- 

 tions. One day we have an article summarising the experiences 

 of scientific men, whilst in the next week the wild notions of 

 a charlatan are set forth and commented upon in a highly 

 pernicious spirit. 



For the future prosperity of mining, I would have every 

 would-be investor in mining enterprises sift facts from con- 

 jectures — a few of the former interwoven among the latter 

 too often lend a false colouring to the whole. I w^ould not 

 accept anything which cannot be demonstrated or that is not 

 within the range of reasonable probability. If a quartz vein 

 is proved to carry gold at intervals along its outcrop it may 

 fairly be inferred that it is auriferous in the unexplored parts, 

 but we cannot predicate therefrom that the lode will continue 

 to preserve that character to any given depth. Gold is not 

 won by hope ; indeed, it is a trite saying, not far from the 

 truth, '' that it takes a gold mine to work a gold mine," which 

 is traceable to the fact that as much money is spent in un- 

 profitable mines as the value of gold raised from more favoured 

 ones. Ruinous speculations are more often than otherwise 

 the consequences of estimating the value of a mine on what is 

 not seen, instead of on what is within observation. 



One disadvantage which has resulted from the unsatisfactory 

 way in which we have hitherto carried on our gold-mining 

 enterprises is that we have not attracted to us suitable men as 

 mine managers. Indeed, no undertakings liave been considered 

 to be of such magnitude as to require the services of a properly- 

 qualified mine engineer. We seem to possess none, or icw 

 better than the " pick-and-shovel " captains, who ha])pily no 

 longer occupy prominent positions in well-appointed European 

 mines, as it is found better to pay a high salary to a thoroughly 

 efficient officer than to trust wealth to the hands of men who 

 abuse the trust. A mining engineer requires a very careful 

 training, inasmuch as the art of mining consists in the applica- 

 tion of several different sciences, because of the variety of the 

 processes which have to be carried out in the raising of the 

 minerals, and in the extraction of the metal from its ores. As 

 a temporary measure to meet the want of skilful management 

 I would suggest that the several (iold-^[ining Companies 

 co-operate to secure the services of a teclinical adviser or 

 consulting engineer. 



