Report op Society's Meetings. 365 
He could understand Mr. Hargreaves desiring to have 
communication with the gold fields established. When 
this was done it would not benefit this one industry 
alone, but open up a new district the resources of which 
are at present unknown. He had taken a deep interest 
in this matter and thought that if the Society took it in 
hand so warmly as on a previous occasion something 
would come out of the Report and that speedily. He 
advocated the opening up of the country generally but 
they would have to make a beginning, for unless this 
were done they would always be in the same place. 
Mr. Jacob Conrad said he was strongly in favour of 
opening up the country, but not by the Government. 
History and experience showed them that when a country 
had been opened up, it had always been the result of 
private enterprise. They must not forget that gold 
washing was uncertain and they must take account of 
other things as well. He thought that the country 
should be well surveyed before putting down a railway 
and that this should be done as soon as possible. 
Mr. Sproston said he had initiated a scheme for open- 
ing up the country which was put before the Govern- 
ment two years ago. This was mainly to facilitate the 
gold industry. Like Mr. Hargreaves he did not believe 
the country could be opened up by European labour. 
The inhabitants of the colony would have to do it or it 
would not be done at all. After saying something of his 
scheme which the Government had rejected, he went on 
to speak of the necessity of doing something at once. 
He was largely interested in the gold industry and he 
could say that much sickness prevailed among the la- 
bourers. Means of communication must be quickly estab- 
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