It is-now ten years since it was firat.made known that the Upper Shotover was rich in auriferous quartz lodes, and- it was only a question of machinery to open" a number of profitable mines, which difficulty might be-easily removed, by the mak ing of a light description of dray road as far as Skippers Point. Nothing, however, was done, any more than the cutting of an imperfect pack horse track, upon which two men are employed to-keep it in repair between the reefs and Queenstown, a distance of nearly thirty miles. Added to this must be ■ another twelve miles to the Shotover Branches. One quartz mining company a few months since was compelled to pay £40 each for sleighing three stamper' boxes up from Queenstowh, besides very high prices for packing other" machinery and iron piping, all of which money might have accomplished a great deal in developing the mine. As reefs are being now gone into Eretty extensively in this direction, we can only ope that when the General Government takes the Goldfields in hand,- something in the shape of justice in the matter of adray road will be accorded to the Upper Shotover. Our resident M.P.C., Mr Henry Manders, once a violent abolitionist, appears' to have recanted in his faith in that direction, and inclines to the worn out system of local government. What has brought about such a change it is difficult to divine. .Mr glanders has-not, however, pledged himself on either side, but advises caution and an appeal to constituencies before anything de cided is done, and signifies his intention of per sonally ascertaining the views of his'supporters on the subject. Thereexists an old saying thSt "when things come to. their worst they must mend." So far as the mining community is con cerbed their measure of neglect has. long since been bnmm'ns over, and any change must therefore be for the better. Let us make a change and abolish Provincialism and expend the goldfields revenues upon the goldfields themselves. I have not heard anything lately about the' new Newspaper Company. Some say that it has collapsed, others that the promoters are only waiting to get up a provisional directory and issue a prospectus; but it is difficult to say what they are cloing. The general impression is that they do not understand what they are about themselves. 