THE CATTLE IMPOUNDING GRIEVANCE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 158, 19 November 1872, Page 5

THE CATTLE IMPOUNDING GRIEVANCE.

Immediately .after the miners' meeting nv, Thursday night, a crowded meeting was held in the same place with the object of discuss ing the present aspect of affairs as regards the depasturing of stock in this district. The Mayor, who was called upon to preside, explained the purpose for which he had called the meeting. He remarked that most of those present were awaro of the action taken by the manager of Mount Pisa Station in prohibiting thiJ depasturing of cattie on the run, driving the animals to the Dunstan Pound, and threatening to sue the owners for trespass. He (the Mayor) had on the previous day sent a telegram to the Superintendent on the subject, and he had received a reply which seemed to indicate a reasonable prospect of a commonage being obtained. Since receiving his Honor's reply, he had seen Mr Loughnan, who promised to cea.se impounding for the present, and also to withdraw the advertisement, which appeared in the local paper of the I'Jth inst. This temporary concession on the part 01 the manager was so far good ; but the matter should not be allowed to rest there. The people should continue t > agitato for jo a mn i m until the Government granted their requirements. (Hear, hear.)

Mr Marsh said that Mr Longhnan had .shown the cattle-owners very scaiiu coaside- | ration. Cattle were for a length of time al- ! lowed to depasture on the ran free of charge ; I afterwards, a fee of ten shillings a y<ar was i levied ; then the charge was raised to twenty shillings; and finally the owners were ordered to remove the cattle, with the alternative of having them impounded, and b dug sued for 1 damages. Had the nmholdors refused from : the first to allow cattle to depasture on the | station, the people would then have known how to act. Perhaps the principal reason why the district was without commonage was, that the runholders had granted so many special privileges to owners of cattle that any attempt at muted action to obtain commonage had hitherto proved futile. Fur example, several owners of cattle had been allowed to run as many as twenty or thirty head, and being thus lulled into what they had now found to be a false security, they had naturally refrained from agitating for commonage for fear they might forfeit their privilege without attaining their object. He (Mr Marsh) wished vo impress upon his hearers the necessity of remembering that " lie who would he free, Himself must strike the blow."

And if they meant to carry their point, they! must strike a blow that would tell, and thev must strike at once and all together. They should show the runholdor no quarter, but serve him in the same manner as he had tried j to serve them. The best definition of a| squatter that he ever remembered hearhu' was given by the late Mr John Hetherington° i formerly a resident of Cromwell, li >va; this : —" A squatter is a biped tin* sit.*, unon ' his haunches and growls at civilisation. - '! (Laughter and applause.) ! Mr Colclough would mention or two' facts in order to sbov to "hat cx*re! ic Mr Loughnan had gone in connection with the impounding of cattle, lie (Mr Colclough) was the unfortunate owner of one so/fan/j c?»>0, which cost him L. 12. Some months! ago he confided this auinml to the cam of Mr Lougbnan's ranger, and undertook to nay the stipulated charge of li. I per annum whenever he might he asked to do so. Mr Loughmn ! was perfectly aware of the arrangement •>* the time, and offered no objection + o it. Would it he believed that this' very cow had ; been twi-e drive,, to the Clyde P.-u'nid by Mr ! Lougbnan's express fact. Having complained to Mr limvdmsvn i on the master, that gentleman replied that he | did not care whether the cattle belonged to i friend or foe, he intend; d to impound every ' hoof of them, and nltisir.telv to get rid of' every head on the run. Under the circum-1 stances, what was the use of releasing the cow [ from the pound \ The only course to adopt in order to avoid further expense, was to lei , her remain there, and be sold according to; law. A more glaring instance of squatocratic i tyranny he had never experienced : it was be} ond all huniu a endurance. The ostensible i

reason given for this sudden and UflPtpeetfcd assertion of pastoral monarchy was that'eertain cattle-ownera had tried to in-ade payment, and therefore the ranholder would take no further trouble to enforce payment, but was determined to clear the cattle completely olf the run. He (Mr Colclough) believed the real cause of the cattle being driven oft" was the high price of wool. (Cheers,) Mr Smythies thought there was no ground for animosity against Mr Loughnan. The manager got his instructions from the runholders, who were empowered by the laws to do certain things. The proper plan was to get the laws amended. There could be very little doubt about the runholders' power to impound, as weil as to sue for trespass. The clause giving the miner a ri<dit to deoasture two head of cattle op Crown laiid Was neither more nor less than a trap, because the land was all in the hands of squatters. Under present circumstances, that clause was simply | a snare aiid a delusion. (Cheers.) _ Mr Taylor did not blame managers of stations for carrying out their employers' in- ; structions. The fault rested with th e"fra in ers |of the iniquitous land laws, and with the j people themselves. Two years ago there had been considerable agitation on the subject of , commonage in this district, and an Aiiti-lm- , pounding League was organised to protect j the interests of the cattle-owners and endeavour to obtain laiid for commonage. Very | little interest was at that time taken in the ! movement by those who ought to have sup- ■ ported it the most strenuously, and the League I finally collapsed. He was glad to see that I those persons to whom he alluded were now ; getting their corns trodden upon : it was high I time they were aroused to a sense of the 116I eessity for having a commonage. The whole country within a circuit of many miles around Cromwell was in the hands of three squatters ; and so long as that state of affairs continued, jthe district could make no material progress. Mr Burres briefly addressed the meeting, and urged vigorous action. The peonle of this district had practised forbearance until that quality had become no longer a virtue. After a few remarks by Mr Alexander,. Mr MacKellar proposed the formation of a Cromwell District Commonage Association, —member's subscription, 5?. a year, This was seconded by Mr R. Brown, and unanimously agreed to. A large number of persons then enrolled themselves as members ; after which It was resolved that the Association proceed to elect a committee of twelve, and the following gentlemen were chosen, viz. ; —His Worship tlm Mayor, chairman ; Mr Marsh, secretmy and treasurer ; and Messrs Colclough, Scott, Taylor, Gorman, Haves, Todd, Fleming, Wright, Jolly, and Ritchie.

j The Committee were requested to adopt i every moans in their power to obtain adequate commonage, and in flu- meantime to resist tu the utmost any further a'tempts on tin; part ot the runholders to impound cattle. I Tim Committee afterwards met, and autho- ! rised the Chairman and Secretary to write to [the Government, and explain fullv the requirements of the district as regards common, age, and also to define the boundaries of the j several areas desired to be withdrawn from ! the neighbouring runs for the purpose. His Worship the Mayor has handed to us | for publication the subjoined copies of the telegrams which have been sent to and re- | ceived from the Superintendent in reference I to the subject : " Cromwell, Nov, V.i. " To the Superintendent, Dimedin. "Government must do something at once to j provide commonage. ' Attention called to advertisement in Auias. Impounding going on. ■ People determined to resist <n manM. Great injustice to men who have laboured hard for years to save money, and invest sime in fjw head of cattle. Great ex«itement prevails. " M. r'KAKi;. Mayor." " Ptmedin, Kov. 13, 2 17 p in. "To the Mayer. Cromwell. " I fallv sympathise with the people of Cromwell in the matter, and have teLgiauhed to M'beau to ascertain on what terms he «i 1 relinquish a suitable pasturage block 1 expect to have new Kxeoutive fo-in>rrw, when of cis;! will be submitted, and, I hope, some menus devised wh -ruby it will be met. have aske I Loughuau's agent to induce proceedings to be sta >; cd. \\ ill telegraph result. ".1. Macan'orkw." " Nov. 13, .'> i*. m. " To the M.vov, Cromwell. "Dilge'-y and Co. have sent fo 1 ! -wincr telegram to bondman: -' We aovii»e cessati «n of action with regard to commonage. Sa,' with- ■ •raw advertisement an.l impoundm 4 until some amicable arrangement is arrived at.' "J. Mahnpihx" "Cromwell, Nov. 15. " To the Superintendent, Dunedin. '■ In lignation meeting last ni dit re commonage •111.1 impounding. Head ynnr telegrams. Hone maiter will be urged at once. Commonage Committee elected : determine! to resist any further impounding. I npossible to eouve ■ indignation feeling at great injustice. Government must do something immediately. "\l. KraKr, Mavor, " Chairman Commonage Committee." " I .hilled in, Nov. 15, 9.55 a.m. "To the Mavor, Cromwell. "J lave hnl ti. t definite reply from M'bean. Am offered by Loiighnan 7* l -' acres Cromwell Flat, providel Governmsnt will provl le substantial eii'-p. What say ymi to this? P-ilgotv, Nichols, and Co. state thev were no pirties to impounding. "J. Macasiirkw." " Cromwell. Nov. 1!). "To the Superintendent. Pimctlin. " 70U0 acres (piite inadequate as commonage for this district,. Letter sent, from ('■. mum tee detailing requirements Trust matter will have immediate attention. "M. FraEU, Mayor."