A LOCAL MINERS' ASSOCIATION.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 158, 19 November 1872, Page 6

A LOCAL MINERS' ASSOCIATION.

A public meeeting, convened by his Worship the Mayor at the request of the Dunstan Minors' Association, was held in the Townhall on Thursday evening, with the object of gaining an expression of opinion as to the advisability or otherwise of organising a local Miners' Association. There was a large attendance both of miners and business people.

The Mayor, who presided, after a few explanatory remarks introduced Mr J. Alexander, Secretary to the Dunstan Association. Mr Alexander expressed his gratification at seeing so numerous an attendance. He stated that it was only sixteen months since the pioneer association —the Arrow—started into existence ; and during that period no less than nine others had been organised in various portions of the gold-fields. The Arrow association owed its origin to the Chinese difficulty, and the others had in most instances been called into existence in order to remedy local grievances arising under the Gold-fields Rides and Waste Land Acts. The leading objects of all those associations were to protect local interests, and to promote the general welfare of the mining community throughout the Province. The subjects that had principally engaged the attention of the associations hitherto, were the reduction of the gold export duty, and the establishment of Mining Boards. The first of these objects had been partially accomplished ; but the efforts of the various associations were greatly crippled, and their sphere of usefulness circumscribed, through the difficulty of securing prompt and united action. It was in order to secure unity of action that the idea of a Mining Conference had been mooted, and there could be no doubt that such a conference would prove an effective and beneficial combination of mining representatives from a very largo section of the gold-fields. He did not know whether the apathy hitherto displayed by the miners in the Cromwell district was owing to the fact that they had no local grievances to complain of ; but it seemed to him that if any such grievances did exist, they were suffered to work their own euro. Within the last week or two, however, he had witnessed exhibitions travelling up and down the Dunstan mad which seemed to indicate the existence of a very serious local grievance : ho alluded to the impounding of cattle by the runholders in the neighbourhood. At all events, he thought the time had arrived when a miners' association should be formed in this district, ami that prompt action should be taken in the matter of appointing a representative to attend the con fereuce at Lawrence. The deliberations of that conference would, he considered, be of great importance to the mining population, inasmuch as they would be called upon to make suggestions for framing mining laws, and would afterwards require to see that their recommendations were carried out. The speaker then read extracts from the rules of the ArroW and Dunstan associations for the information of the meeting, and concluded his remarks by expressing a hope that some ■of the miners present would give the meeting the benefit of their views on the subject. After the lapse of a few minutes,

Mr James Taylor rose to address the meeting. He regretted that none of the miners present had responded to Mr Alexander's suggestion, for he considered the object in view a most laudable one. Although himself a " tiinbcrmonger," and therefore not directly interested in the formation of an association such as that proposed, he might be allowed to say that there were many evils existing in this portion of the gold-fiolds that urgently required to be remedied, and he thought it would be well for the miners to join with those of the Arrow and Dunstan in endeavouring to conserve the interests and promote the prosperity of the whole mining community. Miners as a class were generally too remiss in speaking for themselves, and* too much addicted to useless grumbling at the Government of the day. Governments were formed from among the people, and if they did not carry out the views of the majority in dealing with matters of general importance, the peoplo were themselves to blame. He concluded by urging the miners present to organise a local association to co-operate with those already formed in other parts of the Province.

The Chairman said there was ample scope in the district for the operations of a large and influential local association. He would gladly receive a motion on the subject from any miner present.

Mr Thomas Wilson, of Kawarau Gorge, proposed "That it is desirable to form a Miners' Association for the Cromwell district, and that a payment of 2s. Cd. per annum constitute membership." This was seconded by Mr Marsh, and was unanimously carried. Mr Alexander proposed "That the names of those willing to join the association beat once enrolled, and an interim committee aftewards elected from amongst the members."

Seconded by Mr John Hayes, and adopted! On the motion of Mr I. Wright, seconded by Mr Hayes, it was agreed that the interim committee should consist of fifteen members.

Nearly forty names were then enrolled by the Chairman, and the subscriptions paid. The following gentlemen were elected members of committee, viz,:—MessrsC. Colclough, T. Logan, John Haves. Jesse Barker. Andrew Wood, ].). A. Jolly, James Strahan, H. W. Smythies, John Towan, M. Fraer, G. Redhead, John Marsh, James Marshall, James Taylor, and I. Wright. it, was arranged to hold the first meeting of committee on Wednesday (to-morrow) evening ; and after votes of thanks had been accorded to Mr Alexander and the Mayor, the proceedings terminated.