Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, November 4, 1873.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 208, 4 November 1873, Page 4

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. Cromwell: Tuesday, November 4, 1873.

Nearly two months ago, the Cromwell Miners' Association, through their secretary, applied to the Waste Lands Board, asking that a District Board of Enquiry, similar to that established at Clyde, should be established at Cromwell, and that nil matters affecting the Cromwell district should be reported upon by the local District Board. The application was not favourably entertained by the Board in Dunedin. What the reasons were for refusing to grant such a reasonable request, we cannot- of course say; but that the re. fiis'al was made' under some triisappifeben.

«ion, or.bscsjwe tba- was not perhaps fully enwiglj.stated,Ve Have veryj little doubt. Several;<grcumstancea have, ,since.,the reqjiesi arisen, which makes it ( neces§aty ;to again, pot the* **&er promi; nently for howeY.es.; «. It musty <me "that tne fact tHat all applications in any way connected with'iatid can only be heard at Clyde, may entail great inconvenience and «xpense ; upon the parties hay ing such applications' to make,- It is true that many 'applications have been made to the District Land Officer while on-his weekly visits to Cromwell, and it is equally true that these applications have been considered and dealt with without the applicants having to stir put of Cromwell. But, as we' have said before, these things have been done entirely through the courtesy of the District Officer. The fact remains, that if any objection is made to any application for land, the objection must be made at Clyde, arid the applicant, his witnesses, the objector or objectors, and his or their witnesses, must all incur the expense of a journey to" Clyde in order to have the case settled. In the case of Loughnan's pre-emptive right, when objections were lodged by certain.miners, expense was happily avoided to both parties by an arrangement privately come to between themselves. In Marsh's application to purchase fifty acres, it was also happily avoided. But who can predict with any certainty that the same fortunate results will attend the two applications which appear notified in our today's issue] We do not grumble at what has been incurred ; we have been fortunate so far-; but we object to the expense which may yet have to be incurred. And especially when the remedy is so easy. ...., . At the meeting ,of the Association at which it was resolved to ask for the appointment of a local Board, it was expressly pointed out that the gentlemen who act as members of the Board at Clyde, <Messrs Hazlett and Tho>ispn,) could, if it was thought desirable, act in the same capacity in Cromwell, as their business brought them• sOfrequentlf' to that place. Perhaps it was an Unfortunate thing that -the resolution was net so worded as to show that it. was not so much a wish to have a local Board established in Crom- . welj, that .the local Board already con stituted should sit when required at Cromwell. Messrs"Hazuctt and Thomson are . v just as well acquainted with the Cromwell ' district as any person residing in it can be, and there can be no doubt they could (and would) make -it convenient to attend the few times which might be required during the year. The few occasions they would require to attend would entail little or no expense to them, as their business brings them 1 often at any rate, and it might possibly save great expense, to the persons liaving business to transact before them. - We would therefore urge the Association ,to again represent the matter to the Waste Lands Board. It appears almost a Tnatter of certainty to us that, if the matter were only properly understood, the request to have a local sitting'of the Board ■of Enquiry would be granted.