BANNOCKBURN MINERS’ ASSOCIATION AND THE RUN HOLDER.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VI, Issue 298, 28 July 1875, Page 6

BANNOCKBURN MINERS’ ASSOCIATION AND THE RUN HOLDER.

To the Editor of the Cromwell Argus. Sir, —Will yon kindly allow me to correct a paragraph in your report of the quarterly meeting of the Bannockburn and Garrick Range Miners’ Association ? The following is the paragraph referred to -“The Chairman informed the meeting that he had seen the Goldfields Secretary, who had intimated to him that an arrangement had been made whereby each resident had the privilege-of running six head of cattle without interference by the rnnholder.” Now, Sir, 1 waited for the Goldfields Secretary to contradict the above statement in last week’s issue ; hut, finding he has not done so, I now beg to give it a distinct and unqualified denial. 1 would not have troubled you, only tho paragraph might be believed by some, and they might buy cattle on the strength of the statement. There cannot be the slightest doubt, assuming the paragraph to be correct, that the Goldfields Secretary has been amusing himself at the Chairman’s expense. It may never have struck the Association what loss such an arrangement would entail on the lessees of the station ; but supposing “ each resident” to carry out the “privilege,” it would amount to a matter of 1200 or 1500 head of cattle, —a mere fieabite, but nevertheless a fourth of the carrying capacity of the station. Now, I have no doubt that were those prominent members of the Association owners of the station, they would with pleasure allow any number of cattle to run. But then some people are so very selfish, and I daresay the present owners, and their officers also, may with safety be included in that category. Before closing this note, I will with your permission give a word of advice to Miners’ Associations in genera], and to the Bannockburn and Garrick Range Association in particular. It has often struck me that Miners’ Associations might confer a very great amount of good on themselves as a body, were they to confine themselves entirely to nlining matters ; but it is not by pestering the Government on every question of the day, or by impertinent interference with things in general, entirely beyond their jurisdiction, that they will assist or in any way benefit themselves.—l am, &c,, James Cowan. Kawarau Station, July 26, 1875,