CROMWELL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 332, 4 September 1868, Page 3

CROMWELL.

(FROM OUR OWN' CORRESr-ONDEXT.) , September 1. The political magnates of this province appear to do all in their powel" to deal injustice and annoyance to tht goldfields. In your issue of Friday T\st you very properly and independently exposed the disgraceful fact of the Government having misled the public of these districts as to there btang a i large extent of hind thrown open for | settlement in the vicinity of Cromwell, Clyde. Black's, and Alexandra, : Your remarks as to the area selected for Cromwell being sandy and utterly . unfit for agricultural purposes will \ equally apply to its pastoral qualities, \ and therefore the action lately taken : by the residents hero, protesting against ; having the Cromwell Flat only assigne 1 to them as a comrronage must be perfectly justifiable. A monster petition for a suitable commonage for this gold.'ield was forwarded last week to the Superintendent, and earnest circulars have also been sent to all the Members for the Goldfields of the province, requesting them to use their utmost influence to cause his Honor to take immediate action in the matter. "We are looking forward with much more than ordinary interest for a reply, because by it some conjecture may be arrived at as to whether the Government intend to grasp week after week the large revenue produced by this goldfield, a-d, in return, treat the inhabitants with negligence, or grant the prayer of the petition, and thereby afford us facilities for running cattle and growing our own corn and vegetables. As yet the action of the Government towards this district bears on its face inconsistency, as it cannot be expected we can live for ever as a mining community. Our mining re sources must in due course come to an end, and then, if in the meantime no other sources of employmeut are opened up, the Cromwell district will be a thing of the past. It is laughable to witness the un-called-for activity of the authorities in footballing from one localitv to the other the Wardens of the Goldfields. Scatcely a month passes by without some one or the other of them being ordered to remove his quarters, and, although such officials are in.one sense under the General Government, still there can be no question as to the strings being pulled in the move bv some provincial agency or other. It is difficult to divine the utility of removing from here to Mount Ida an official so universally respected at Mr. "Warden Robinson. Mr. Robinson has done more duty between Cromwell, Clyde, Alexandra, and the Nevis than ever was imposed upon any one in the same capacity in th's or any other province in New Zealand, and the duty was done, not by pooh-pooh-ing cases seemingly trifling, but by a patient investigation. Mr. Robinson will carry with him from this district the most sterling regard that a mining community can possibly feel towards a Warden and a Resident Magistrate. I am given to understand that he will not be allowed to leave without a substantial mark of their approval of his

services. Instead of annoying by removing honest and able officials for no warrantable purpose from one district to the other, let the Government turn its attention to the consideration of the numerous memorials on public matters that have been •forwarded from various parts of this dis'trict, and instead of promising and not performing, let the spirit of such memorials be carried out if it be possible to do so. I have been requested to thank publicly the Clyde Choral Society lor journeying so far as Cromwell, and affording us so great a treat; their object was twofold, in both of which they succeeded beyond our most sanguine expectations, not only was the performance par excellence, but the amount raised for the Cromwell Library by the entertainment was very handsome Mr. Spensley as leader- of the Society feels no doubt pride in his pupils, and doubless participated in the general satisfaction and pleasure Mining affairs consequent on the plentiful supply of water that abounds throughout the district, is in a most satisfactory state, and from one end to the other, prosperity appears to reign paramount. The spirited proprietors ■of the Quartz reef at Bendigo Gully are setting to work in earnest to develop its richness ; a plant hasbeen purchased consisting of an iron wheel and twelve heads of stamps. This plant originally was at work at Hindon. Mr. \V. fjoodger, who made the purchase, informs ine, that the wheel and battery of stamps may be expected to be doing their work of disintegration in about (i months hence ; it is to be sinctrely trusted the prospects obtained from tiie trial crushings may be fully realized by the new machinery, there is about 500 Tons of stone at grass, the prospects from winch have yielded six ounces to the Ton. Mi\ Sidebu'rgh the owner of several dredges on the Molyneux intends removing the one that has been for some time past at Ryley's Beach to somewhere in the neighborhood of Albert Town, the venture is a hazardouss one 'but from the encouraging prospects obtained from the bed of the Upper Chit ha, there is little doubt of a satis factory resu't. At a future date I hope to be in a position to give you an account of the success of both these enterprises.