The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1872.

Dunstan Times, Issue 549, 25 October 1872, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1872.

« Beneath the Rule of Men estire r.Y j trsri) the pex ia mightier than the sword.

"From various districts in the Province we find the difficulty fast cropping up of “ Mining on private propertyand, when we come to take into consideration that so laige a quantity of land is rapidly pasting into private hands, it must more and more increase, in ■Victoria, the Legislature Ime been trying, for some time past, to provide a remedy for this evil that shall he satisfactory to all parties, but have not arrived at a comple’e solution of the question yet. The Miners’ Asso--coitions at the Dunstan and the Arro v Lave held several meetings on the subject. and prepared various recommendations to the Government; but nothing has 'been acted upon at present. .A s matters-stand, we find the miners and agricultural leaseholders in direct, opposition to each oilier, and no sooner is a piece ot land applied Tor-than it is systematically opposed ; •while things have arrived at such a pitcq, both here and at the Arrow, Hint the Government have been re. quested to grant no more agricultural lease's. Tffi- twoceeding is greatly to bo doploi-ocl. btot that there is any Special want of increase in our agricultural population, hut that it prevents settlement; and, unless people can 1 c induced to take up land and wake homes for themselves, the gold ■fields will suffer. Were it not for the small farmers—or “ cockatoos,” us they are familiarly termed—the cost of living would be very high, and much poor ground would remain imworked. When gold-mining is slack, through bad weather or short supply of water, the farmer oftentimes provides employment for the idle; while others, who have been unfortunate in their mining operations, arc, through the same means, enabled to recruit their ■finances, and start again. The two interests appear to us to be so neces sary to each other that (heir co-ex-istence is a matter of positive necessity. This, we believe, must he acknowledged on all si les>, and there remains nothing else but to adopt ■some means whereby a proper understanding might be arrived at between both parties, permitting neither interest to o’ash with the other, and, at the same time, promoting the welfare of both. It is a pity to see land containing gold locked up from the turner, and it is equally so to find land locked ■up from the agriculturist that will produce corn because it is auriferous —or supposed to be such ; while, by wise legislation, both parties might be accommodated. Agricultural leases on the Gold-fields have bceu productive of a vast amount of good, ami we fully believe that it is through their means that we retain our present large mining population. A modification in the terms of their leases is all that is required, and they might he issued in a form comprehensive t>> all parties. In the first place, the license fee should be reduced, every holder of miner’s right being allowed to take up from one to twenty acres, paying one shilling per acre, or proportionately in miners’ rights for every twenty acre i ii exc°ss up to two hundred acres, the freehold (ir desired) to be acquired by three years’ residence and cultivation, and purchasable at the usual upset price of land in the Pro vince. But, in granting these leaseholds and freeholds, there should bean -obligatory clause inserted, that the miner should enter upon the land at any time, to mine cr construct water races, without paying any compensa. lion whatever, except for growing crop, tho value of which might he

) assessed by parties appointed on either side; but,-should any mirier, through spite or ill-feeling, wantonly trespass on any cultivated land—such cases, we i believe would be rare—under pretence » of mining, any damage lie might so commit should be assessed ; and. upon proof that such was unnecessary, lie should bo held liable for three times the value thereof, to be recovered in the Resident Magistrate's Court. Under such a regulation as this, people taking up land would know what they had to expect, and, unless it would pay them to do so, they would lei it alone Without the miner, the agriculturist on the Goidtields could not *xist ; and Were it not for the jH'epence -of both, the land would revert to its old position of a sheep-walk. With these facts before us, we think there should be no difficulty in dealing with agricultural lands upon gold-field*, and more especially where consumption and supply is strictly confined to local wants, with scarcely the remotest possibility of extension.

In the Houe« of Representatives a paper was laid on the table; *howing in detail the amount of travelling expenses drawn by Messrs Fox, Vogel, and C0.,-during the year ending 30th June, 1872 It actually amounti to no less a sum than 28,000/. During a debate on t"ho Rcilway Bill, on the 18th instant, Mr. Stafford declared that, owing to the action of the Government and the policy of the IJous.?, he, with great regret, had mads up his mind to wind up his private affairs, and leave the Colony. The projectors of the Dunstan Flour Miil, we hear, are getting on well with the disposal of shares, JSO shares being, already taken up. la our next issue we hope to call a meeting of shareholders. We are requested to intimate to persons having in their possession any of the Fire Brigade buckets, that the proper p!ace for them i 3 under the facade of the Town Hall. Mr. MTellan and his party have arrived in Clyde, and are busily engaged making preparations to receive the machinery an.l gearing for the pneumatic dredge. The Kearsage dredge, which they have purchased, they are warping up stream to Clyde, where it is intended to put the whole fabric together. The wasrgons with the engine and plant are daily expected to arrive. Vincent Pyke, Warden, of the Tuapeka district, we understand, will, on Saturday •evening next, the 26th inst., deliver a lecture "in the Assembly rooms, Roxburgh, in aid -of the Roxburgh Church of England building fund. The Clyde fire-bell is .at length placed in position at the rear of the Library building. It is a somewhat formidable ' thing of the kind, weighing fifty pounds. : From a slight specimen we had of its tone, < there i 3 no much fear but that when nc- ' cessity brings it into requisition, everyone ' within two luilcs of it will hear its unwel- ' come notes. Prevention is better than f cure, and it is only the proper thing that the town should be adoined with a deep ] loud toned harbinger of danger. If that it ' is never used the cost will be well incurred, ' and our fervent hope is that wc may never ' hear its doleful tone. A case of some importance was heard at Alexandra, on Monday, before Messrs. ' C'arew, fi.lvl., and W. Beresford, J.P. An ' information was laid against William Thom- ' son for mining for lignite without any ' license or lease authorising him to do so. ! After formal evidence had been given, Mr. J F. J. Wilson, who wa3 instructed through ' the Provincial Solicitor to appear on behalf l of the prosecution, stated that it rested t with the defendant to prove his title (if ' any), and he being unable to do so, the 1 Bench held the charge proved : but, in consideration of its being the first case of the kind brought before them in the district, ' and believing that the defendant acted to a certain extent in ignorance of the law, indieted a fine of 55., together with costs of Court and solicitor's fee, at the sam; time warning defendant not to persist in imiiiu" until he should obtain a title. 1 The denisens in and about Clyd". appear letermined to make their homes as comfortable as possible, f)f late several substantial / residences have been erected in our neigh- ' aorhood, most of which are in the midst of nicely laid-out gardens, still of course in ;heir infancy, but showing abundant pro- ' nise of both usefulness and beauty in time 8 :o come. Latterly some additions have d jeen made. Among others, we may notice r ;he small but substantial brick-Vuilt cottage a 'now almost completed) erected by Mr. J. B Patteison, composed of bricks manufactured * it the Clyde Blick-yard ; also a very sub- •* itantial stone residence, in Sunderland- t street, built for Mr. W. Grindley. Mr. J. Hazlctt is now buildiug a brick dwcllinglouse. These buildings will add greatly ;o the substantial appearance of the town, md as first-class bricks are to be obtained )•> the spot at a very reasonable price, and t , luperior stone can be had for the labor of :. piarrying, we entertain good hopes that lie example set will be followed, and that mr township of Clyde will soon show that ts inhabitants are perfectly alive to their •. iwn comforts, and also well satisfied with u hair prospects. _ The agricultural implement manufactory ft if Messrs. Reid and Gray, Oamaru, was c lestroyed by fire on Wednesday evening, li .he loth inst. The stone building was d inmpletely gutted, a portion of the walls ti aid machinery only left standing, the latter t' >eiog seriously injured. The 1033 is csti- I T nated at 3000/, (according to another !at stimate at 3500/,) none of which is covered tl iv in*uran:e JA policy for 1000/ ha 1 expired si nly a fort-night ago. j g

An inquest wa3 held at Queenstown, on Monday last, before Richmond Beetham, Esq., Coroner, to inquire into the origin of a fire which hid occurred on the night of the IBth inst., on the premises occupied by Mr. James Scully, and which extended to tho two-storied house adjacent, occupied by Mr. Wilson, grocer, both buildings being totally destroyed. The house in which the fire originated comprised six rooms, and was tenanted by Mr. Scully, his wife, and nine children. The evidence failed to prove the cause of the conflagration, and after a brief deliberation, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the fire was the result of accident, at the same time censuring the parents carelessness in not seeing a'.l the lights in the house out before going to bed themselves. The following interesting and instructive paragraph appears in the Daylesford (Victoria) Mercury:—"To show what can be done in quartz mining with the aid of water power, we may mention that Mr. James Barklayis manager of acooperative company at Blackwood, that is paying excellent weekly dividends, from a yield of 1£ dwt per ton, The party have a battery of eight or ten heads, driven by a water-wheel; the stream lacing brought to the machine by a race fcur or five miles long. It is said that so low are their expenses that the party can make wages even from fdwt stone. They have a large but poor lode, that would be valueless but for the water power." The Bishop of Nelson, in opening the annual session of the Synod of his Diocese, delivered an address, in the course of which he referred to the various methods of raising money for the church. In doing so, he said : —-'Th« raising of money by sales of work, by music and lectures, by bazaars and gift-auctions, if properly conducted, cannot, as far as I see, be objected to, for the performers and workers are the real contributors, and they may, as in the case of work, music, ar.d lectures, be made highly instructive and useful; but lotteries, raffles, and art unions, falsely so-called, sack like, ought, I think, to lie unanimously disapproved, and repudiated by us as illegitimate, improper, and unworthy means of raising money. The spirit of gambling is so rife in all classes in this Colony, that this is a sufficient reasoc why the Church should set itself against everything which ■encourages gambling, and certainly decline and disapprove any proposition for raising money by such a means." A contemporary says: "Mr. Vogel's statement, that the Government did not intend to appoint a Minister of Mines, is, wa hear, causing considerable discontent awing the Gold-fields Members of the House of Reprcsentotives. The advantages of breeding good blood stock were exemplified on Saturday last, at Like Wanaka, when Mr. G. Fuche conducted a most successful sale of Etswiek [ colts, on account «.f 11. Campbell, Esq, ! Of the lot offerc' l , the most were disposed of fetching excellent prices. Jasper, a racy looking three year-old gelding, fell to Mr. Chalmers, of Waitaki, for all. Boomerang, a four-year old gelding, realised thirty two j guineas, Mr. Graham, of Lake Hawea, being the purchaser; the others .were knocked down at various prices, bringing Up an average of nearly 23?. These satisfactory prices should be an encouragement. A letter appears in another column correcting a mistake we made in our last issue in noticing the late entertainment in aid of the School Funds, to which t; draw attention. ; A fearful occurrence is reported from Waikava. Three children, named Frederick i Charles, and John Whitting, and aged ' eight years, five years, and elevon mouths ' respectively, were drowned in the Waikava river on Saturday by their mother, who ' also attempted to drown her daughter, a girl of seven years. Mrs. Whitting was not found till yesterday, when she was arrested and lodged in gaol. She is believed to bo insane. The bodies were found on Saturday night, and were brought to Mr. Whitting's house —DxilyTimc*.