OPHIR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 588, 25 July 1873, Page 2

OPHIR.

(from our corkespokdent. ) July 2.1 The past few days has been bitterly cold with occasional showers of sleet, anythin" but pleasant, but upon the ■whole we cannot complain, as we have had a very favorable winter so far, in fact, that interesting individual, “the oldest inhabitant ” has never known so mild a winter before. The excitement of the Elections being over we are now settled down into our usual jo; trot kind of existence, patiently waiting for something to turn up, in fact, everything is so quiet that I am at my wit’s end to lind something to write about. There is no use writing anything about the roads, for wo have none, coaches and carriers have to find their way as best they can, being anxious to avoid the track, called the road as much as possible. I lie sale of that nourishing township the Manhuerikia does not cause much excitement, the Sections were offered for sa’e on Monday last, but no bid was made for a\v of them—to make a long story short, the e was not a single section sold in either township, the reason of this, according to n.y theory, because the sections in Hie town, ship of Manhuerikia are not wanted, and in the township of Ophir. because the price of them is too high. I would advise the Waste Lands Board to reduce them to the ordinary price of 5/. per section before the next sale. I notice by a recent issue of the Morning Slur that too <nly two stctior.s ia Opbir that might have been sold have boon reserved for an Athensmu and public buildings, I cannot hear who has advised those two sections to be reserved, I am assured that it is not the Progress Com mittce, as they applied tor Section 0, Block 1, and Section (i Block It to be reserved for public buildings, which Sections were withdrawn from sale for that purpose. 1 would advise the Progress Committee to inquire into the matter and as/ certain the reasons for the change. I fo got to mention before, that Ophir can n I A boast of a Public Library, on a small s ,P at the present it is true, but it is a step in the right direction, and if properly looked after, wdl grow as time wears on ; we have about seventy volumes at present, and there are as many more duo from the Education Board, all wc want now is plenty of subscriptions. I wonder what has become of our grand Tiger Dale Flour Mill and Brewery Company - has the venture fallen through? or is the happy promoter only gathering strength for a fresh spring, if I remember right, Mr. W. stated at the meeting, when the P iovislonal Directors were elected, that he had received applications for one hundr ed and sixty shares, and 1 also remember that a motion was passed, that, as soon as two hundred shares were applied for, a general mooting of shareholders was to be called, when it was supposed that operations would bo commenced. On speaking to two of lire Provincial Directors lately, they informed me they knew nothing at all about it; now it is admitted on all sides that a Mill is very much required, but a great number of people are of opinion that wo can do without the brewery for some time to come. I think myself that it would bo muck better if the people of the Dunstan and the people of Black’s were to join together and erect a Flour Mill at Chatto Creek, this would answer a very large wheat producing District, and in my humble opinion greatly benefit all the population, I think also that they should leave the brewery alone for some time at least, say, until the Brogden navvies begin to swarm around us, then there might bo a marfret for some of the hccr. At Black’s No. 3, tiro Homeward Bonn I Company are getting out splendid dirt; it is reported that it is the best that has yet been taken out of the claim. Shares that wore lately' sold for 21. each, would now bring over 1001.

DEPASTURING LICENSES. —o— Dunstan District. AREA. All that area situate in the Otago Goldfields, bounded on the north by the Leaning Hock Creek, on the east by the Wai Ktr 1 Keri Creek, on the south by the Itiver Clutha, and on the west by the River Clutha. regulations of June 24, IBCB—those of October 8, 1868 will bo published in next issue. The Board of Wardens shall have power to regulate their own proceedings, to frame rales for subsequent elections, to compute the quantity of stock capable of being depastured within the district, and to divide the district, if required, into separate districts for sheep and cattle, —subject always to the rules and regulations hereinafter contained. Provided that no such rules shall he of any effect until assented to by the Superintendent, and unless the same are published in some newspaper circulating in the district. In these Regulations the expression “great cattle” shall be construed to mean and include horned cattle, horses, mules, and asses, male and female, and the offspring of such above six months’ old ; and the expression “small cattle” shall be construed to moan sheep and goats, male and female, and the weaned offspring of such. Every holder of a miner’s right having a claim within a district, and every holder of a business license occupying land by virtue of such license, within a district, shall be entitled to run two head of gn at cattle free of charge. Provided all cattle so depastured free of charge bo branded, otherwise such cattle shall bo deemed to be depastured without a license, and in contravention of these regulations. The person, or in the case of a lease to two or more persons jointly, the persons, holding or occupying any land within a district, under or by virtue of any mining, mineral, or agricultural lease, shall be entitled to run three head of great cattle free of charge. Provided that in the case of a lease to two or more persons jointly' the number of cattle which they shall be to.egetlier entitled to run shall be no more than three head. Holders of miners’ rights or business licenses, and mining, minora', and agricultc.ral leases within a district, may run cattle there in excess of the number they are allowed to run free of charge, on obtaining a depasturing license under these I egula. turns, and other persona resident in the district, not being holders of miners’ rights or business licenses or such leases as aforesaid may run cattle in the district on o! - tuning depasturing licenses under these Regulations. Persons desirous of obtaining depasturing licenses must first deposit with the nearest Gold Receiver an application in writing in the form attached to the schedule hereto. After the receipt of such application, the Cold Receiver shall submit the same to the Board of Wardens of the distiiet, whose decision thereon will be notified in writing and posted outside the said Gold Receiver’s ollicc. The applicant shall then forthwith pay to the Cold Receiver the assessment fee payable under these Regulations ; and the Gold Receiver shall, upon- the production of a certificate of the Board of Wardens, signed by the Chairman, setting forth the district where and the number of great and small cattle which the applicant shall be entitled to depasture, receive the assessment foe, and give the 'applicant a receipt and a depasturing license in the form of the third schedule annexed to these Regulations. If the assessment is not paid within three days after the decision of the Board of Wardens is notified, the application shall bo deemed to have be.u abandoned. The assessment fees payable annually under these Regulations shall be:— For every head of great cattle 3s Gd For every head of small cattle Os 7d Aral when six months or more of the annual f V-l shall have expired, then only one / j •of the above fees shall bo charged. ■l, reiastu-ing licenses granted under these ms shall remain in force only until the 31st of March next following the date thereof. The Chairman of the Board of Wardens shall keep a register of brands, and a list of depasturing licenses issued, with the date of issue and the namcs'of the licensees, and the quantity and description of stock which each pors >n is authorised to depasture, and the brand to be used, shall be posted in the Warden’s office, so that it may he inspected at any time by' the public. If the brand described in the application has been allotted to any other person, the aplicant shall amend his application by in. setting therein some other brand not pircviously allotted to any other person. Depasturing licenses granted under these Regulations will not authorise the licensees to depasture cattle on any waste lands of the Crown within the Otago Gold-fields or occupied under any' license or lease from the Crown. No person shall depasture cattle, great or small, on the Gold-field, unless the same be and be kept branded in the manner provided by these Regulations ; and all cattle depastured under these Regulations shall be and be kept branded with the distinctive brands of the person authorised to dapasturo the same in the manner herein provided ; and all cattle found on the Goldfield without such brand shall he deemed to he depastured on the Gold-field in contravention of these Regulations, and without license. Any person committing a breach of these Regulations will be Halms to the penalties provided by the Gold-fields Act- ISC6. SECOND SCHEDULE. To the Board of Wardens. I hereby apply for a license to depasture head of in the District , in the Otago Gold-field, under ‘‘Gold-fields [Act* ISC6,” and the regulations made thereunder on the day of 1868, and I promise to brand such cattle [describe brands].

COLLIERS’ WAGE S. ~r-0 A correspondent of the Manchester Guardian, who has been devoting himself to inquire into the condition of the colliers, gives the following facts as to their earnings : At Oldham he obtained from one of the largest firms in that district the following rates actually paid to six men in 1871, IS72> and 1873. The men were not selected as being the best men: some were skilled and experienced, and some were occasionally idle. The names, for obvious reasons, are fictitious. In 1871, the men worked fiftyfour hours a week, but now, on an average* they only work thirty-six hours a week, Oct. 1871 Oct. 1872 Oct. 1873 per day per day per day John Smith 6s 4d 8s 5d 9s 4J Thomas Brown 7s 4d 9s 7d 11s 9d William Jones 9s Od 11s Id 15s lOd Joseph Evans 7s 7d 9s 3d 12s 4d WalterEobinson7s 4d 13s 4d los 7d Henry Williams Gs Gd 10s 5d 14s 2d It is asserted that the present daily earnings of the men, as shown above, “are within the reach of every man in the Oldham district if he would work as he used to and did in 1371.” Further, this corrc spondent states •“ I traced two of the men who under fictitious names figure in the list throng hj the fortnight’s work. The sum they earned for eleven days’ labor was a little over 24/., a week each. They were men who worked well when they worked at all ; but 1 was shown the entries of m- n who neither worked constantly nor skilfully, and yet took away SI., 11., and C/. every foil night.