IMPORTANT MEETING AT REEFTON.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1176, 6 May 1872, Page 2

IMPORTANT MEETING AT REEFTON.

A very important meeting was held at Reefton on Thursday last, in reference to mining leases. We take the following abridged report from, the Inangahua Herald, of Saturday : —

An indignation meeting was held at Slattery's Hotel on Thursday evening, to take steps towards severing all Nelson Provincial control over the South- West Gold Fields, in consequence of the action taken by the Superintendent and his Executive, in respect to the refusal and curtailing of certain goldmining leases in the Inangahua district. The hour was eight o'clock, and previous to that time, fully .400 miners and others had assembled, indicating the interest felt in the subject under consideration.

Mr Hoene having been voted to the chair explained the object of the meeting. They had assembled to take into consideration the conduct of the Superintendent, who had thought fit to act in entire opposition to the recommendation of the Warden in respect to curtailing leases, and it would now be for the meeting, if it thought fit, to urge upon the Government to relieve Mr Curtis of all control over the gold fields, which he had shown himself so utterly incapable of managing. Mr Reeves stated that he was not aware until at a very late moment, that he would be called upon to more/the first resolution now in his hand. It was the object of the meeting to memorialise the General Government to assume direct control of the South- West Gold Fields, but that portion of the subject would be dealt with in a subsequent resolution. They would also be asked to pass a condemnatory resolution of the action of the Superintendent in curtailing and refusing certain leases. In looking over the last number of the Gazette, he found that twenty leases had been granted, although greatly curtailed,; and eighteen refused. On what principle some had been shorn of their fair proportions, others granted according to the original application, and others refused, altogether could not be explained, but he appeared to have had a lucky bag containing 20 prizes which were distributed at hazard. There was not the slightest doubt that the action would throw a wet blanket over the community, if but for a time only. He was quite sure that their resources were such that they would overcome this temporary embarrassment, and like a ray of sunshine dry up the wet blankets cast upon them, by the Superintendent. How Mr Curtis could have taken upon himself, to act in direct contravention of the recommendation of the Warden he could not understand ; the latter was better able to form an opinion upon the spot than the Superintendent luxuriating in Nelson. He found that they had curtailed many of the leases applied for one-third although represented by the necessary miners' rights, to hold the ground applied for as ordinary claims. As others were to address them, he would not occupy any more of their time. He himself was a stranger to them, but he .hoped that his stay would be long, and in common with them all attend with prosperity. (Hear, hear.) He then read resolution No. 1, which appears in cur leading columns.

Mr Davies seconded the resolution. In taking steps to sever their connection with Nelson, he need hardly remind them that it was not the first agitation that had taken place with that object. More latterly there had been an agitation of another character, in which a number of persons appealed to the Superintendent against the granting of leases, and elected a delegate to proceed to Nelson to advocate their views. At that time much was said on both sides. However, the delegate, it was believed, succeeded in gaining the ear of the Superintendent, and many thought that his visit hadbeen^productive of much good. No great effect was expected ; but it was supposed that many leases would be curtailed, though only in cases where reasonable grounds existed for so doing. But what was the actual effect? It was that eighteen leases had been refused — many of which the Warden had recommended — and others were granted, but nearly all were curtailed. It had been customary for men. to take up ground under miners' rights, and, having applied for a lease, to sell out a portion of their interest, taking for granted that the lease, including only ground held originally under miners' rights, would be recommended by the Warden. The latter having recommended the lease to be granted, it has been looked upon as a matter of course that the lease would be granted, as it has been customary on all gold fields to issue leases on the recommendation of the Warden. But all these calculations have been upset, and miners now found that they have sold something to which they have no right. Their ground having been cut down in some instances to a fourth of the original application, they would find themselves in the position of having sold a full share when they really possessed only a quarter share. In other instances, capitalists expended money — and miners, labor — on the good faith that the leases would be granted. As an instance of the effect of the curtailment that Add taken place he might cite the North British lease, applied for as ten acres under miners' rights, and which was granted as six acres only. In Hamilton and party's and Sinnamon's leases the effect of the reduction in area had been to 'bring down each man's ground from 60ft, which he was entitled to under his miner's right, to 36ft. In the case of Sinnamon's ground [ the injustice was more flagrant, from, the fact that the ground held by the party was a prospecting claim granted to them by the Warden. At first it was thought that the curtailment had reference to the width across the supposed reef only, and did not effect the claims in their length along the line of reef. But it had been ascertained that the full width of 600 ft had been always granted, and that the reduction had taken place in the length of the claim. He would read to them the resolution passed by the Executive in respect to the leases in question. It was . as, follows : — " When applicants for quartz leases are granted a reduced area, the applicants may select the granted ground from either end of the block applied for, subject to the selected block being laid off with a width of 600 ft across the supposed line of reef, and the expense of re-survey to be paid by applicants." Such was the resolution, and he would leave it to them to say whether it should stand or not. He considered ; it unbearable. They had not only deprived them of their ground,

but asked that they should pay lilO or Ll2 for the necessary re-survey. -It remained with them to say whether it should stand of not. They had Mr Curtis to blame for it— who had always proved an incubus upon the shoulders of themiuer3. In affirming the resolution before them, they would adopt the proper course to rem.Jve that incubus.- ' """■ Mr Crammon defended the action of the Nelson Executive, and Mr Hankin opposed it. Mr Donovan supported the resolution, which waa'put and carried.- * • f : Mr H.Mace proposed the second resolution, also in another' column. • Ho could not understand how any body of men could have been guilty of such a senseless proceeding as had emanated from the Superintendent and his Exec itive. The result of it was to render it impossible for any miner to dispose of. his interest, as no person would purchase where the "title was insecure and subject to such preposterous 'conditions. If the Government had studiously endeavored to discover how they could most effectually damage tha- district, they' could not have hit upon a more damning scheme than' the one adopted, v- It was therefore that he had come to move a resolution urging the withdrawal of the delegated powers. They had long known that the Provincial Government took all the revenue from the district, and gave nothing in return ; but the evil was as nothing compared. with the farcical pror ceeding3 they had just been guilty of. A grosser exhibition, he had never witnessed.' The bare idea of reducing the length of a claim- held under a : miner's, right,; and; subsequently applied for as a lease, in order to get a better title from 60ft to 40ft per man was so absurdly ridiculous as to be simply incredible. In the matter of roads, ton, they had done nothing, and Mr Curtis when here would promise them nothing. Whatever was being done had been taken in hand by the Colonial Government, and had it not been for them they would this winter have been in a stateof starvation. They alone had shown themselves willing to protect them.; The mover added; the names of ; the Committee. . ' Mr Guinness seconded the resolution, stating that he could do so warmly, and without the slightest hesitation. He was fully sure that an incalculable injury had been inflicted upon the district by the action of the Superintendent, and as proof of that, already instructions had been sent to Greymouth countermanding two crushing plants which would shortly have been on their way to the . Inaugahua. That was the effect of Mr Curtis's action as manifested within twenty-four hours. He thought it the only true remedy to petition the Colonial Government to take over the management of the Gold Fields, and therefore he snpported the resolution. The resolation was carried. A third resolution was proposed by Mr Hankin, seconded by Mr Donovan, and carried. This was one of the most enthusiastic meetings ever held on the Coast.