THE PAROA ELECTION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1372, 21 December 1872, Page 2

THE PAROA ELECTION.

: (TO THE EDITOR.) Sir— l ; am[aure you will grant me space in the columns of the Argus to answer a wrong done me, unintentionally I am convinced, in your leader of to-dayi touching v .... < „-.^ iW ,.:,«..^.- rT . J S^- o W c- • In the first place I may inform you I stated at largepublic meetings, both at the Greenstone and Marsden, that, unknowingly on my part, an error was committed,, at the nomination pf Paroa, and *hat men of more acute wisdom than I have fallen into greater mistakes. I have never at any time or at any ; place insisted that if my miner's right were dated on the 15th it would have givenme the capacity at the nomination. ,Thiß is the unfair, position _ you place me in and that I complain of.: The great abuse 1 wished to; expose and condemn is simply this :— From the 15th to the 22nd how did my property as a miner stand for ' protection, or-how was my position and right, secured; to, me by the Gold Fields regulations I If . such;, mining property were interfered .with during the interval of the eight days,; it is unmistakeably manifest that in the dating of the miner's right on' the 22nd, it was placed in great jeopardy, in grfeat danger of being tampered With. Ibelievo it is quite time, as I have heard, that the Warden of the district, in mining disputes, when facts reveal themselves as, referred to, protection is given to the party from the day the money was paid into the camp. Now, may I not ask, and. rightly demand why the same protection and privilege was not accorded in my,case 1 The Warden, at his office in Grey-: mouth, showed me Clifton camp received the money on the Hth, and yet it was • but acknowledged on the 22nd, the date of the miner's right at Greymouth. I may here point out al«o an anomaly that bears a share of the great abuae complained of, and that I have justly denounced. There are four camps or official quarters from which' all mining business is done in the district^at; Greymouth and Greenstone mjn^rß^rigKts can be had when money is paid, at Clifton and Maori Gully your money is taken tb' oblige' ypuf and as official custom or convenience maysuit for days or weeks in forwarding communications to G reyrabuthf !> y a "~- -miner haying no legal standing, but as the clerk of the Greymouth office' will - date the' miner's right oh receipt of moneys, in cases/ where the; rights, and privilegesTof' miners are, involved, may be dealt with at the discretion of the Warden! My position at the Paroa election brought to light what Ishall still denominate a great abuse; ;and 'I thought it a duty, believing I was right, to specially condemn it, and, although with disparagement, it appears to myself a pernicious system 'has been unveiled, a great 1 injustice to the mining community exposed, ; that had too long existed, bringing in its train : want of uniformity and uncertainty _wlhere' there is so m'iich that is valuable to the mining interest. To presume in doing this lam conscious of not being aware of anything contemptible; or unbecoming ' thai was done on my part. "..~\'~~ In attending the Greeh^toriißand Mare-' den meetings I' did so with a desire to defend myself ; in other respects, I par-" ticularly brought up the subject alluded to for ventilation. I amj &c, P. DUNGAN. Greymouth, Dec. 20, 18^. [As Mr Dungan was generally understood, his reference to "tho matter of bu' miner's right was supposed to hare been, made as if it . wks a matter wliich had affected hi 3 election. "'His' letter, sufficiently explains that, this was not the.case. In referring to the matter otherwise, he was perfectly justified, and we hope his complaints will have proper effect.— Ed.]