THE EDUCATION RESERVE.

Kumara Times, Issue 533, 12 June 1878, Page 2

THE EDUCATION RESERVE.

PUBLIC MEETING. A public meeting, called upon requisition) by his Worship the Mayor, and largely attended, was held last night in the Theatre Royal, for the purpose of taking “ into consideration the desirability of petitioning his Excellency the Governor to cancel the Education Reserve within the Borough, and to throw the land open for sale.” His Woiship the Mayor, in opening the meeting, said that no doubt the speakers would explain the steps it was proposed to take to carry out the suggestion embodied in the requisition that had been presented to him. Mr Dungan then moved That in the opinion of this meeting the time has arrived when the long-standing grievance of the Education Reserve, situated within the Borough of Kutnara, should be cancelled or lifted without further delay, and that the section-holders should be allowed the privilege of purchasing the same at a reasonable price. He said the meeting had been called for the purpose of ventilating what, he thought, they would all, admit was a public grievance. The object of those who had taken steps to convene the meeting had his sympathy, and their efforts would meet with whatever assistance he could give them. After recapitulating thecircumstances connected with the proclamation of the Reserve, he (the speaker) said it would be admitted that the proclaiming of such a Reserve in the very centre of a goldheld was a great mistake. A. general system of education had been established ; it was supported out of the consol'd ited revenue ; and it was therefore wrong that any community should bo called upon to pay a special tax such as that imposed upon a large section of I the people ot Kutnara. It was prejndi- I cial to the interests of property-holders I on the Reserve, who were only there on | sufferance ; they actually could not remove their own property without paying a sum equivalent to seven years’ ratef. He would remind the meeting, too, that when the question was first mooted the Warden had ' such a Reserve in the middle of a gold- ' field us most objectionable. Tim time j had arrived when the grievance should j be.brought under the notice of the Govermneut, and he h id much pleasure in j moving the resolution j Mr Hamilton Cuming seconded the ' resolution. The time, he said, had arrived when those residing on the Reserve should be placed in the same position as those on the west side of the town. They did not want to pre-

vent miners from working the ground, but the property-owners wanted a title to the surface of the ground. • A goldfields community contributed more than any other to the revenue of the colony. The miner was taxed at the rate of £2O per annum, and others at the rate of only £4 or £5. He heartily supported the resolution, hut was not prepared at the moment to explain how it was to be carried into effect. Mr Barff, M.H.R., said his feelings were quite in accord with those expressed by the previous speakers ; but he would remind Mr Cuming that when he was a member of the County Council he moved that 20,000 acres be set apart for education purposes. At that time there were a few miners on the ground making about £9 per week per man. Two mistakes had been made—one in reserving the ground; the other in afterwards proclaiming Kumara a borough. The difficulty in the way of having the Reserve lifted was great, but not insurmountable ; and he would do his best to have it effected. Mr Patrick Ryan also supported the resolution. He said that never since he left oppress-d old Ireland had he seen such a rack-rent. The resolution was put and carried. Mr Holmes moved—• That, m accordance with the foregoing resolution, a petition be prepared and ■ signed for presentation to the Colonial Secretary; and that the following gentleiuon, a Committee—Messrs Dungan, Ryan, Barff, Holmes, Seddon, Wylde. and Cuming. ’ * ’ He did not intend to speak ,at any f length, but he would just say that he , hud never known of such an injustice. Some were actually paying at the rate jof £2OO per acre,, while ©there at , a , chain distance, were paying only £6. j He was not in a position to explain .1 how the grievance was to be redressed,. but he believed that it cdilld be'; and : he thought that so long as the ship !: [ floated they .should pump away ; it was j only when hopelessly sinking ■ ! that they should,desert her. 1 , ' The resolution was carried unani- : mously. Mr Cuming moved— That the foregoing, resolutions be placed In the hands; of the, Chairman of this meeting, R. J; Seddon, Esq., Mayor,.for' | transmission, to the Colonial Secretary. Mr Wylde seconded. He, did not,' he said, clo 90 as « mere matter of jform! 0 It. was a question affecting the interests 6f all, and be-, thought* the Committee should he instructed to use every effort tp accomplish; the’object iu-f view. They lived in a frCe country; the people were the governing body; and if they were united they could'' make any ' Government accede to' their just demands. Property owners on the reserve were paying at the rate of £6O per acre, or £6 per section, while the highest rental for town lands.was.only £4B per acre. He would-feel it a pleasure to do all in his power to advance the wish of the meeting. ■■ The meeting having expressed a desire to hear the views of the Mayor on the question under consideration, Mr Seddon (who temporarily vacated the chair) said his .views were in accordance with whit had been said by ■previous speakers. Although the. Education Board could not in 1876 see why Kumara should ba made an exception, he as an, individual member had fought ! manfully for those unfortunate, indivir duals who, like himself, are located on the Reserve. It was nob right that he-, cause the surveyors had struck a mag.uotic line through the bush those living on one side should contribute twice as much to the revenue as. those living on the other. The object for which the meeting had been called bad his, hearty sympathy. Mr Barff, M.H.R., said he would just like to remind the last:speaker that he was a member of the Education Board when the resolution was passed. Had he (the speaker) been a member of that Board nothing would sink him more in his.own .estimation than the action, taken upon the matter under discussion.. He would have taken steps to have the reservation lifted at once. It was moved by Mr Wylde, seconded by Mr Carey, and carried, “That the Committee already appointed communicate with the Education Commissioners with a view of getting them to abolish the special tax on miners.” A vote of thanks to the Chairman was car ried. Mr Seddon, in acknowledging it, said (with reference to the remarks that had fallen from one of the the last speakers) that he wanted no one to defend him ; lie was quite able.to defend himself. Nor was he there to defend the Education Board. Ho thought no • one who was himself beneath contempt, - should come to a public- meeting 1 andimpute contemptible conduct, ; to anothe.i. He (the speaker) had a better . knowledge of the, Education. Act .than some ot those who were engaged in. > framing Acts they did not understand themselves. • The meeting then closed.