THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1872.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 195, 22 November 1872, Page 4

THE Mount Ida Chronicle FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1872.

The subject of the formation of a Miners' Association has been one often advocated by the miners of the various portions of the Otago Groldfields, and a movement which, we are happy to say, has been ably supported by the Press of the various districts in which the effort has been male. The movement is one which is all important to the miners. A new Bill amending, or rather, to our view, abrogating the old one, must and will be passed during the next session of the New Zealand Parliament. The question then is—"What shall be, the provisions of the new Act. That there exist incongruities in the present Acts, no one who is in the habit of attending the Courts can for a moment deny! Cases of hardship occur, and it too often appears that the Warden has not the power of adjudicating thereon. The fact is that mining, and more particularly in New Zealand, is a new industry, and one with which none but miners themselves can fairly and effi-

ciently deal. The brain of a Stafford or a Vogel may grasp matters of general policy, but they, unassisted by the experience of practical--men, become virtually nil. They may desire to do justice to the mining interest, but, from want of practical knowledge, produce nothing but Acts which are simply abortive. We have ourselves heard his Honor Mr, "Wilson Gray state that mining has gone ahead of 'legislation, and that day by day, and day after day, crop up questions for which no provision has been made in the existing Acts—that, in fact, the present Goldfields. Act is but the skeleton of anotber and a more precise Act which must of necessity eventually be passed, if such-be the case, and we could have no better or higher authority than that which we have recited, it becomes, we think, the duty of the miners throughout not only the Province, but New Zealand, to meet together and discuss a matter which so seriously affects their interests. That all the miners of New Zealand should meet at a specified place and date we freely admit to be a matter of impossibility. At the same time, there are other ways and means by which their opinions and feelings can be ascertained' and made to reach the ear* of the powers that be. We mean the appointment by the various Fields of Delegates, to review and revise and place before the Government the ills, of which they (the miners) complain, aud suggest a practicable remedy. In this "matter the Arrow miners have been always to tue .. f font > provLg themselves men willing and able to show aud defend their rights. Tuapeka has followed suit; and we believe that, in the forthcoming Conference of Mining Delegates* , the entire F.elds, from the highest to the lowest, wdl be fairly and ably represented. More than this: not only will Delegates be sent down, but their expenses and loss of time will be equitably met, so that they, while doing their duty to the mining interest, suffer themselves no. pecuniary loss. So it should be ; and if the miners of other Fields/think sq, why should the miners here "think otherwise ?'" We record with regret the late two abortiveefforts made to get up a meeting here to consider the. subject. Want of union appears to us to be the curse of the Mount Ida district. It is useless, however, to trust to the efforts of others to get ourselves benefitted. As well might we be under a tree, openmouthed, waiting the ripe fruit to fall thereinto, as expect success from such a system. Action, and not indifference, is what we want; and to be successful we must be energetic, not apathetic. When we find ail the other Fields on the alert we cannot fail to see our own backslidings, and that want of union of which we complain. The case of Mount Ida is not an isolated one, and what will suit.and practically act well in other places will ait equally well here. If we expect without the least effort, to derive benefit from the brain power of the componr ent parts of the forthcoming Conference, we should, we think, contribute thereto—not only in men, but in. money—so far as it is absolutely necessary.

In conclusion, we. desire to upon the miners of the district not only the advisability but the necessity of having a veritable meeting forthwith, for the purpose of appointing one or more delegates, and, if neces*sary, opening their purse-strings, in aid of the cause. The matter is in their hands. We can invite, but we cannot command attention to our remarks—remarks whicti; :if attended to, cannot fail to redound not only to the credit, but, at the same time, the prosperity of the district—we might say x that of the country generally.

The fancy bazaar, in aid of the Church of England Building Fund took place in the Masonic Hall, on Friday and Saturday last/ when the affair not only commenced but. terminated with the greatest eclat. The contributions were varied and valuable. The ladies presiding at the different stalls were, Mrs Inder, Misses Roberts, Mrs. Clarke, Miss Miss Collins, Mrs. Wilson, Misses Grace, and others doing their utmost to induce the gentlemen to unloose their purse-strings, and we think that their efforts must have°been more than ordinarily successful, seeing that a sum approaching £-200 was realised. The bazaarterminated on Monday evening, when tlie

goods undisposed of were sold by Messrs." In - der and George by public auction. The getup of the whole affair was good in the extreme, much taste being displayed in the arrangement of the goods and the decoration of the hall, which was interspersed with flags and evergreens. Nor must we on this occasion omit to mention music, which, as a rule, forms a prominent part of such assemblages. The Naseby Brass Band was, as is their usual custom, in attendance, and contributed greatly to make the bazaar the success it undoubtedly was. We must not forget to allude to the performance on the piano by Miss Collins, who played not only with skill bat with considerable taste. We are happy to record that on this occasion, union was fcr once the order of the day—the members of the various persuasions meeting in harmony, and with the intention of makin i the effort a success. At the termination o*f the auction sale, an impromptu dance took place, given by a few of the leading members of the Committee to the ladies and gentlemen who had lent their j-iJ. in favor of the movement. A more successful issue of a similar enterprise it has seldom been our province to recorj. We trust that on the occasion of the approaching bazaar, in aid of the Building Fund of the Pre byterian Church, the same unanimity and good feeling may not be fount wanting. The Court at Hamilton on Tuesday last was veritably a sensational day, the whole district, as it were, being in Court. The facts of the only case were, that Thomas Stephens and others sued Alexander Nicholas and others to h ive a certain tail race eertißcate declared forfeited, on the ground that the same had been disused for a period of over thirty days—to wit, seventeen months—contrary to the provisions of the Goldfields Rules and Regulations. Mr. Hertslet supported the complaint, Mr. B.dley appearing for the defendants. Upon the case being called, Mr. Bailey sta'ed that the defendants had no claim to the tail race in question, and that they had therefore no right to be thus foreed into Court. Mr. Hertslet said that, in the case of an unregistered company, it was often a very difficult matter to discover who the owners of certain properties were. On this occasion he would, it" allowed, prove th t, if not the absolute owners of the race in question, they had, by their own acts and deeds, represented themselves so to be, and that though he was, under the circumstances, willing at once to accept a judgment of dismissal, he thought that the costs should fall upon the other side. The Warden then took evidence, which clearly proved the assertion made use of by the agent of Stephens and Co, that the action had arisen from the defendants' own miorepresentations. After some deliberation, his Worship said that he could not nor would allow costs to defendants, but. he did not see his way clearly, in a case of dismissal, such as the present, to give costs to complainants. There artseveral amusing incidents in connection with this case to which we shall hereafter allude. Wo may, however, in the meantime, st .te that the same case, in a different fjrm, will come before the Warden at the next sitting of the Court at Hamilton. Various applications for misting privileges heard and disposed of, the Warden proceeding to Hyde the same evening. Church of England Bazaar.—The Committee desire to return their hearty thanks for the liberality and generous support

afforded them by the public in general, and also to those ladies and gentlemen who gave so much valuable assistance during the continuation of the Bazaar.— Advt. Our townsman, Mr G. A. Chapman, has furnished a want which has been lon» felt and anxiously wished for in this town, namely, a public baths. We have no doubt his enterprise in this direction will be much appreciated, and that, should this scorching ■weather continue, he will bs abundantly rewarded. A Correspondent sends us the following :—O'Brien's dramatic troupe have performing at the Kyeburn Diggings for three nights, the two first performances taking place in Morgan's Hall, which is attached to the Post Office Hotel. The entertainment was far superior to anything which has hitherto been presented to the Kyeburn public. Mr O'Brien needs no comment from my pen< His well known ability as a performer in Irish character, would gain nothing by any remark that I could make. He however created great merriment when he appeared in "Caller Herring," in kilts. Mr Glover also sustained his parts well, and to this gentleman, the public were indebted for all the music that could be obtained. Mr Westropp, the "inimitable comique," sang several excellent songs, in addition to the more legitimate business of the sta-e. The pliable nature of Mr Westropp's facial muscles, enables him to sing his songs in character, and I should strongly recommend any person who intends to compete for the prize for grinning through the collar, to attend the next performance of the troupe, and take a lesson from Mr Westropp. Last, though not least, 13 Miss Jessie Raymond. Tfiis Jady appeared in several characters, and was jremarkakly good in all. Her songs were flven in fine style, and brought down the ouse on more than one occasion. Altoo-ether the performances were a decided success, and considering the small stage accommodation, the O'Brien troupe did wonders. On Tuesday evening, the Company gave an entertainment at George's Pass Hotel. As I was not present, I cannot detail what took place. Thk apathetic feeling of the miners of this place in all matters concerned with their own interests was, during this past week, fully demonstrated. In the early part of the week written notices were; to be seen in various parts of the town, which bore no signature, i to the effect that on Wednesday evening last,

a meeting of m'nerr, was to take place in the Temper iuco H>U, with a view of forming an~ association, to protect their own interests.". 80 few persons attended, that the meeting-was adjourned till the next evening. On Thursday evening another effort was made, which, there being only some twenty present, like its predecessor, proved abortive, and which was again adjourned sine die. We cannot but regret the want of union which has from first to last existed not only between the various classes of the community here, but even in the ranks of the miners themselves We desire to impress upon the minds of all the truth of the old proverb that "union is strength," also that " a house divided against itself cannot stand." We understand that the .New Zealand Submarine Boat Company are now in a positions to begin operations, and with that object the construction of a boat will be commenced immediately. A Chinese agent of Mr. Brogden arrived lately in Tuapeka tj engage Celestial labor for the construction of the Clutha railway. He tas obtained about 200 at ss. 6d. per day, and Bs. for skilled laborers.

His Excellency the Governer and Lady Bowan will visit Dunedin and the northern goldfields about the end of the next month. The meeting of the conference of delegates from the various mining Associations, is to take place in Lawrence, on Monday 2nd December. We understand that the Tuapeka Association, in whose hands the arrangements for providing suitable accommodation for tha meeting has been left, have secured a comfortable room in the Commercial Hotel, and will endeavor to do all in their power to promote the comfort of the delegates. We hope the various Associations will lose no time in choosing their delegates. We are informed that should the conference desire, the General Government will despatch Mr Haughton, Under Secretary for the u oldfields, to Lawrece to give any information that may be required. Mr Warden Simpson (says the ' Cromwell Argus') assumed ofiicial charge of the Dunstan District on the Ist inst. It affords us great pleasure to testify to the very general satisfsfaction Mr Carew has given in this district during the eight months of his judicial administration. A rumor (says the Tuapeka paper) lately permeated the Provincial Press, that one R. t£. Field—well known in Tuapeka, intended to institute an action against our R. M., unless he apologised for certain remarks made by him, in his judicial capacity touching the said Field. We understand (on good authority), that this horrible threat has evaporated after much " bounce " from Mr Field and his lawyer. The correspondence shown to us, is as amusing as anything in Pickwick. The Mount Ida " Buzf nz," has certainly got the worst of it, and may well exclaim with Sir Andrew Aguecheek, " An I had known he had been so cunning of fence, I would have seen him damned, ere I had fought with him."

A Eoxbttu&h correspondent writes as follows : —ln a solitary undisturbed locality ■w hose striking events are rare, people 'frequently enjoy practical jokes, even when carried so far as to prove seriously detrimental to the, complexion of the unfortunate beings who are operated upon. The truth of this was fully borne out here lately, and on the person of a member of the House of Representatives, whose faco strongly indicated a pretty close connection-v\i,h the dupes of the celebrated adam Rachel. The member arrived here from Lawrence, and w;is duly received by a few friends, who accompanied him to a" pub" where he wis to receive a congratulatory address for the services which he had rendered to the people of Roxburgh as a member. On entering the house, drinks for all hands were ordered. A little warm discussion now and then cropped up, but the consumption of fluids was the principal business transacted. Cakes were also required ; but although the fluid was always at hand, the solid dainty was not immediately forthcoming, and was at last fairly forgotten in the excitement produced by the yelli.igs and bowlings of disapprobation which were every where levelled at the member who gradually, under the influence of the Bth tumbler of P.B.,abandoned the perpendicular, and with a smi-e whic'i can only be acquired bylongnracticeatßellamy's.assumedahorizontal posiii >n, and " dreamt he dwelt in mirble halls" audibly, through his nose. A worthy local artist thereupon faithfully executed the emblems of friendship, love, and truth on the prostrate but noble head of our hero with " Jndson's simple dye for the people." It is worlhy of mention, as tending to correct the erroneous prevalent idea that MERs are never, very seldom, pkyed with in this way "party" took the dye Ike an old stocking. The pigment applied did its work well, as the " party's" head is all, but denuded of the crowning glory of which he wa- once so pi'oud. Ayer's hair vigours was applied to counteract the effect of the dye i but it was" of no avail. The "'party" is however, I am glad to say, now rapidly recovering under the careful attention of our celebrated female accoucheur. ' Tu peka Times.' [Which district iu Otago does ths above " party " represent ?—Devil.] The Warden's Court on Thursday last was held first in one place and then continued in another. The Court being occupied by his Honor the Judge, Mr. Robinson modestly retired to the Masonic Hall, which was placed at his disposal for a few hours only. At the termination of" the allot feci time the Court was | adjourned to George's Victoria Hall, when the question was fully gone into. The complaint; was by Christian and party against the Cor- j nish and Scotch Company, William Gruffie.! and party and Thos. Go-iarty, and to the effect! that the defendants had unlawfully [interfered j with a certain head race situate at the Falls,'

Little Kreburn, by causing tailing-- to be >';?• charged thereinto ; that., in of such interference, the race of complainants had been injured, their works suspended, and they had suffered damages to the extent of £2O stg. Mr. Hertslet represented the complainants, Mr. Gogarty appearing; for the defendants. It was attempted, for..the complaint, to establish the fact that the'grievance complained of was of long duration. The Warden held that the interference was undoubted, and that it would be an absurdity and contradiction <->u his part to rule adversely to a former decision made by him as ju*gt? in a similar ease, confirmed, "as that judgment had been, by a superior Court. A judgment was given for the sum of £lO damages, with costs and expenses approaching, if not reaching, a. similar amount. Mr. G-ogarty gave verbal no i<v> of appeal. An advertisement in another'column will show to the public that Mr. J. P. Armstrong is once again among us, with the intention of practising his profession in dentistry. Mr. Armstrong's abilities in this direction are too well known to require comment from us. We can only advise those who suffer from dental disorganisation to take advantage of Mr. Armstrong's visit, which will not extend over a few days.

That there are other and worse places than Mount Ida is evident, from the fact, that an old and respected resident has just returned to our midst, and has re-bought property sold by him nearly two years ago. We allude to Mr. Steedman, who, during the. last few years, was well and favorably known as a good and honest tradesman. Our enterprising townsman, Mr. E. Hall, is veritably introducing among us a vast number of the admitted complicated drinks of America. In addition to the ordinary lemonade, soda-water, ginger-beer, &c, the public will find that at Mr. Hall's establishment they can supplied at a very moderate charge, with pineappleade, sarsaparillade, raspberryade, and the other "ades" generally in use in that progressive country. The Mount Ida District Hospital Committee beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of ten pounds from E.'A. Chapman, Esq. The ford of the Taieri. .River between this place and Hamilton has become absolutely dangerous, and a constant dread and terror. So far as we hear the crossing, though shifting and uncertain, requires only a guide to put the stranger through with safety and with comfort. If our memory serves us correctly a sum of £IOO was the session before last placed upon the Estimates to induce a man to locate himself in a position to assist the public in thi3 matter, which, for some reason or other was allowed to We trust that the"imtter may be full and fairly looked into by the Government, and that they will take sieps to secure the public weal and safety. The Cosmopolitan Troupe, consisting of old favorites of the JS T aseby public, namely, Mr. O'Brien, and Mr. and Mrs. Grlover, with the addition of Mr. G. V. Westropp, will appear on this and to-morrow evenings in the Masonic Hall. The Troupe was advertised to play last evening, but arrived too late for that purpose. We think we are safe in predicting a bumper heme.