NOTES FROM ST. BATHANS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 206, 7 February 1873, Page 6

NOTES FROM ST. BATHANS.

His Honor ilio Superintendent., accompanied by Mi-. Horace Bastings, Secretary for the G-oldfields, arrived here, en route to Clyde, on Wednesday, the 29fc!i ult. As the visit was quite unexpected, no preparation had been made for their reception. Shortly after their arrival, Mr. Yorston, the Secretary of the Progress Committee, made an arrangement with his. Honor and Mr. Bastings to meet a deputation of the inhabitants in the schoolroom, at noon, at which hour a large persons were in attendance. Mr. G-. H. Smith, Chairman of the Progress Committee, introduced the deputation, and poiated out the necessity of having the road from Blacks tone Hill put in decent repair during the summer. Mr. Samuel Turner explained that the miners had been held responsible for the rnaihtainance of the worst portion, of the road, and thought it a great'hardship. It was, he thought, the duty of the Government to keep the public roads in repair. Mr. Bastings admitted that a part "of the road was in a bad and even dangerous condition, and would call the attention of the District Engineer to the ruatter. He would further recommend that the money voted for the repair of roads in the neighborhood should be expended under ih.e control of the Progress Committee. This plan, he thought, was the best that could be adopted to ensure a judicious and economical expenditure of the money. Mr. Smith mentioned that the Progress Committee had applied to the Waste Lands Board to have the township surveyed and sold, and asked whether the application was likely to be successful. Mr. Bastings replied that the matter had been referred to Mr. Warden Carew, and if his report was favorable, the survey of the town would be proceeded with as. soon as possible. The Government were most anxious to see the residents on the G-olclfields permanently settled, and, if it was though!; desirable, he would give instructions co have a number of non-auriferous allotments, of live acres each, surveyed, and thrown open for sale. Mr. John Endupwas of opinion that the land in tbe : . vicinity of the town, suitable for agricultural purposes, was more or less auriferous,

and thought that the proposed sale of five acre blocks, would.be opposed by, the miners. In answer to a question by Mr. Mulvey,- as to whether the business license foes would be returned, in the event of the Town-being surveyed—Mr. Bastings stated, that no fees could be refunded, the Executive had no power in the matter. His .Honor drew attention to the liberal terms offered by the Government, to country districts, for the formation of Public Libraries—£3 worth of books for each pound subscribed; he strongly recommended the people of St. Bathans to avail themselves of the opportunity to establish a public library- If they collected say £2O, they could have a supply of standard works, which cost £BO at home, and were worth considerably more in the Province. He would like to see a library in every township; such institutions were invaluable, more particularly in remote country districts. In reply to a question as to whether the Government would undertake the formation of a sludge channel from the Manuherikia to Surface iiill, Mr. Bastings; ; replied, that he could make no promise", if the matter was p.roperly brought forward, it would receive the earnest attention of the Government, He understood that the construction of such a work, would open a vast area of auriferous country, that was at present unworkable, and suggested that a survey and estimate of the cost of the work should be furnished. After some further conversation on matters of local interest, Mr. Yorston, Secretary of the Progress Committee, proposed a vote of thanks to his Honor and Mr. Bastings, and the deputation withdrew. The washing up of the dirt in the public channel will be finished in a day or two. Already, 154 ozs. have been taken out, and on Friday last, the amount was sold to the agent of the Bank of New Zealand, ISTaseby, who came over for the purpose. It is expected that fully 200 ozs. will be realised, and it is too bad that we should lose the credit of this large amount of gold, as it will doubtless go to swell the escort from IMaseby. The wiseacres who have the control of the washing up of the channel are responsible for this act of stupidity. They may have their reasons for refusing to dispose 1 of the gold to the local bank, but it is a pity that_ the district should suffer, in order to gratify the whim of one or two individuals. About £l5O was paid away on Saturday night, as wages to the hands employed in-washing up the channel. There willbe a large surplus available for distribution amongst the contributors to the channel, but before the division takes place, another appeal will have to be made to the Warden, as a great difference of opinion exists as to the actual meaning of the decision of the Court on the matter. It is held by many of the claim-holders, that the proceeds should be divided amongst themselves in proportion to the payments they have made towards the construction ofihe channel, and that persons absent from the place, who have paid equally with themselves, are not enabled to participate in the division. Such a doctrine smacks of dishonesty, and should be scouted by every lover of fair pkv, and honest dealing. " '

Resident Magistrate's Coukt.—Jan . 28. (Before E. H. Carew, Esq., E. M.) A few amplications under the Licensing Ordinance was all the business before tiie Court at this sitting. •

Warden's Gouet.—Jah. 28. (Before E. H. Carew, Esq., Warden.) Samuel Turner v. Tiernan and others, the committee of the Public Channel St! Bathans.—-Mr. Bailey for Defendants. This action,-which has been looked upon with much interest, arose out of a dispute concerning a proposed discussion of the proceeds of washing up the St. Bathans main tail-race. The facts put before the Court were somewhat as follows : —ln 1888 a main tail race was applied for and constructed, the occupiers of claims paying £570; the three water companies, £100; and the Provincial Government giving a subsidy of £BSO.

The channel has since then been managed by a committee, and a paid working manager. The cost of management for a considerable time was met hj an arrangement, mutually agreed to, by which eaki claim using the race paic!2s. a week, and the balance by the water companies. In the beginning of 1870 a portion of the race was washed up and gave a satisracfcory and, it would appear, unexpected yield of gold. The water race companies shortly afterwards gave notice th?.t they would withdraw from the arrangement by which they had been -paying the principle part of the cost of maintenance and working of the race ; giving, as a reason that sufficient gold could be obtained from the rve to pay all expenses. No further arrangement could, however, be agreed to, and the same rate of payment was contmuptf up to 26rh October last, from which time all payments have ceased. The race is now being washed up, and a considerable

quantity of gold already obtained, and the point in dispute was as to what was to be done with the.proceeds. The plaintiff sought that all liabilities should be paid, including working expenses from the 2Sfch October, and the balance, kept as a ftuKl from which to draw upon for payment of future expenses in working the race. The defendants, on the other hand, desired that the working expenses should be paid by the claimholders and waterrace companies as previous to the 26th October, and the proceeds of the race, less cost of washing up, applied in the rethe earliest contributions and rates, xne Warden, in giving judgment made the following order : That the proceeds of gold obtained from the main tail race be applied as follows Y—lst, The payment of wages and other liabilities of the race ; 2nd, the surplus to be distributed among the occupiers of the race, pro rata, in proportion to the amount paid by each of them towards the construction and maintenance thereof. On the question of" costs, he considered that plaintiff had come to that Court for relief in conse- . quence of irregularities in the manage-;-menfc of the race, in respect of providing proper rules and regulations, which the majority of the occupiers had power to make within certain limits, and he' would therefore order that the costs of the case ■ charge upon the race. The following applications were dealt with, and gran ted:—Mann Wade, an extended claim and tail-race ; Sutherland and another, a water race from George's. Gully-with a right to certain tributaries m course of race ; Toomey and another, protection to claim and tail-race; Stewart and others, protection to claim; William Thurlow, an extended claim and John Thurlow a residence area.

Withdrawn.—Wade and another, tailrace.