COMMONAGE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 234, 29 August 1873, Page 3

COMMONAGE.

(To the Editor of the Mount IdaChbonicle.) ~... Sib,—l purpose, as you see by the : word with which I have headed my letter, to write you on a subject which I am sure your readers will say is already threadbare. "• Nevertheless, the fact that we are still without that admitted, necessity is a proof we have not, as a community, agitated sufficiently. Qmx efforts in this direction have all been excessively . intermittent. If a spurt has been put on iafter a dairyman's cattle have been impounded, or he has been sued for the grass consumed by them at the Hogburn, whilst another gentleman (?) drew a high rate for them a few miles away, as soon as the novelty of 'such an escapade has . worn off, and those most interested have become like what yeast is said to be after agitation, more dead than ever ; so have we gone on, month after month; aye, year after year. Whilst other people, other mining communities, have secured large, blocks for their convenience, we still occupy that notoriously unenviable position accorded to the cow's tail, all behind. It is , now some months since a few (all honor , to them) got up a memorial on the subject, and in canvassing for signatures to it, aroused the ire of (I judged by the tone of his letter, a shepherd, or overseer of a station) a correspondent who wrote to ad: vise you that he had declined the honor that had been offered him, of having his name appended thereto; and he,. sensible man, did more—he drew a herring across the track, by initiating another feature in the matter, that of unfitness of the neighborhood of Naseby for such a purpose, and I have no doubt he has many times chuckled, at the result. Says he, that will put them off for another year or two, and is it not a fact that since; the appear- ; ftnce of that letter in your columns, the

question has not been,;shall we have or try to obtain a Commonage ? but, where ? as though that were not intensely of secondary importance. So. the memorial came to grief, I presume, for I have heard neither of it or its effect, and I cannot even hear of its having been laid on the table of the Provincial Council, that resurrectionary scene of all the follies and mysteries of upcountry ninnies, who appeal to the Government during the recess on any real or fancied grievance, public or private.. ■ WVhave, howerer, the satisfaction of knowing that the subject was taken in .hand by that astute body,, the Municipal Council of JSTaseby.. Some say they have adopted the little "ne'er do well," and, judging by the flourish of trumpets which inaugurated their assumption of the question, I looked for a speedy and satisfactory issue; but it is evidently another.case of. the labor of the mountain bringing forth, a mouse ; for, with the exception of spending a few pounds in printing a lot of exceedingly pretentious circulars, and postage stamps, porterage, &c, for their distribution amongst the ! knowing ones in such matters, I have heard nothing of this great effort, and I may say we are now in a state of quiesence once more. What a pity: much good, might have been done, for they doubtless took the matter in hand rightly; but that curse of small communities, esr pecially.of Naseby, petty jealousy, found a place in their councils, and the secondary question of site or position has with them also shelved the main object. Something was said about a Commonage during the election by one of our, at the time, would-be representatives j and I, as well some other electors, said—well, if that man goes in, he will surely, without doubt, get us a Commonage ; but what do we see, " divil a word about it" all thetime the Council was sitting, and what could the poor man do? . He knew, if he said, Mac, you must give our people a Common, in Ida Yalley (for he does not believe in having : one near the town, rather be without one, sir) some of his constituents would petition to get it in some other place. I don't see why we should have a Commonage) at all, why' should not every digger or other man graze his horse or his cow —or, indeed, as many as he likes —where i he chooses, if he pays for them as the squatter does ? Who or what is the 1 squatter that he should have the exclusive right to all the grass in the country? Who pays the taxes ? who supports the revenue ? Every miner who has a family pays as much to it as the squatter, yet he is oppressed and restricted on every hand. Does his claim pay, or has he water to water to work it all the year ? Probably not; but, augmenting his income by raising and milking a few cows, or breeding a horse or two, he. may manage to. make both ends meet. .Government says, 'No, you shall not do that; it would be an invasion of the rights (Heaven save the mark!) of the squatter. So it is : is he down, keep" him down ; is he up, we will worship him (or his money). Su3h are the ways, if not the sayings, of those who hold the scales and profess to dispense justice with an even hand. . But I must conclude, for when I get on this subject I become too excited to talk or write reasonably.—l am, &c, . Anti-Oppression. =—*