RE COMMONAGE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 235, 5 September 1873, Page 3

RE COMMONAGE.

(To tie Editor of the Mount Ida Chbonioi^:.) Sir,—ln your, last week's issue ap- i peared. a letter from a correspondent' sign- ■ ing himself "Anti-Oppression," on the, above heading. He appears to be one of .., those individuals who are never contented, and would effect alterations without giving a thought whether they would ; be' beneficial or otherwise to the community or persons interested. He says that " while other mining communities have obtained large blocks for their convenience, we are all behind." Now, I have authentically heard that those communities to whom he alludes, have found that since they have had Commonages they have been in a worse state than they previously were. . The arguments adduced by the correspondent to'whom he refers in his letter —arguments which plainly showed that a Commonage was not necessary —are such as anyone with ordinary perspicuity would have seen were correct. It will be seen that if a Commonage were to be obtained, the squatters would naturally insist on the cattle being kept on it; and that, if at any time the cattle were to get off it (which they would almost be sure to do), they would be immediately pounced upon and pounded. At present the cattle have the unlimited run of the country for nothing, and if we had a Common, they would be confined to a very limited area, and so much a head would have to be paid for them into the bargain. Your correspondent seems to think that the immediate neighborhood of Naseby is suitable for. such a purpose. I have no doubt that all, with the exception of your correspondent, will allow that the j idea of a Common situate in its immediate vicinity is simply absurd. It may be right enough as regards the convenience; but a sufficiency of grass for the cattle to graze on must be the primary consideration. The long grass with which the 1 hills arc clad, in which there is an infinitesimaly small amount of nutriment, is nothing, comparatively speaking, for cattle to graze on : So that if a Common were necessary, it would never do to have it near Naseby. But there can be no doubt that a Common is not necessary, and I think itwould Jbeas well, at least in this case, to abide by the old adage of " letting well alone." I hope, therefore, that before any decisive action is taken, the matter will be carefully pondered over.—l am, &c, Pibteo.