MAEREWHENUA.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 264, 28 March 1874, Page 4

MAEREWHENUA.

(Prom our own correspondent.) _ Wo have had a visiflrom Mr. Bastings. Secretary"for the Goldfields, accompanied by. the Provincial Engineer' If they are as active in carrying out our requirements as they hare been while here, we will not have much to complain of. I will suy nothing lor thfui at present ns to their rapid trip, until I see what they are going tc do,.as they have promised faithfully to.attend to our wants. The bridge is afc once to go up; Mr. Simpson promised to.draw the plan directly he got buck. Thd site was, inspected, and fully approved' of. It was 'Selected by Mr. M'KerroW' about l twelve months' ago. In wet Weather'the river is- dtingerous. If any lives; 'are lost;, tlio Provincial Government will be held to blame; Tho gentlemen were wqll pleased with the Goldfield. Mi\ .Bastings said'ho could seo that there wiis'ito end to the alluvial formation. The road i;t to bo.put in order at onco from Harris' to the,diggings,—in fact we fti'e'to have everything -we want, so we won't have the chance to show our teeth. ."■'- "j :'. Webb and, party',s .irace is expected to be, finished this week. It, has been a Witf.an'a'raost laborious task. "It is no'w oVec .three years since they began. The race, will be valuable, and commands the' best supply of water or! the field. The shairoholdors deserve handsome returns for-the way they have stuck to 'the field. Gi'oat tenacity of purpose of a few has completed the task of a r strong company. Tito Ben Lomond water race is nearly completed.'' 'lt, too, is-a ; h avy undertak ing ibr ono man, but it is believed will amply •reiilbiirse its owner. Mr. E. 0. -Smith, your old and respected townsman, has started here in business. Ho is a valuable acquisition to the town. With his active, business temperament, and liia generally accommodating way, he] is bound to overtake any business that is to be done here. At the meeting of' tho Education • Board last wreck Mr. Bnsting3 said that, when rip-country recently lie had' promised .to bring before the Board the question of erecting a school at"Muerew.henua. The school was at present car- , ricd on in a building attached to an hotel, which was, of course, very objectionable, and jtuo residents desired liim to state that if .the Board made a grant of £SOO they would provide the remainder of'the funds necessary to erect A school house and teacher's residence. There were upwards of forty children' between, the ages fourteen alone.—Mr.' Hislop said the erection of a school Y had been sanctiohed, and a teacher 'appointed ; he thought if the Government'grarited £l5O, i.t,,Woiild bo getting a school very-cheaply. / PUBIIO MERTING-. On I'the evening of the 14th' a public meeting was called together to receive a report from" Mr.'Barcla'y, the district representative at the Clyde Conference, who hud just.fel'arriod. ,r/ MrVFnATBK was voted itb the Chair. In opening the proceedings the Chairmnn said ho apprehended all present were aware of the object of the meeting. Not three weeks ago they elected Mr. Barclay as their .Delegate- to attend the Conference.. Mr. Barclay at once proceeded to Clyde ; and ho is here to-night to tell you tire rcsultri he and his fellow Delegates arrived'at.' He would call on iVIr, Barclny: ~ . - . Mr. Barclav said that lie had had the honor of being elected as their Delegate, and consequently had proceeded to the Duns tan. Tho Conference was unanimous on.the river pollution question. He said it was highly gratifying to him to find so healthy; and liberal a tone was taken by all present. It was recognised that the question wns not one of local importance, hut that the whole community were "involved. —(Applause) , The Conference resolved to memorialise the' Provincial and General Governments for funds to defend the case; but, in the'mean time, subscrip-' tion lists aro to be opened all over the country to defray current expenses. The Conference contended tlmtthc rivers were tin? natural highways, and-the only outlet for the Uetris arising from mining development. (The Conference, further, endorsed the net ten taken 'by the Government in oiFi-riiig'laeilitius to the miners to forward gulf! to Victoria, witlMhe'view of tho full value being obtained by tho producers—so that the miner could g"t the real worth of his gold, less the indispensable charges. —(PI< ar,_ hoar.) The, Conference showed :0"' oliot-'ility to leaded land being sold on ■ the Goldfields, and in«tnnced n ease at the C'ardron.'i, where land was held under i lease and was-bought up at tho end of the I throe years.. _ Shortly afterwards it was l wanted-for mining, and £35 sterling per nere had to bo paid for the privilege. The \ Conference -would not, however, oppose tho leasing of- land without, -a right of ' pnccliarfft.; Toucliing-iipon minor matters, j tho Conference were of opinion that the miner's right should be reduced to 10s. i The Delegates were not. however, unanimous about-the reduction of gold duty — smite advocating a gradual abolition, considering the large liabilities lite 'Gnverninoni. were incurring; others condemned the'tux nlhigi'Mv r a'-i a special tax. The .wifc f y of public clo'u-nents was (he paid) fil-io touched upon, [t Hocrns a very poor o 'orjomy' that fire-proof safes wvrc not pro- • i led for holding such important public documents as lay in every Court-huise, tho loss of which might bring leg.'tl ernbiirnisamnnh nnd ruin upon tho owners. Mr. Barr-lny concluded his remarks, which'wc liavo of necessity only briefly alluded to, by urging unity of action and .liberal subscriptions, _ Ho was satisfied that all other Associations would subscribe largo- • ly, and he hoped his own district would not'-appear to want a, spirit of emulation. -■ --(Loud and continued applause.) • The CfiAtititAtf said: It could not. but ■ be gratifying to all of you to have the able statement given by Mr. Barclay. I may Hay "I fully-anticipated n hearty and general supppsb- from all the Associations - in the Province;. but wns not prepared for such good news as we have listened to fo-t/T-ght, *The dclegntes wero highly mind I'uCof ns and of our case, as being aimod diwcfly Against themselves and their district's. - There,was rfot the.slighteat doabtbutwe wouldeomo out oftheoa.se

victorious There .scorns to me neither reason or "common sense in th° "fact'of a man, who happened to hold 'a few acres on the'mouth of a-rivers'/being'ablo to bring.tb a Btnm!«i/M ;» whole G'/ldfiVd for Hi'Vtval;riH'» 4 hsi in /lie Veilr,, .or'-whenever rh<y tiiinlc prupc-r to have ele'in'water—at t.li" !<a«nr-Hm'' eJfti'tiiff'i the-privilege of (I rtying and pGirtomng'tfie'vfaer thems Ivos — a claim that carries-with i| an ap-p-an ce .it being ridicul"US. Mr. Cot ."j.%0 pr-'posed that a levy on all miuini: p.opcrly ott the fi II be made.

'An amendment by"Mr, Barclay was, however, carried—That the subscriptions be voluntary. After observations on a number of mi-, nor points', thd usual vote of thanks to'the Chair concluded the meeting.