AN ABOLITION BLOSSOM.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 347, 30 October 1875, Page 3

AN ABOLITION BLOSSOM.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Gheohiole.) Sib,—Through the medium of your paper I wish to call the attention of the proper authorities as well as of the public to the following:—The agricultural lease Hock in the Sowburn swamp, as all are aware, has been surveyed, lithographed, and is now pending proclamation for selection. For the last week men employed .on the station from which the block was taken have been busy in trying to burn the block completely over. As the block is not yet proclaimed open for application I am not strictly advised as to the legality of tho act; but to this I am advised, that any person destroying a surveyor's peg is liable to a penalty of £SO. Now, I wish to aak whether the squatter can with im-

punity fire these blocks, regardless of the danger of destroying the surveyor's pegs or obliterating his marks. The act savors too much of wanton maliciousness. They have never been iir the habit of burning over this run, and are not now doing so except on the surveyed blocks and a little long grass down the bed of the Pigburn. t I suppose the perpetrators thought it would look better to raise a smoke in another place. The fact of their not having burnt this ground before incontestibly proves that they are now burning it, not to do themselves any special good, but to do harm to other parties, namely, the intending settlers; and, as the owners of the run are not in the country, their masterservant, or overseer as he is called, must be the responsible person for this most unwarrantable act. The thick coveringof vegetation, if properly ploughed under, would do the land as much good as a ' coating of manure, although some may say we can't plough it with the grass on. To such I would say then you don't know how to plough. I intend to apply for a section in the same block, and I would not have the vegetation burnt off for 10s. per acre. Again, the overseer knows that the intending settlers think of keeping a few cattle on the swampy part of the block, and if grass is burnt he knows cattle will not stay there, but will wander out on the run, when he will be at liberty to give them a run off to the pound, or anything else that would please his fancy. Again, many settlers would judge the Quality of the land by its vegetable growth, and if burnt over a black desert presents itself to their view. Another important consideration is, that settlers when they go there to break up the land require grass as well as corn feed for their teams, but this wanton act will compel them to pay money for every feed their teams require. I hope the master-servant of the run will be able to exonerate himself by proving my views incorrect, but I must say that his action implies nothing else than that he is determined to obstruct settlement to the utmosb of his ability. If he really means war with the people, the quicker we understand each other the better, and I am sure the war will terminate with the expiration of the employers' leave. Be that as it may, I would remind him of the old proverb, that " fire is a dangerous plaything." We have often known children destroy themselves by playing with fire, and the result might be : the same with this master-servant. —I am, &c, " Intending Settlee.