OUR AUCKLAND LETTER.
(from odr own correspondent.)
Auckland, July 3,
Since my last we have heard nothing fresh from the new goldfields at Tairua. A good deal of preliminary work has to be done before the value of the reefs can be thoroughly tested, so that the absence of news is not surprising, and does uot create any diminution of confidence in the future prospects of the field. The discovery that leases giving preemptive and other rights, extending over periods of from forty to ninety years, have been granted to private individuals on nearly all the land in the Coromandel peninsula, has caused a state of general dissatisfaction among the residents on the goldfields. The miners express that they have been tricked in the matter, and are not inclined to submit tamely to their grievance. A petition to the House of Representatives, enumerating their grounds of complaint, is now in course of signature at Crabamstown, and will be presented to Parliament at the approaching session. The most notable references are to the leasing of the Tairua block, and to the suspicious issuing of miners’ rights at Ohiuemuri. It seems that the private leases on the Tairua block were not, as stated, granted only the day before the freehold was purchased by the Government. It is now known that the leases were acquired years ago, and that Mr. Mackay, when engaged hy the Government to negotiate the purchase of the peninsula, had been previously employed by the lessees in securing their titles, and made it an express condition of his accepting the job that the purchase should not affect the arrangements he had already made. In this affair Mr. Mackay has completely vindicated his line of action. With regard to the Ohinemuvi swindle—for such if unquestionably was—l may state that it is said the inquiry has been narrowed down into investigating the conduct of two individuals, to one of whom it is expected the affair will he sheeted home. The Auckland City Council have determined, at a special meeting, that we are to have tramways, and that applications to construct and work the lines are to be received up till the 21st inst. The tenderers are to set forth their conditions, and the most favorable proposal will be recommended for the approval of the Superintendent, according to terras of the Tramways Act. Many persons think that Mr. W. G. Turner, who is the person to whom the determination of the Council is admittedly due, is very hardly used in the matter. He is obliged to return to San Francisco on the 9th inst., and according to the date fixed for receiving proposals, will not be here to protect his own interests. It is asserted that in consequence of this, he does not now intend to . send in a proposal himself. Hard lines it may be for Mr. Turner, that the Council should, as the Herald terms it, have sucked his brains, and turned him adrift; but for this surely the gentleman has to blame the urgency of the business which demands his early return. It was only fair to give other capitalists an opportunity of elaborating their proposals. Mr. Turner devotes his energies to Good Templarism as well as tramways. A few nights ago he lectured at Onehunga on that subject, and was very well received. The near approach of the meetings for the election of the trustees of the different Road Boards, and striking the rates for the year, has brought up the question of proxy voting again. The Daily Southern Cross, in a capital article on the subject, suggests that proxies should be allowed in voting for the rate, but disallowed in the election of trustees. The argument for this distinction is, that whereas it is impossible for many large holders of property upon whom, perhaps, the heaviest share of the rates may fall, to be present at the yearly meeting, and so it would be unfair for them to be excluded from having a voice in the fixing of the rate, it is on the other hand a personal matter when it comes to the election of trustees, who should be men whom the residents of the district know well, by personal contact with them, to be the best for the office. The mismanagement of the Waikato railway is a subject which has reached the nauseating point ; but still it is one which cannot fail to intrude itself into any letter which pretends to give a true description of. Auckland topics of conversation. Fresh instances of Mr. Passmore’s incapability crop up every day. Public convenience is the last thing studied ; the staff is in a most disorganised state, and the tariff of fares is such as to exclude a large amount of traffic. The Waikato Times, in a strong article on this subject, says : —“A continuance of the existing management can result in nothing short of a calamitous collapse, accompanied with heavy financial loss, disastrous interruption of public business, stagnation of trade, and the possible min of hundreds, if not thousands, of already overburdened and straggling settlers.” ...This language, though perhaps slightly immoderate, is endorsed by plenty of persons in Auckland. The quarterly session of the criminal assizes begins on Monday, the 6th inst. lam glad to say that the calendar is very light, only a dozen prisoners being down for trial, and the crimes of which these are accused being, with a few exceptions, of secondary gravity. There are no charges of murder. A burglar, named Dunn, was committed only on Thursday last on five separate indictments. He is .an old offender, and . from the range of his present charges must have resumed his favorite occupation of housebreaking as soon as he came out of gaol. The case of a man named Hunter, brought up a few days ago before Mr. Beckham charged with attempting suicide, affords an instance of the utility of having a good lawyer at your back. Hunter was proved to be drank at the time of the commission of his offence; and Mr. Joy, who is in police-court cases about as smart a pleader as we have in Auckland, raised the point that as the man was under the influence of alcohol he could not be said to have had any intent. He found a precedent for his quibble, and the man was discharged. Mr. Joy gets considerable kudos for his smartness ; but the question arises, How about cases of murder under similar conditions ? I always thought that here the law made no allowance for the plea of drunkenness, though why it should not be the same in both instances I fail to see.
The Auckland Improvement Commissioners, who have been idle for a length of time in consequence of being unable to sell their debentures, have had a meeting—the first for some months—and affixed their seal to a petition to bring in their Bill to enable the mortgagees to sell up the endowments if they do not get their interest. The Bill, it will be recollected, was thrown out in the Upper House last session. The Commissioners are taking it for granted that they will get it passed this time, as they have had an advance from the Government of £SOOO, which they will not be able to repay unless it is. The actions of these gentlemen are variously commented on in Auckland. By some they are considered to have done wonders in the way of city improvements, but I am not one of their panegyrists. The loss of the old barracks reserve as a good central recreation ground is severely felt, and as it can nevetbe replaced, undoubtedly counterbalances
many advantages wbfeh the town is supposed to derive from the newly-made streets. Their charge against the contractor Harker, for stealing their property in the neighborhood of the drill-shed, has been withdrawn, and they are going to proceed curtly in the dispute. A reform is being instituted in our system of “receiving” on the Queen-street wharf. The Harbor Board Wharf Committee are now engaged devising some plans for preventing the confusion and delay in discharging the cargoes of vessels which have hitherto arisen. The Custom-house authorities have also taken up the question, and to Captain Logan’s great disgust, when the Hero came in on Friday, he was not allowed to start putting out his stuff until he had “ entered in.” Hew regulations are much needed, as the present system is very faulty. We shall know what alterations are to be made in a few days.
The wisdom of keeping receipts was illustrated very forcibly one day last week. A man named Francis was summoned for non-payment of rates. He pleaded that he believed his landlord had paid them, but the collector swore that it was not so, and the rates, with costs, had to be paid. Next day the receipt turned up, and the city authorities have had to refund the money. It turned out that the collector had credited the money to a wrong person. The Waikato Times makes some reflections on George Thome’s case, which have the merit of originality, and claim a certain amount of respect for their substantial truth. After stating that Thorne, from his extensive transactions with so limited a capital, must have been little more than an agent of the bank by which he was allowed such facilities, it goes on to deduce from the circumstances the following plea on behalf of local versus foreign banking institutions :—“ On the stli of November the manager urged him to give a bill of sale to the bank over his entire stock. Had he done so, the bank would have monopolised the whole of the assets, and left the other creditors out in the cold. The Bank of New South Wales oppose Mr. George Thorne, jun., for doing the very thing on a small scale which they endeavored to induce him to do wholesale. The history of this remarkable case, however, clearly demonstrates the danger of dealing with foreign banks. It is clear that had Mr. Thorne’s business succeeded, the bulk of the profits would have gone into the maw of the Bank of New South Wales, and so much of the legitimate wealth of the colony would have been withdrawn. As it is, the greater part of the £2OOO, and the original capital of £ISOO have swollen the coffers of that institution. The whole practice of supporting these foreign banks is unsound, unpatriotic, and pernicious to the best' interests of the colony. For, be it remembered, they simply trade on the capital which is deposited in their hands by customers in New Zealand, while the profits go to swell the dividends of shareholders in Sydney and elsewhere out of this- colony ; and there is not a shadow of an excuse for this shortsighted and suicidal practice of throwing the control of our finances and the profits of our trade into foreign hands. Our own banks offer terms equally advantageous, if not more so, than the foreign monetary institutions; their means are ample for the requirements of the country ; and then- claims to support unquestionable.” It is now accepted as a painful fact that the schooner Pacific must be added to the catalogue of the vessels sacrificed in the gale of the 4th and sth June, on the east coast of the South Island. She was bound from Timara to the Mauukau, and left Timara on the 3rd ultimo with a cargo of wheat. No word of her in any shape or form has been received. Captain’Bradshaw has a wife and family resident in Auckland, and much sympathy is felt for them. This, I feel great confidence in saying, is sure to receive some substantial embodiment if the dismal presentiments now entertained are not dispersed. It is considered just possible the schooner may have been dismasted and blown into some unfrequented creek or inlet on the coast, and may yet turn up; but the hope is a very forlorn one. Captain Hector Urquhart, a cousin of the captain of the Mary Melville, schooner, was a passenger by the Pacific, and it is feared has been lost with her. She was a strongly built, compact little vessel of about 56 tons, but like most of Captain Clayton’s designs had a very perceptible “ tumble-home.” Practical men here say that this would prevent her picking herself up in case of a squall catching her - on the crest of a wave. July 5. A tremendous S.W. gale has been blowing all night. There is great damage among the shipping.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18750709.2.16
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4463, 9 July 1875, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,096OUR AUCKLAND LETTER. New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4463, 9 July 1875, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.