LIVINGSTONE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 723, 11 July 1878, Page 2

LIVINGSTONE.

(FROM ODK OWN C'OUKESrONDENT.) The adjourned meeting of the Maorewhemia Miners' Association was held in the school-room on the 3rd inst. The anniia'i report was read and adopted, avote of thanks being tendered to tho retiring committee. A letter was read from Mr. Shrimski, M.H.K., notifying his intention to visit. Li-ingstone on Tuesday, 9th inst.. for the purpose of ascertaining the wants of miners and others before returning to Parliament. The Chairman (Mr. C. Z. Roberts) said, with reference to the Oamaru Endowment, he found, on looking at the plan, that it was

a long distance from the township, the nearest point being Basalt Hill, and conld not, he thought, interfere with the mining interest.

Mr. Smith said that all that part of the reserve in question contained gold, some good prospects having been taken. Had it been the western part of the block, he would not object, but it was a crying shame that miners should have to pay, .is at present, for the right of outlet. Mr. F rater said that since the last meeting he had had an interview with His Worship the Mayor of Oamaru. when ho told him that the miners considered they had a prior right to this land. His Worship expro.-.<ed himself willing to accede to, and even to cooperate with, the people of Livingstone in inducing the Government to make suitable arrangements ; and he (Mr. Frater) thought that the incoming committee should be instructed to interview Messrs. Shrim.-ki and the Mayor, and decide upon some means of urging the Government to open up other land. He alluded to the fact that there was 1000 acres of land between .Sheepwash Gully and Pringle's Gully which might be taken up for purposes of endowment. Even though the Oam-iru endowment did not interfere with workings, yet it was auriferous, and miners had a prior right it it. were to be set aside.

The Chairman said he appreciated tlr; remarks made by Mr. Fratcr, but failed to see how passing resolutions could all'eet the matter. A memorial, however, might do good. It was of no use to mi;/ that the ground was auriferous, or to refer to reports made by Government Commissioners a year ago. He would suggest that the ground be prospected at the expense of the Association, and a memorial forwarded to the Government embod3'ing the result of the same, and the seemingly reasonable claim to prior right. Mr. Smith could not conceive how the report of Messrs. Shepherd and M'lverrow could be ignored, when, as a result of that report, the Hon. K. Campbell had been refused 5000 acres. He thought tli re was some mystery about the matter, and the Oamaru people should have pursued a different course. They got the land gazetted, and then said, "We won't harm you ; we won't interfere with your interests ; in only ■innil Hour land." The Chairman said that if a memorial were presented, he wished to :.ee .some valid ground of argument, so-h as actual prospects, to support the mi:uc; he would he glad if someone '.vm.il! ■■nibudy their views

in the form or :i pi'":' . itlon. "i'Uc following ivsolnti.-.u was tiien carried •■ ■ nimously : —" That it be an instruction . .1 this meeting to the in coming com- ■ nitcee to ayeortaui whether the propo-ed Oamaru Endowment is payably auriferous, and to urge upon Government that if disposed of, it should he done in such a manner as to prev.mt the outlets Irani; l"oked up in the hands of private individuals." The sale of run ()'? w;is then consMorod.

The Chairman thought the course to be jairsue-.l was the same that he had su_':.'estc.l with rc./asd to the Oamaru Endowment. v:z., for thi! Association to prospect it, and then apply to Government to proclaim it a goldlichl, and throw it open for settlement under the t.oldlields Act, which Would enable miners to hold the same on lease folio years. This-was the only system available without clashing with miners' in-

Mr. Xoalo thought the money of the Association could not be better spent than in adopting the Chairman's plan regarding prospects, for anyone who understood the vreensand formation would be aware that h-oin the upper township to the top of the so-c:dled I'inch. a distance of about three

miles, is a uniform layer of payable gold the position of which is easily known by it

being a gre jo-cnid formation ami having a sub-tr.-uum of (jiiartznse grit. Long Cully is travcsvd almost thrnu..h its whole length

by this greensand formation, and only very !\-..--':-!y. mimrs working liiis rich formation have i. ..'is vearncd'to dcsNt, .i:i consequence of tie ir tailings running through private

Mr. it■■lliii;; was afraid te'at this land, if soio. liii;_;l!t iii' taken up in I.vge blocks, and reduce gojdmining to nil in the discs :efc. Tin; Chairman I hot! jilt that the question a-- to how it .-knuld ho treated, could not be considered until Tlie land was proclaimed. The Committee for the ensuing year was then elected, ami instructed to deal with run 'J2, and the meeting dissoi ved.

Mr. Sbrim«ki, M.H.P.. and the Mayor of Oamr.ru arrived at "2.30 on the 9th. and held a conference -with the. Committee of the Miners' Association relative to the Oamaru endowment and other nvitters.

The Chairman, in opening, read extracts from the report of Messrs. Shepherd and M'Kerrow, showing that the reserve was auriferous, and observed that miners had no objection to Oamaru getting the endowment, hue thought that the land should have been selected farther from the boundaries of the goldticbl. He would, however, be clad to hear what the Mayor of Oamaru had to say upon the matter. Mr. Steward, on rising, said that among the people of Livingstone he had no (oru.i stuml'i, but Mr. Shrimski, as their representative, was present. He only appeared as the representative of Unpeople of Oamaru : and as the Chairman of ihe Association had asked information as to the circumstances under which the Corporation had applied for the land in question, he would remind those present that by an act of 'the Assembly each municipality could select outside its own area, 2000 acres as a reserve for the I'Uriioses of endowment, ami that Tiina.ru, ('hristehu rch, Kaiai'oi, ami other town- in Oantorbu: v had got the same gazetted, lvat he believed that Oamaru was the only inu:iioi|>ah'tv in Otago which had vet availed ilMdr of thiscl.au e. When he lirst avpiied fertile land, lie as'; ed for that beyond' the o;ck;ii':e. but the Covernment objected on account of its being good agricultural land, and too valuable. Being, however, in \\T:i!h:_r'on as a member of the Conference of Municipal Councils held there, he took the opportunity of making a fresh selection, and was advised to consult .Mr. M'Kerrow, and that gentleman and Mr. Macaiidrew expressed themselves willing to render him any assistance in th ir power. Mr. M "Kcrrow actually recommeded this reserve ; and. in referring to his visit to it in 1872, said that he did not think the land payably auriferous, ami he (Mr. Steward) assured the meeting that Mr. M'Kerrow, who Mgned his name to that report, was the iir.-t to suggest this piece of land to him. He asked for 1770 acres, as the municipality had already obtained 230 acres in connection with the waterworks. The next he heard in reference to the matter was from Mr. Sutherland, who called on him, and said that he thought it was the 5800 acres which was intended as a municipal reserve ; but, after an explanation, Mr. Sutherland and Mr. Howe (one of the miners)sent a telegram to Wellington, stating that it would in no way interfere with the present workings; also undertaking to get the telegram of the Miners' Association countermanded. He then happened to meet Mr. F rater, who said the objection was not to the Corporation getting the land ; but it was thought, if the land were to be given awav. it should be given as an endowment to the gold field for the purpose of relieving it of its d Hiculties. It was then arranged that he should accompany Mr. Shrimskion Tuesday, for the purpose of meeting them and talking matters over. He said that the' matter stands thus : —(1.) Oamaru first ap-

plied for the land on the other side of the Otakeike ; the Government objected. (2.) No other municipality in Otago has got it gazetted. (3.) If the municipality does not get the present endowment, it may lose all, and as it is bad polisy to change the selection too often, its only chance is to keep to what it has. He was not at the meeting in his own interest, but to represent one of the largest growing towns in the province, and it was his duty, during the few days remaining of his term of office, as Mayor, to secure the endowment, if possible ; and in the absence of any workings on the ground, there not being even a water-race running through it, it could not militate against the miners' interests ; and if, under the circumstances, they prevented the municipality from getting the endowment, he would he very much surprised. Ho said that if the municipality got it, they would try to bring as much settlement on it as tin'}' could, and thus make it more productive to the miners and to Oamaru. ' Mr. Sutherland had already offered 2s. 6'd. per acre for it, ami, though it was only pastoral laud, by competition 4s. or us. might be got for it, which would make a revenue of about LSOO. He said that in his opinion the interests of Oamaru and Livingstone are identical ; and as lie believed (and Mr. Shriniski would bear him out in this) that a change now would be fatal to their attainment of an endowment, he would ask them to consider the interests of 51)00 people—the population of Oamaru. Oamaru bad no objection to take land on the other side of the Otekaike ; but in the event of failing in obtaining that, he would ask them not to oppose their getting the endowment that has already been gazetted.

The Chairman then read from Mr. M'Kerrow's report showing that the land in question was not referred to when he said iliat he did not believe it to be payably auriferous, but that ground beyond the boundary reserve was meant.

Mr. .Smith said that since the report this ground has been opened up, and the chief objection they had was to the closing of the outlets by the land passing into private hands.

Mr. Steward : Then you ask, as a i/uid pro ijiio, that an exchange be made, acre for acre, or two for one, according to value. I may mention from my experience in the House of U'-presentarives that the Legislature has no power to interfere with private properlv in compelling owners to give up their hud. Mr. Shrimski : I nog your p-irdnn. The .Mayor: With 'the exception, of coarse, of any required for railway, canal, or ■other public purposes. ] d n't know if this applies to water races.

A \ oiee : Ves ; wo have tint power, but of course in all cases with compensation. Mr. Shrimski said it n.-is the liivt time he had the opportunity of addressing this portion of his constituents sine : his election, and he h,-,d determined not to return to I'ariiament wilhmit !:n nvin-; i!u-exact wants of the district, lie apologised for the absence of his worthy colle'a ..me, and stateil that to a, man working in such a busy proressTon, six or nine months in the year meant a considerable loss. He re-retted to see any objection to the endowment, because if Oamaru did not get it the wealt' y classes would, while if it were cut up and settled upon, it would be more profitable to the district and the country. As their representatives in Parliament, it. was their duty to look after all, and iie could, on behalf of His colleague and himself, say that they were anxious to ascertain the exact requirements of their constituents, and to do their best to get them justice. (Applause.) What they wished to see was population and enterprise ; and if in the matter of the laud the miners thought well to send a petition to the Government, their representatives would do their bust in supporting it in the House, or would use their influence privately, if need be, t-> get the proposed exchange of land. but he thought preventing the endowment would lie inimical both to the town of Oamaru and the miners.

Mr. Steward said that, speaking for the Alunicipa'ity. he would promise to meet the iiih:'.b:wints'of Living-tone fairly if they resp -ctod their interests, for he looked upon them as a portion of Oamaru, and he would ask them, before sending a petition, to appoint a joint committee, giving Oamaru a representative in the same, for the purpose of taking mutual action. Af:or some further discussion, it was decided, and suqscquently minuted, that Mr. leaser he appointed to proceed to Oamaru. t) confer with the ?dtmieipal Council ami the Members of the House of Representatives in drafting a memorial re mining outlets.

Mr. Shrimski asked if tlicre wore any other matter:-; requiring consideration ? Mr. Fraf-er suggested that the members' influence should be Used to promote the extension of the railway via Ngapara, and quoted the remarks made by the late Superintendent when turning the first sod of the Wiiareka line

Mr. Smith said that a letter was sen*-, to the members for the district during the last «\ssion. urginrr the necessity for the appointment of ;i Registrar of Births, &c, but it ! al elicited no reply. Mr. Sluimsju said that this matter should receive their best attention : and, in reply to a question as to whether he would favor plurality of voting, he said that he was opposed to it. The question of the sale of run 92 was nl-o considered

Mr. Shrimski stitod that, as he would shortly leave for Wellington, ho would be triad if they would prepare the memorial without delay.

A vote of vhanks to Mr. Shrimski a-id his Worship the Mayor, was carried by acclamation, anil each irentluman briefly responded. A similar vote to the Chairman concluded the proceedings.