REPORT OF MAEREWHENUA MINING ASSOCIATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1009, 14 July 1879, Page 2

REPORT OF MAEREWHENUA MINING ASSOCIATION.

The Committee, in laying before you this sixth annual reoort of the Association, though they have some grounds for congratulation, regret that more decided success has not attended their efforts, especially as. it at one time appeared probable. Your Committe consider they cannot do better than give a brief resume of the several matters which have engaged their attention during their year of office. They have held twenty-two (22) meetings, and have been, with one exception, most unanimous in their discussions.

The first matter deserving notice was the application of the Oamaru Municipality for a part of the auriferous reserve as an endowment. This your Committee, seeing they could not prevent its being so used, and further, that its being a Municipal Endowment did not close it to the miner, withdrew their opposition on the promise of Messrs. W. J. Steward (Mayor of Oamaru), and S. E. Shrimski (M.H.R. for the district), to render all the assistance they could in furthering the wishes of the miners to get the outlets on both sides of the river opened. This they afterwards did by assisting your delegate to draft a memorial praying for a commission to enquire into the question of exchanging the freeholds by which a great portion of the goldiield is locked up, for other lands. Your Committee on this occasion wrote to all the goldfields members, soliciting their support to the memorial. This, we are happy to report, met with fair success in the House, the Goldfields Committee reporting favorably thereon, and recommending an enquiry to be made. Next was a petition for extention of the Waiareka railway to Livingstone. This, as you are aware, nas to be viewed simply as a help to the Oamaru-Naseby Railway Committee, and has been so far successful that the line is not only in course of survey, but its construction actually commenced. Your Committee about the same time took steps to induce the Government to appoint a Registrar of Births and Deaths at Maerewhenua. In this they were-only partially successful, viz., to the extent of the promise of one for the Waitaki, whose office will probably be at Duntroon; thus bringing that officer about 30 miles nearer Livingstone. Your Committee then, with a view to bringing the importance, extent, and consequent value of the goldfield more prominently before the Government and the public, and thus strengtheningthememorial re exchange of lands required for mining purposes, as well as to prevent, if possible, the sale of the remaining portion of Run 92, applied for through one of the members for the district (Mr. Shrimski) for the services of Professor Ulrich to inspect and report on the field. This was promised, and afterwards resulted in his visiting Maerewhenua, to which further reference will be made presently. Next came the advertisement of pollirtg places for the election of County Councillors, when it was seen that Livingstone had been omitted, your Committee believed intentionally for the purpose of preventing the miners recording their votes. They at once took steps to get this matter rectified, and were so far successful that Livinstone was made a polling place. Your Committee thought on this occasion, with the support of a public meeting held on the 9th November, 1879, to have returned a member less bound by squatting influence than they believed their first representative to be. In this they were, however, defeated. In connection with this matter such disclosures were made as led to the Secretai-y being called upon to resign. About same date the Association were advised by the Warden that he had been instructed to inquire into the subject of the memorials forwarded from Maerewhenua, both from miners for exchange of lands for opening outlets and from runholders re pollution of river, and report thereon, as well as on the advisability of opening up lands for settlement. With respect to exchange of lands, your Committee were led by the Warden's statements of offers or promises made by the Hon. R. Campbell and by Mr. M'Master (for his brother) to expect an easy arrangement of the difficulty, and were greatly surprised afterwards to learn that (probably out of pique at the Committee, who, realising the necessity of an increase in the population as indispensable [ to the continuance of Maerewhenua as a goldfield, had recommended a portion of the runs of each of the individuals named to be thrown open for settlement) the terms had, between the date of the Warden's enquiry and the transmission of his report to the Minister of Lands, been made absurdly exorbitant. Finding that the Warden had received no definite proposal from Mr. W. Aitken for his land, your Committee opened negotiations with him direct, getting, after considerable delay, a proposition, which they thought under the circumstances fairly reasonable, and recommended the Government to accept it, believing ; that were this done arrangement with the other freeholders would be comparatively easy.

However, the Minister of Lands con sidered the terms much too exorbitant, and declined to entertain them. Your Committee, though disappointed in this matter, are not without confidence of ultimate settlement, and tliey have learnt this, which may be of service to them in future dealings with the neighboring squatters, that whatever their threats may be worth their promises are thoroughly unreliable. Nest, we had Professor Ulrich's visit, and, as far as the time at his disposal allowed, inspection of the field and various workings, followed by a voluminous and highly interesting report, which you will have seen in the O-Ulahu Mail and other papers. In consequence of representations by individuals interested in the district, your Committee deemed it advisable to send a deputation to Dunedin to interview the Minister of Lands with reference to the proposed sale of Run 92, the result being that they were satisfied that the wishes of the miners would be considered and have due weight when the land is surveyed. As one of the original objects of the Association was to get all persons entitled to vote placed on the Electoral Roll, your Committee attended to this at the proper time, and forwarded applications for nine electors, all of whom, with one exception, are now 011 the Roll. The Warden having visited Maerewhenua to hold Court on one occasion, when, through insufficient advertisement, no applicants were in attendance to meet him, your Committee desired him to advertise future Court days in the Oamaru Mail as well as in the Mount Ida Chronicle, which was attended to. Your Committee having failed so far to obtain from the Minister of Lands a copy of the Warden's report previously referred to, have taken such steps as they believe will be successful, believing a knowledge of its contents to be of great importance. They have also taken steps to get the hitherto insurmountable barrier to the development of the Maerewhenua Goldfield removed, and the river declared a watercourse into which mining debris may be discharged without fear of the riparian owners, which they believe will be successful if vigorously followed up by the Committee elected for the coming year. Your Committee have now only to refer to the efforts made to supplement the funds of the Association, which were of a twofold character, and were fairly successful. Chakles F. Roberts, Chairman.