LIVINGSTONE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1014, 21 July 1879, Page 2

LIVINGSTONE.

(fkom oun oivy | _ ouly 15. A mooting of the School Committee was held 011 Friday evening, specially to deal with correspondence from the Education Board relative to the appointment of a teacher, and as the Committee decided to aocept tho suggestion made by the Secretary of the Board, it is probable that the school will be re-opened in a few days. The teacher expected comes direct from the Normal School, so that probably he will be less experienced in the waj T s of the world than was Mr. Anderson., A meeting of the Cuiumitieo of the Mining Association was afterwards held, which, considering the very unpleasant state of the weather, was fully attended. Tiie meeting was called specially to consider correspondence from the Minister of lands with reference to the pollution of the river—the old grievance. It appears very remarkable that advantage has not Imuii taken by the miners of Maerewhenua qf what is known as Shepherd's River Pollution Act. Ample provision seems to be made therein for such cases as tho one they are particularly interested in, and, judging from a recent perusal of its various clauses the other day, the equitable claims of freeholders on the banks of tho river are fully provided for, and will, if the Government have a deaire, to act fairly and honorably in the matter, admit of easy solution. No. one acquainted with the circumstances expects for q, moment that any arrangement will ever be made privately between the miners and the socalled riparian proprietors, because the object of the latter is undoubtedly to compel the miners to expend (as Mr. Warden. Robinson very tritely observed here on one of his court days some time since) their energies in a better cause, whilst the miners' motto seems to be to "do or die." They, from what I have seen of them, are determined not to be down-trodden by a time-serving Government, 01* driven from their chosen occupation b}- persons who assert t-ha-t damage is accruing to their property by the miners' operations, but which it would be exceedingly difficult to prove to the satisfacof a disinterested person.

The weather still continues too severe for necessary repairs to be effected on the water-races, so that most of the miners are suffering a very unwelcome and unprofitable time of ease, if not idleness, and are anxiously hoping for a change. July 18.

As I intimated in my last, our newly j appointed teacher will be here soon enough to open school next week, after its being closed" for a fortnight. There seems something wrong in these frequent removals of teachers. They no doubt act very prejuc]ically on the scholars,, a fewweeks at lioine being quite sufficient to counteract months of application, without mentioning the difficulties arising from both teacher and scholars being strange to each other, and having ty gain experience of the habits and manners of those i iterested ere satisfactory progress can again be made. 1 notice that the Education Board have recently adopted a resolution to meet such cases and act as a deferent to prevent resignations ; but it does not in my opinion go far enough, I fail to see why this, of all Government departments, should be so lax in its provision for continuing its work when a teacher resigns or is removed. I hear on good authority that one of the j principal racgs an the; vest side of the river is so seriously injured by the lata

flood that there is a strong probability that the shareholders in it will decline to advance the needful to effect the necessary repairs. If this proves correct it will throw several parties out of employment, whilst on the other hand it will defeat the object of certain landowners in the neighborhood, who thought to make a good thing by charging the miners a rental for discharging tailings on their land, or compelling them to purchase at a most desirable profit. I hear the Hon. R Campbell has just sold four acres of auriferous land on part of his freehold near the river to a well-known miner, at a good figure, the exact price lias not transpired, but I am told in is certainly not less than L 25 per acre. I suppose this will not prevent our neighbor presenting another memorial to the General Assembly, praving the Government to grant him relief for fnjurv done to his property through the pollution of the river by the miners' or.e-rc.tioiis. If so, he will doubtless iu-uity such conduct b> adopting that vovy ambiguous doctrine of the Warden s, that no mining privilege is grafted so injure the property or ( interfere with the rights of any other • person, I hear complaints from several residents that no application has been made to them for county rates. Considering that an election is not unlikely—to fill the place of Her Mnjcst\''s Piper, whose leave of absence is fast drawing to a close—and aa the rates payable by residents at Maerewhenua do not swell • tho^ county's revenue very materially, the omission to notify tlioao known to be adverse to the present preponderance of squatting influence in the Council will be no serious loss to the County, whilst it will make the return of any nominee much more probable.