MINERS, ATTENTION!

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 6, 6 May 1893, Page 7

MINERS, ATTENTION!

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Will you permit me to direct the attention of miners and others to what seems to be the desire, and possibly the intention, of the Lands Department, with regard to a large portion of land at present included in the goldfields. I gather from the Southern Cross and also from the Western Star, that Mr Rawson has been applied to for information re selling all the land skirting the foot of the Longwood from Orepnki to Riverton, except, of course, land that is being mined on at present. When the Hon. the Minister of Mines visited Orepuki last year, the great mistake made in selling the frontage here was pointed out to him. He expressed his astonishment that such sales were permitted, and characterised the apathy of the miners of the district as almost criminal, as the land sold completely blocked mining enterprise on Crown lands situated further back, which land has been proved to be payably auriferous. Now all the belt of land extending from Orepuki to Round Hill, and fer some distance nearer Riverton, contains gold, more or less, and has been worked intermittenly for many years, but as all the water which naturally commands that country has been diverted to other places, no systematic working has been done. But the day is coming, and that soon, when miners will have to search over that district in search of a living. There is ho reason why some arrangement might not be made, after the manner of occupation licenses, to enable the land to be utilised. The tenure under which it would be held could be made to secure the tenant against all trespass, except the miner, who should have access to such land free of all cost, and without delay upon making application. That land would be taken up on such terms is abundantly proved by the avidity with which dairy farms and occupation licenses are sought for in Orepuki.—Yours, etc., Miner.