OHINEMURI. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 137, 16 January 1886, Page 2

OHINEMURI. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Paeroa, Friday. There wa9 a fairly-attended meeting of leaseholders in the Paeroa township held in the Public Hall on Monday evening last. The chair was occupied by Mr J. M.. Robson, who explained the object for which the meeting had J)een convened, viz., to make an effort to secure the freeholds of the town lots, of which tue leases will expire five years hence. The following petition from residents >f the Paproa township prepared by leasrs Jackson and Russell, solicitors, if Auckland, for presentation to the i LTon. the Minister for Mines, was read md adopted : -*- (1) That your potiionets arc leaseholders in ihe Paeroa township, situated on the Ohinemuri iver, in the district of Hauraki. (2) The said towniahip of Paeroa is part of a block of land called Paeroa, contain165 acres, and vnxa granted by the Grown to three aboriginal natives named Itapata to Arikai, Raika le Aiuo, and Wiremu Paka, on tlte 17th day of February, 1808. (3) The Crown grant of tue said land con tai tied a restriction against the alienation of the land by sale, leasß. or mortgage except with the consent of the Governor, (4). Tiiat the native owners, with the consent ol the tfoveinur, leased the siid • laud for a term of 20 years from the Urst day of

Jinunry, 1870. (5) The said Inivt hay htvn' B'>b fivirle I into towiK S'^Hons l«y the lessees who have, iroin, tini ><to timp. grauteu lenses of these J,o\vu lot.*! t.» VillioUS pei'MtllS, ftUil tilt' Millie fti'O HOW in thft occupation ot' you 1 petitioners, (fi) Your petitioners have ereoted, ut con<-Hernble expense, houses, stores, anil shops, upon an I in the said township, ami are prepire I to erect buildings of a more substantial kind if they were certain of acquiring a title of a more permanent Your petitioners' title expires on the Ist day of January, 1891, so that they have only five years more of occupation. (7) The whole township with the buildings and improvements thereon will revert to the native owners at thj expiration of the lease. (8) By reason of the restrictions befoie referred to your petitioners are unable to acquire a freehold title. (9^ Your petitioners desire particularly to draw your attention to the geographical position of the township of Paeroa, situated as it is in tho centre of a rising mining district, and at the head of navigation on the Ohinemuri river (10) With a good title to the holdings the town is certain to increase in population, ami become a place or* importance, but as the title now stands 'no person cares to purchase lots and settle in the township, and those who are resident there, or who own property, cannot be expected to spend money upon improvements whicu, in a few years, w:ll pass into the hands of the natives ; thus the prosperity of the town particularly, and the country generally, is retarded by reason of the uncertain tenure which now exists in respect to the titles in the township. (11; Your petitioners humbly submit that it is feasible, and would be a judicious and wise step on the part of the Government to purchase from the native owners the freehold of the Paeroa township, and also that it would be just and pioper that the Government should, when they &o acquire the land, give your petitioners the option to purchase their respective holdings at a fair price. (12) Your petitioners will not further enlarge upon the great advantage which it would be to the township and the district generally were thi«? carried out, an.! tne depres°ion which now exists in consequence of the uncertainty of the future. But they have every confidence that you will give the su!>j -ct of this petition yoni careful attention, an 1 cause enquiry to be made into the nmtter, with a view of placing the tUle of the said township lots upon a more stable and business-like footing. And yi.ur petitioner^ will ever pray, &c. A strong committee was appointed to canvas the leaseholders for subscriptions towards defraying tne expense of preparing the petition, as well as that of any other matters that may crop up in connection therewith, and the cnstcmaiy vote of thanks to the chair brougli' the proceedings to a close. The scone of the late fire at Ow'iaroa presents a deplorable appearance, and up to the present nothing whatever lias transpiied to throw any light upon the subject of ita origin, which must haTe been purely accidental. It is u good thing that ihe niinurs m ui.iged. to save the battery whie'i is undoubtedly the mainstay of the d strict. If this plant, had been burnt tho chances of its i eing replaced would have been very problematical indeed under present circumstances. Tse present j-pell of fine weat'ier is unprecedented in its duration even in the memory of the proverbial oldest, inhabitant, ;md the worst of it all is that although rain would now have a beneficial effect upon grass hinds, it would be highiy destructive to root and eerenl crops in their present advanced stage of maturity. Oat crops throughout the disM'int generally 1 »ok renr-trkabl/ well, but it is feared thiit the potato crop will not be up to much. This is especially the cn^e with regard to low-lyini' lands such .'is thiise at Ltan»iuri, where it is said ti at the potato crop is almost a complete iuilure, and will not be worlu the cost of lilting. The annual meeting of subscribers to tho Ohinemuri Pu 1 lie Library was hel I in the Public Hall on the 12th instant. There was a fair attendance of subscribers, and the chair was occupied by Mr J. M R >bson, who called upon the lion bee, Mr J. Phillips, jvm., to rea>l the annual report aud balance-sheet which snowed the receipts for the past to have been £30 9s Id ; expenditure, £25 7s ; bal mcc in hand, £5 2s Id. On the motion o 1 Mr Temple, ac conded by Mr Law, the report and bal ance- sheet were r»ceived and adopted. Mr Lockwood "pro, >ose<l, and Mr Temple seconded, that the nuiuber of the com mittee for the ensuing year be seven instead oi nine, as was the case in the pa9t year ; carried. Mr Nicholls proposed, and Mr Brady seconded, that tne following gentlemen form a committee for the ensuing year, viz. t Messrs Robpon, Rhodes, Mitchell, Edwards, Cock, Lockwood, and Phillips ; carried. Mr Philips proposed, and Mr Temple seconded, that Mr Sullivan be appointed Librarian for the ensuing 12 months, and that he te appointed a member oi the committee ex officio ; carried. Mt Edwards proposed, and Mr Lockwood seconded, that steps be at once taken as to the advisability of erecting a reading room in Paeroa ; carried. Mr Templo proposed, an J Mr Lockwood seconded iv v >te of thanks to Messrs Sullivan ( Librarian), Rhodes (Treasurer), and Phillips jan. (Secretary), for their services during the pa»,t year ; carried. At a subsequent meeting of the newly-ap-pointed Co nmitiee, Mr Robson was appointed cl airman, Mr Sullivan Librarian, Mr Uliodes- Treasurer, anc 1 Mr ' Phillips Secretary for the ensuing year. Mr i^d wards was authorised to canvas the district for subscriptions in aid of

the Library Fnn<l, an! that he be allowed enmm^sion at tiie rate of 10 per cent The rtp,cr<'tnry was aut. ioprpil to purchase Professor Black's newly-pnb-lislit' I work *' Cheniigtry for the Goldtiel<!"»,'' »"'i to write to Government for h grunt in aid of the readin^-r ;oni fund.