Tairua and the Leasing System.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1964, 21 April 1875, Page 2

Tairua and the Leasing System.

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting, convened by Mr William Rowe, was held at the Academy, of Music last night at seven o'clock! There was a large attendance, the body '?of the hall ■Jufthe gallery being crowded. The object of the meeting, as detailed in the advertisement, was to "take into consideration the question of granting leases in new districts."

On the ji|^on of Mr Sims, Mr Wmi Eowe was cailift toth«ichair. ;

The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, read the advertisement convening the meeting! He said he might say the question wat one of importance to all; and he had no doubt the gentlemen who would introduce the resolutions would explain the matter fully. He might refer to several things which would probably be discussed. There wai no objection to Compensating prospectors for the trouble; they might nave gone to. That would.have been conceded, and there would have''been no objection to granting the Tairua.prospectors their full deserts. But there was an objection to granting leases on va new field. There was no blame attaching to those who had pegged out leases. He considered if any of them had gone there and could have pegged out 30 acres of solid gold, they would have done so (cheers). Btit, if that system had been pursued at the Thames, Euranui Hill would not now have been prospected. At Tairua, in a rough country, it was necessary to prospect , the ■ ground —to open it to the individual miners. Many of those who had taken up leases had no money to work themj ; Capitalists were shy of investing, put if they saw inducements they would not be backward* How a few got the first information he could not tell, but those government officers who divulged it were guilty of gross dereliction of duty. (Cheers.) Why a few should be favored to the exclusion of the many ought to be explained. He would call upon Mr Carpenter to move the first resolution.

Mr Carpenter said they were met to consider the question introduced by the chairman. Ha. r thoughta public meeting the most pbtejij; way. of expressing public feeling. " Their object to night was to do something which would have more than a transient "effect upon their walfare. He had had some practical experience in digging, and he could speak to the advantage of throwing open a district to the energy of the miners. He thought a different course of action would have been pursued if the welfare of the miners had been considered instead of opening the Tairua district under the Goldmining District Act. He thought the Warden, the Minioglnspectorand their representative s in the Council should have been consulted in this matter. If their representatives were n^t proper persons to be consulted: :they |were unfit for the. position. 1 They ought >to know what was best, if they did not, and Dr Pollen should have consulted them, before taking the step he did. There< appeared to be" some dark shadow hanging over affairs of this kind, and he.could instance the Whangamata arrangement, and the issue of miners' rights at Ohinemuri: and later this extension of the goldfield at Tairua. (Mr Carpenter read a resolution which he intended to propose). He said he had since last night read the Goldmining Districts Act, and he was struck with the provu sions. (Mr Carpenter then gave his interpretation of the Acts of 1871 and 1873). The Superintendent could

if he chose withdraw any district from the operation of the Act. If he did so any rights acquired under that Act would have to be respected. It did not appear, however, that the holder of the delegated powers would have the power to proclaim it under any Act. (Mr Carpenter read the clause of the Act and Further commented upon it.) He thought there was a way in which these large licensed holdings could be broken up. There was a proviso that a man should be placed on the ground for every man's i ground taken up. He did not object to men having the means taking up large areas, but he objected to men without means taking up ground without any probability of working it, and then using every subterfuge to hold, it illegally. If it came to this that the ground had to be manned, the back of the monopoly would be broken. If they could not employ profitably the full complement of men they should be allowed to take up only inch ground as they could work. , The holder of the delegated powers should be able to say to the Warden, you must- not allow any areas to be held without being fully manned. There were hundreds of men in the district anxious to push their fortunes, and it was not fair to them to lock up the land from their enterprise. He urged upon them to carry the resolution, or to accept the alternative of asking the. holder of the delegated powers to withdraw the district from the operation of the Act. Mr Carpenter enumerated the areas applied for, and gave the names of some of the applicants, and concluded by moving the following resolution:—

That in the opinion of this meeting, the proclamation of the Tairua district as a goldfield under the (3-oldinining Districts Act, 1873, i» a grave error, as tending to retard its development, and that if no constitutional mentis exist bj which his Honor the Superintendent, as holder of the delegated powers, can delay or refuse granting licenses, he be requested to.compel the most stringent enforcement of those provisions of tho Act relating to forfeiture of claims held thereunder in the said district.

Mr John Brown, M.P.0.; had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. He thought the grave error mentioned in the resolution should hare been characterised as a great wrong. If Hunt and party had applitd for 30 acres instead of 6 men's ground when they found the Shotover, it would hare delayed operations till the present) whereas the Kuranui Hill had given employment to hundreds. If the Queen of Beauty had followed this course too thy would have monopolised the ground, whereas they had employed enough men to man a thirty acre lease on their, small area. He was opposed to large, areas whether they were the property of capitalists "or not. If the thirty acres were rich, their grandchildren would not see it worked out. He was surprised at the manner in which the; information had been given to a few, and he thought they would easily recognise that those who were connected with the Ohinemuri miners' right swindle were amongst the men who received the. early information, and no doubt it came from the .same source. They know that their Wardem (whom they recognised and respected as an honest man) had repeatedly demanded an enquiry into the Ohinemuri swindle, but that which was now proceeding was regarded as a farce. If the Prospector* had been awarded six or seven acres they would have regarded that as fair. If they could not make a pile in six or.,aevtsn acres, they could not in thirty. They wanted a claim and not ft sheep farm, and he contended that thirty acre leases were more like sheep farms than claims. He did not intend making a speech. No doubt some others were anxious to say something, and he would give them a chaace. He would therefore tecond the resolution.

Mr Sims proposed the next resolution, as follows:—-

That the following gentlemen — His Worship the Major, the Chairman, Messrs Brown, Carpenter, JBagnaHpfffß. any others the meeting may appoint (not exceeding nine in number)—be appointed a deputa' ion to wait upon his Honor the Superintendent, to request kitn to carry out the Views expressed in the foregoing resolution.

He was not going to make a speech, as the matter had been put fairly before them by the previous speakers. Mr Brodie seconded the resolution With much pleasure. He referred to the speech of Mr Carpenter as to the applicants for the Prospectors' License. If they found out the names of the persons interested they would be astonished. There were cries of " name."

Mr Eowe thought if. Mr Brodie knew the names they might be given. If he (the chairman) knew the names he would certainly tell them.

Mr Brodie said the chairman had a longer purse than him, and could better stand an action for libel.

The Chairman was about to put the resolution, when Mr Alexander suggested an expression of opinion from others present. Tkere were cries for " Rowley," and Rowley's voice was heard " I am here."

MrW. J. Speight then ascended the platform arid said he quite approved of the resolution, but considered that it did not go far enough. Their business was not to interfere with individual licenses, but to strike at the evil of the system, and ask the Superintendent to annul tbe proclamation under which the district was opened. He considered that Dr Pollen was to blame for this swindle, and Sir George Grey would put a feather in the cap of Provincialism .if he could remedy the errors of the General Govern* ment. '"...,

The Chairman thought Mr Speight's views were embodied in the resolution, as it had been a point with the Committee to embody that principle in the resolutions

There-were again cries for " Rowley," and Charles ascended the platform. He •aid he was pleased to isee the Chairman in the position he occupied. He protested against the leasing system six years ago, but every one had hie finger in, the pie, their respected Chairman amongst the number. He had come down from the new field to-day. (Mr Bowlcy related his experiences of the new field, and made an appeal to the miners to go in for their rights, and be very_ careful who they put upon the deputuation, or they would be sold. They should insist upon having bona fide miners on the deputation to the Superintendent.)

Mr Bagnall had not intended to address the meeting, but he thought there were one or two points which had been overlooked. He considered that in the face of the almost unanimous expression of opinion from the miners at Oliinemuri as to the desirability of opening new

field* under the miners' right system, the Government were deserving of more than ordinary censure in proclaiming the Tairua extension under fhe Goldmining Districts Act, and he thought that while endeavoring to secure tho working of leases at Tairua they should also see that the mining areas on the Thames were worked in accordance with the tfefins of the Act.

A Mr Ingles asked certain questions bearing on the resolution, before the meeting, which were answered by the Chairman to the best of his ability. Mr Alexander addressed the meeting in favor of putting a stop to "the tyranny pervading this field," but was called to order by the Chairman, and the meeting concurred that the Chairman was right Mr Alexander concluded by saving that they must be unanimous in putting a stop to the leasing system. The Chairman agreed, and proceeded to put tho resolution, which was passed unanimously. He then intimated that in accordance with tho resolution, it would be necessary for the meeting to appoint four other gentlemen as memberi of committee, to serve as a deputation to the holder of the delegated powers to carry out the first resolution.

Messrs W. J. Speight, Jas. Stewart, W. Sims, J. W. Walker, A. Brodie, and S. E. Richards, were proposed, and on being put to the vote, the following were elected:— Messrs Speight, Jas. Stewart* J. W. Walker, and S. E. Kicbards.

The Chairman called attention to the fact -that in movements of this kind certain expenses were incurred, and he hoped they would not forget that finding the necessary funds was an importaut part of their duty. - Mr McGowan said they should look at this matter in : a practical light. He thought a vigilance committee would be advisable to watch the action of the holders of licenses.

The Chairman thought the suggestion a good one, but scarcely coming within the scope of that meeting. It was then suggested that to meet the. expenses of the meeting a collection should be made at the doors. , The suggestion was acted upon, Messrs Speight and Sims acting as collectors, and the sum of £3 11s was collected.

A vote of thanks to the, Chairman was carried by acclamation, and the meeting dispersed; . / - ■:■.- ;