WAITAHUNA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 25, 1 August 1868, Page 3

WAITAHUNA.

(From our owti Comspoivknt). A meeting was held in the sohool-room Uere onthe evening of Monday, in view of the approaching election of Wardens, ■ in accordance with tne new Depasturing Regulations. There; was- a very large- attendance.Mr. Higgins, who h>d called the meeting, was appointed 'Chairman,* and. explained that, he -had ..been requested by several settlers, ■■ a^d other re/adejnts to call the meeting, to ascertain who would be'willing to be* nominated for the: .office of Warden, an the time between the legal nomination arid'the election was so short, as scarcely to admit of its being known through, the Press who were Candidates. He added that those proposed would require to be formally, nominated in the manner prescribed by the Regulations. After explaining the qualification of candidates and electors, he called upon those present to propose whom they thought proper j*reoni for ttw dflfe*. .

' Mr! IDdie woiJSffHa^uHHH^^BJ^^^M sheep removed altogether, but thol^H . they should <be kept within certain limreM What these limits should be he 'was no^ then prepared to state. He thought it desirable tnafthe leaseholders should be allowed to run a number of cattle free of assessment, proportionate to the extent of, their leasehold. The number at present allowed to a. leaseholder only three, ho thought by far too few. ' ' Mr. Poison on being called upon, stated that as a candidate he labored under the disadvantage, ' for it would be considered a disadvantage by many, of being a sheepowner. He thought this prejudice, however, was a groundless one. As had already been stated, there was enough for more sheep and cattle than were in the district. As many present; might not be aware of the extent of the commonage they possessed, he might state that it embraced an area of more than 120 square miles of some of the finest grass land in the Province. He had heard it computed by practical men that it would graze well all the year round, over 12,000 head of great cattle.. At present they were paying/jisßessment in Tuapeka and Waitahuna, on about 1,110 head of cattle and 19,000 sheep, yielding a revenue of six or seven "hundred pounds. With. these facts before him he thought that it was not at all necessary to remove the "sheep. In the settled districts of the Province the Wardens were allowed to retain one half of the cattle assessment for necessary works in the district, and as he presumed they would, thi3 was an additional reason for not doing anything which- would injuriously affect the revenue. Of course, as settlement increased- the sheep would have .to give place ; in fact; it would not pay any one to keep sheep where there were many settlers.-- As for areas set apart respectively for sheep and cattle, he did not'see well how it could be done, as settlers were to be found in almost every corner ,of the district. Onp of , the first duties of the Wardens would ' be to see that cattlo were not removed from the Goldfielda without the Warden's consent, in order \ to put a stop to practices which were said to prevail somewhat extensively.' Mr. Poison was questioned.a t considerable length by Messrs, Chalmers, Draper, Frazer, ani others, about the burning of grass, Regulation*, anent diseased cattle, the appointment of Ranger, the constitu* tion of the Board of Wardens, the dutits ' of its chairman, and other matters. Mr. Draper differed from those who had already addressed the meeting, insomuch as he strongly insisted »n th» necessity of appointing a Banger, as one .of the first acts of .the. Wardens. Without such ;an .officer their decisions and c regulations could not ba carried into ' ffect.. He also -would set apart a portion °f the commonage for- sheep exclusively. Ho thought.lt would be extremely, desirable that Waitahuna should be entirely independent in this matter of Tuapeka, and if elected would try to get separation." Mr. 'Draper was afterwards ask»d a great- many '-questions" by several present. The area he would reserve for* sheep would be that portion of .the Goldfields between German Creak *and Curaming's Run, and all to the north-east of a line drawn from the .Waitahuna River, at a point a mile above the map gully to Scrubby Point. - Alljeheep running outside this boundary he would impound, arid all cattle running .withih it. The Ranger's, salary he thought might to a great extent be paid out cf the poundage fees'. H« fchoiight it would be absolutely necessary to. employ such an officer on full time for -the first six months, and after that perhaps three days a week might do. ? -. - • '^ 1 Mr. Grundy being absent, Mr. Chalmers stated that though he was not asked to speak on his behalf, still he might say. that, tp^ July.. Grunoy. the residents, were chiefly indebted for the introduction of ithia; systfem. H«" jwas/^n fayor oft -, special areas for sheep and ! catile, but < more he could not take on himself to say. Messrs. BoulV W<&& Sfcfc&lM/ M'Alister, and Robert Sutherland, were calledj/upfeh, 'declined tjb stand', for ik 4 office of jyarden. • * 4 $ ,i. A show of hands was then taken, and Messrs. Grundy, Browne, TDiaper, and. E«Ue, were declared to hare the greatest number of votes, having respectively fifty, forty-nine, thirty-five, twenty-fiv«^ It was then, moved thai a-petiti<j|| asking that the Tuapoka DepasturiiH District, as at present constituted shouflH be subdivided, drawn up, and sent to %oT Superintendent, and Messrs/ Tranter* j Moggath, Poison, - M^hinney, , indJ Bvasyiy wm appointed to ck ■♦. ' ' }

place enTufflßPm^^^^^^^^^^H the Ist prox. It is/affll^^^^^^^^H contest will be verykcen,^|L^Hjj^^^| be able in. my next to g^fv^^j^RH account of the proceedings."- /*•/." At a meeting of the Council fteothafc day, tenders were accepted for forming' portions of the road from Queenstown te Glenofchy— £4oo having been placed atthe disposal of the Corporation for that' purpose by the Executive. The Town Clerk brought up a report of the attendance of members at the different meetings. Twenty-nine meetings were held during the year, and the attendance was as follows : — The Mayor, ' twentynine ; Councillors Fraer, twenty-nine ; Powell, twenty-five ; Hallenatein and Malaghan, twenty-four each. The elections for Wardens under the new. Depasturing Regulations, are creating a good deal of excitement, there being any amount of candidates for the honor. In mining news I have little to communicate this tftne, *6wing to the severei weather we have had, which has put a stop,; in< a great measure, to mining operations ; but in a few ~we:ks I hope to be able to chronicle better things The Government having decided only to retain one Warden in this district, Mr. R. Beetham, the Warden at Queenstown, received'instructions last week %to take charge of the entire district, and Mr. L. Broad was instructed to proceed to Naseby. The subject of which Warden was to be retained has been ventilated a good deal ; and _the decision of the Government in retaining Warden Beetham has. given entir* satisfaction to the residents. ' '--<-•