TUAPEKA MOUTH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 87, 9 October 1869, Page 3

TUAPEKA MOUTH.

(From our Oivn Correspondent. ) The following address fff in courpe of receiving signatures, to be sent to Mr. John Mackay, superintendent of j the depasturing districts : — I We, the undersigned cattleowners of the Tnapeka Mouth district, call your attention once more to the fearful state of the grass, from the enormous quantity of sheep belonging to Mr. Smith which are always feeding on it. Any stranger perhaps would suppose the ground belonged to Mr. Smith ; that the cattleowners had no right to depasture their cows there. You have been repeatedly written to, and have as often promised to take steps to have them removed. As this is the last time we intend to address you on the subject, we hope you .will at once take some decisive steps, and remove this scourge from the goldfieldß reserve. It is but too true what the cattleowners' address to the superintendent of tta depasturing districts states. I believe a cow will have to travel over a hundred yards, in most places of the reserve, before it can pick up a full mouthful of grass, so short is it cropped by the sheep. Is there no redress for the owners of the poor cattle? are they obliged to pay so much per head for grazing and stand quietly looking on while thousands of sheep are nipping up every blade ? Many letters, to my knowledge, have been sent to Mr. Mackay, and some to Mr. Macandrew, but neither of these gentlemen pay any beed to them. Mr. Smith's sheep are allowed to roam at large, as though every inch of the ground was bis own private property. I was pleased to see in a recent issue that Mr. Macassey bad received what he should have received eighteen ' months ago, viz., an acknowledgement of his services in so ably defending Greddes before the Supreme Court. The balance in the treasurer's bands, after paying the necessary expenses, was not large, the money for the most part having been collected amongst diggers and other friends ; but I am sure there was not one of them who read Mr. Maeassey's speech but would have wished, he could have been presented with a gold kettle. The subscribers are much indebted to Mr. Buchan for the interest he took latterly in carrying out their views. A foot race between D. Eeece and J. M'lntyre, which created a good deal of excitement, took place at the Mouth on Monday week last. M'lntyre was the best man by about a yard. [We have several times commented on the encroachments of Mr. Smith's stock on the cattle reserve at Tuapeka Mouth. During a recent visit, we observed thousands of sheep on the small patch supposed to be specially reserved for cattle. We believe the settlers at the Mouth would be . perfectly justified in adopting some very decisive measure to protect their rights.— Ed. "T.T."]-