COAL RESERVE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 21 April 1870, Page 5

COAL RESERVE.

(To the Editor of the Tttapbka, Times)*,

Siii,-ml noticed in a late issue of your paper a very appropriate leader on the. subjecj? of our Gbvernment and their quibbling in. reference to-tlle Tsland Block ; and F wish to-, briiig & few facts before, your notice that concern* the inhabitants of this district, and the province at large. About four years ago, one or two of our. Provincial Councillors and' Mr. M'Coll' formed themselves into a- prospecting party to prospect for coal 1 near Mr. Kobertson's farm, and after their plans were - matured, they let a contract to some of J the new arrivals from China to drive aya v tunnel into* the hill' to the coal. After . the contract was finished'by John, all the -operations were " stopped, and no coal brought out; but as a matter of. course* the. Gbvernment withdrew the land from sale, and' have protected the company forfour years. From advertisement I notice > that the coalpit is to.be. sold on the 2ndf of May next, and' the Government is pro- . tecting the company by putting much too - high a- valuation on the land. What, the valuations are for I am at a loss to know. I might ask who were thevalua-. tors, unless it was the company themselves, or one of them. In the report of the Waste Land Board, it says the land occupied by Mr. Morrison. It is certaia if any one goes on Ctovm land and prospects that land; and loses money in ai. fruitless search, and' abandons it for a period of four-years, doing nothing to itall that time, the prospects cannot be very promising.. It is known to a fewthat some of the shareholders have offered to sell out for the price of their share oftimber that was put in as props to keep . the tunnel open ; but at present the tunnel is all closed- and the timber buried, and shares not saleable in> Lawrence. But our friends in towm, I* suppose, know better the value of "property in Lawrence , than we do up here It is a very nice . way to recover lost money, or get the ground without competition, by having a fictitious value- put upon it. You are . aware that this block of land is in a very level and well sheltered position, and that there is no other land within the township •for sale.. Such being the case, I ask why did not our Provincial' Councillors who . hold shares in the company apply for the land instead of Mr.. Morrison? It looks very much like as if* they had managed their part 1^ in some other and better, ways for their own interest. I. feel assured that the Government has < been grossly misled in this matter) or^they could not have arrayed at such decisions •, as to debar any one from buying any of these sections, unless they paid back monies thafc-i had" been squandered four years ago t and 1 middling good interest with it. . I* trust you will find space in your columns for these few lines, so that the pviblifr may judge whether the Govern-^ menb-ia at fault; or only misled by false representation — for surely either one or the other is )tfoe,.case* and it would be well to find-out where the fault hes, and get matters fairly adjusted. I agree that where there is any discovery, the discoverers ought to have shown them some consideration, but where they fail to show that they have discovered • anything, and* yet have valuation givpn them, I feel' assured that such conduct- only tends to injure those who may be deserving. If the Government be duped once they wuTj in all probability become over cautious in^ future, to the injury o£--the deserving. Sir, I trust this matter may yet be referred to the Warden , or some competent partyappointed to put a fair valuation on the • claim, and not .an exhorbitant and ficti- . tious value.— l am, &c, Equity,,-.