SWITZERS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 119, 19 May 1870, Page 4

SWITZERS.

(From our own Correspondent). This district has been for some weeks past in a state of gentle agitation on the agricultural leasing versus gold mining question, owing to some of our raceholders and miners taking fright at some half dozen applications for agricultural leases on land said to be more or less payable. The fact is, that it would not be possible to select fifty or a hundred acres on the land set apart for agricultural lease occupation that is not auriferous ; as to its being payable— why the proof of the pudding is, of course, in the eating — and until worked, no one can say s,uch land wont pay. For the miners it is urged that the ground in question will be worked some day — that is in one, two, three, or even five years ; therefore, say they, the Government have no rjght to part with it. Further, t&at although miners may, under the regulations, enter upon and work leased land, the difficulties in the way of doing so are numerous, and even were these removed, the majority of the mining community have a disinclination to enter fenced land, and would rather go elsewhere than do so, hence the community suffers. On the other hand, the a»ric\ilturists say, that the ground applied for, if auriferous, is not payably so ; that holes have been sunk, and the ground tested in various ways and abandoned ; that it has been thrown open for application, and that the squatters having been compensated for the withdrawal of the land from their runs, the revenue derivable from agricultural' leases would reimburse the Govera- : ment for the amount so expended. One of the applicants happening to be our Warden, Mr.' Nugent Wood, seems to have been made a kind of scape goat for the rest, and the agitation in the popular mind culminated in a determined opposition to his application, and found vent in a memorial to the Government. Mr. AVarden Simpson came up at the request of the executive to enquire into the Btatements made in the memorial, and having ' heard a mass of evidence, has reported on the whole question to the Government. Before Switzers had quite got over the excitement, our representative, Mr. Matthew Hay, appeared on. the scene, and the opportunity was seifced to enlist his good ofh'ces on behalf of the mining community. Mr. Hay is deservedly popular on Switzers, and a requisition of which the fol- ' lowing is a copy was presented to him, to which he returned a favourable response : "The undersigned electors of the district of \Yakatip beg respectfully to express their pleasure at seeing you once more in the midst of your constituents ; they also take this opportunity of thankfully acknowledging your valued services as iheir representative in the Provincial Council, and the kind attention you have always paid to the public interests of this portion of your district whenever your attention has been called to the same. As some matters of considerable importance to the welfare of the Switzers goldfield are now agitating the public mind, and as it so seldom happens that the electors of this district have an opportunity of meeting their esteemed representative face to face, they take the liberty to request you will try to prolong your stay sufficiently to enable you to address a public meeting, which has been called for that purpose, for to-morrow (Saturday) evening at eight o'clock, or such other time as may be convenient to you. Trusting you will, if possible, accede to this req'ifist, we remain, &c, &c." The above document was numerously "signed in a very short time, and a meeting was held in accordance with it on Saturday evening, the 7th inst. ; a good gathering of miners and others attended, and Mr. George Biuley having been called to the chair, stated that, as the Provincial Council was now sitting, the people of Switzers were anxious to have an opportunity of making Mr, Hay acquainted with some of the requirements of the district, so that he might be better able to advocate their interests in his place in the Council. He then introduced Mr. Hay, who addressed the meeting at some length. He asked* first to be allowed to refer to some remarks made by Mr. J. C. Brown, M.P.C. for the goldfields, at a public meeting held here, to the effect that he Hay) was in the habit of addressing public meetings anywhere quite independently of- the limits of his district — one day at Waipori, another, day at Switzers) &c. Mr, Hay explained that it was true that he did on one occasion address a public meeting at Waipori, but it w.as at th,e special request of the inhabitants of- the place, and the question before the meeting wa.s one not referring to any. district, but qnejn which the whole province was equally interested. He next referred to the requirements of Switzers, and said that the reason why the bridge had not been erected over the Winding Creek, as promised by the Government, was because the vote had lapsed through not having. been expended, and that the people had themselves to blame ( \). ittt, not seeing that the money was expended. He would, however, endeavou^ to get the amount put on the estimates again during the present session, and-ialso an amount for another bridge between Frenchman's Hill arid Welshman's Gully, which was quite as much needed. As regards the agricultural lease question— (hear, hear.)— he should decidedly oppose any agricultural leases -being granted-on any land which was supposed.to contain gold • he considered it was most riu'nous to a goldfield to let the land get into private haiyls. His attention had also been called to the necessity of -a, bridge over .the Poinahaka Riyer, on the Beaumont and 'Switsers road, He knew, front his own experience, the inconvenience at, present suffered by travellers on that road, having to. wait for fouE.hoiirs on the bank of that stream a ,few.dajss ago, and as it w?ts not possible to cross, and there being no accommodation on that side of the river, he had to go back a distance o£. -eight miles to a shepherd's hut where he jhad to pass the night. On the other side of the river he saw Mr. Warden Simpaon, Mr. Inspector Percy, and others, who had-been stopped for several days at Mr. Arthur's accommodation house, waiting for the river to go down ; there were also about 300 head of cattle similarly detained, en route for Dunedin market. He considered this

was a real case of necessity for a bridge, and would do his utmost to obtain one. Mr. Hay touched on several other topics of interest, and then sat down amidst considerable applause. A vote of confidence in Mr. Hay, and thanks for the courteous manner in which he had come forward when requested was passedby acclamation, and the meeting separated. A ball and supper was given last night at the Crown Hotel/ in honour of, a!tej). as a farewell token respect, to Mr.^id Mrs. Jennings, lato of the Miners' Rest Hotel, on their leaving the district. Mr. Jennings and his lady are among the oldest residents here, and are deservedly esteemed and respected. It is satisfactory, to know that the cause of their leaving is their having inherited a considerable property in the old country, so that they have determined to go home and enjoy it. The hotel and all Mr. Jenning's property here was sold by Mr. Hay last week, and realised a considerable sum. Mr. Alex. Dean, who has of late occupied the hotel as tenant, has become the purchaser of Arthur's Accommodation* House on the Pomahaka. The Miners' Rest was purchased by Mr. Skene, and is now occupied by Mr. Marshall Blackburn.