AGRICULTURAL LEASES v. MINING

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 123, 16 June 1870, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL LEASES v. MINING

(To the Editor of the Tuapeka Times).

Sir, — Some people living down this way are anxiotis to know what is to become of the land lately relinquished to the Chinamen by Mr. Fitzgerald, at the monstrous price of £15 an acre. Does it remain the property of the Chinaman, or does it fall into the hands of the Crown ? I have good reason to know those Chinamen who bought the right to work the ground have had to pay dear for their whistle. When the ground referred to was first envied by the Chinamen, who had ideas of their own that it would pay well, and when arbitrators were appointed to decide the value of it, I watched with great interest the arbitration case, as it was the first, and was looked upon as an experiment. I watched it, but I never was more miserably disappointed in my life. The arbitration was altogether onesided. From what I hear, the Chinamen have worked the ground and not found as much as pay the amount the arbitrators charged for their labourious work of listening to one-sided evidence. Now, sir, I ask what is all this tending to ? Has the result of those arbitrators' decision been beneficial to the district ? On the contrary, I say the precedent which they set up in the case of Mr. Fitzgerald's land has been most prejudicial to the best interests of the districts. The fictitious value placed on the land will have the effect of driving away every Chinaman from the district, and it is well known we cannot afford to lose any more than we have done. What has been the result of that bad precedent? This is it, everybody in the district now wants £15 an acre for his miserable patch, and hopes the Chinamen will come soon and make him. an offer ; but John is not to be done in that way, he will rather try fresh fields and pastures new, and the cockatoos will then find their produce will suffer a depreciation in value, and regret the day they drove the Chinamen from the district. — I am, &c, Hard Times. Tuapeka Flat, June 14, 1870.