THE 50,000 ACRE DODGE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 181, 27 July 1871, Page 7

THE 50,000 ACRE DODGE.

•- ■■ ■] ' (To the Editor. )r z J Sj^tj^-Youf last issue/very. properly 1 .dn\\vs public attention to; tile intended ."; .commission^ of one ' _of the uio9t foul, ,' tlast/irdly, and dishonourable, pieces of , jobbery -wMch- it r i». possible .for', a -.-■ G-ove rjiifreßt to perpetrate towards tiny *'• district. "The notorious Island > Black vtotfacherj :i sinks into" insignificance %t«'tieu 'V;bmpkr f ecU .with? tlus ' ' th reatened *• whereby.' ,6m r! ftb. jJ s<?£tfee ;hi6iropolJßfc-;wilr}.,be"\ ; abieVto £y,-pkr-o|>ase Ifiafigi*l^£](iuare miles of land situate

in the very centre of a district having a population numbering over 1000 persons > who for. years have been struggling. hard., to be permitted to acquire the purchase of only fifty acres of the same land, but without success. • :': ' HoW can the much-boasted liberal Executive reconcile themselves to being a party to the commission of such a nefarious act ? How will the goldfields members be able to explain away their conduct in voting for such a shameful measure ? They will not be able to say that in acting as they have done they were only affirming* a general principle — for Mr. Holmes very plainly challenged the Government with having the subtle intention of dealing specially with the Moa Flat Station Block, and defied them to deny that such was the case. What will the Goldfields Secretary and Treasurer say in defence of his conduct in selling 50,000 acres of the best land in the heart of the district which elected trim to a seat in the Council as well as the House of Representatives ? Mr. Mervyn, the rejected memher for the Mount Benger District, is specially reported to have voted in support of this measure. His conduct may be excusable, considering he cannot have very pleasant reminiscences of his former connection with this district. The only goldfields member who has faithfully stuck to the interests of his constituents, and who, to his credit be it said, opposed this disreputable act, is Mr. Shepherd, the member for the Dunstan district. No one here is surprised that the Superintendent should by any system of underhand work try to vent his spite against the Mount Benger people, but it is a very different affair as regards the Provincial Secretary, the Provincial Treasurer, and the other' members of the Executive. It is to be hoped Mr. Shepherd will do his best to unmask the Government in' this affair.

Is it not somewhat strange that Mr. Mervyn, the Mount Ida member, should act as the mouth piece for the squatting party in moving the increase of compensation to be given to the runholder for land which may be taken under the new proposed Land Act — only a trifling fifty per cent, above the amount submitted to the Council by one of the squatting members ? The Mount Ida people ought to preserve this choice little nut for Mr. M. to crack when he may be disposed to show his precious countenance in their locality. To say the least, the affair looks very strange. — I am, &c, Fides.