The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1871. "Measures, not Men."

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 182, 3 August 1871, Page 5

The Tuapeka Times. THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1871. " Measures, not Men."

IjST another column we reprint an

article from the " Evening Star " on the Chinese difficulty. The writer of it takes a very fair and dispassionate view of the question, and

we think, strikes at the root of the cvil — if evil it can be considered. One argument in favour of the Chinese has been, that they are generally found to work abandoned ground, or poor ground, that the European miner will not look at Our correspondent, "EV." objects to them on that very point, as in the case of a rush, a party may leave their ground with the intention of returning to it if their new claim should prove a duffer. But " E.V." should remember that his abandoned claim is open to be taken up by Europeans as well as Chinamen. It would be absurd to allow him to keep possession of payable ground while he rambles over the country fossicking, and crowds of Chinaman are in the meantime ready to work it. The Chinese are a veiy undesirable class of immigrants, as they certainly htive no intention of remaining in the country. But the same, to some extent, is true of the European population. If some extraordinary rich goldfield were discovered in the Fijis or the New Hebrides, we question whether there would not be a rush there from New Zealand by European miners. The writer in the " Star " is correct when he says " it is possible for our rulers to devise a plan by which our goldrields might be worked by our own countrymen ; but no attempt of the sort has been made." Everything calculated to further the development of the goldfields has been persistently refused by our governing bodies.. There has been little or no encouragement given to prospecting parties, and to those who have claims unworkable at certain seasons of the year, and who desire to settle in the country, our Government refuse to give a few acres of ground, by which they might add to their own and the country's wealth, and become permanent settlers. So"""£n-as our experience of the Tuapeka district is concerned, we do not think the Chinaman have done harm. On the contrary, they have unearthed the golden treasure from ground that the European miners would not have touched for many years hence. They have shown an amount of energy and organisation which we would like to see copied by our own countrymen. They have, in the Tuapeka district, given as much as £180 for s\, ten acre leasehold paddock, in order to extract the gold from it. One of our storekeepers informed us the other day that he calculates every Chinaman who passes through Lawrence was as good as £2 in his pocket. These are a few of the ben-

eiits conferred upon the country by the Chinese, not' to speak of the indirect taxation they fchare alike with the -Euro] jean, and the capitation money the}' will represent in the respective provinces under the General Government Financial Scheme. Although, as we have re-

marked, they are not by any means the class of immigrants we should like to see; still, as the "Star" •says; "they are better than none.". The sentimentalism of. our corres-; ' ppndent, " E.Y.," who says he is tan, E^giishman^and considers- he has ■ more iclaitn , *t> a British possession • ' „ as a part of his' birthright than has •a Chinaman and an alien, sounds ■ well enough, but whether English, Irish, Scotch, or Dutch, let our European miners show their MOll-. golian friends by their* deeek that4liey are superior to theui ifr enter- " prise and industry ; - and ' let the '"scales be taken ' away from the eves -of the- Government, that they may 'see how they have, by their unwise ■policy towards tho goldfields, been .offering every inducement to create ; a Chinese immigration which so ..many well-wishers of the country jKre now deploring. Were this done,

we imagine there would be very little room left for Chinamen in the country. The only remedy we can suggest to check the undue increase of this unenviable class of immigrants, and to compensate in some manner for the shortcomings of the Chinese as bonafide settlers, would be to levy a special tax of, say £5 or £10 ay ear, in the form of a protection ticket. We believe such a tax would partly meet the case, and there would be no more difficulty in collecting th tt amount than there is at present in collecting the sums for miners' rights.

We resume our summary of the Land Bill commenced in our last issue. Under the heading " Roads, water races, &c," clause 30 provides that a public road, tram road, or railway may be taken through land acquired by purchase, or held under liceuse or lease, upon payment to the owner or occupier of compensation for improvements. 31. The Board may, subject to the provisions of the Acts regulating the goldrields, authorise water races to be constructed through private lands by holders of miners' rights, and allow them to occupy land immediately adjoining such races for the purpose ot depositing matter removed in their formation, &c, uot exceeding seven feet on each side, on the following conditions : Persons wishing to divert and use water by means of races or sludge channels, must give notice to that effect to the Warden of the district and to any person wlio.se interests may be effected by the diversion of .such water, as well as to the owner-or occupier of the land through which it is intended to carry such race. It is also lequired that copies of the notice shall be posted and maintained for fourteen days at the source and termination of the race, the intended cou.se of which is to be defined by p3gs. It is likewise necessary to obtiin the report of" a mining- surveyor as to whether the proposed course of the race is the proper one Such compensation as may be agreed upon between the owner or occupier of the land and the parties wishing to construct the race is to be paid to the former before operations are commenced. The formation of races and channels must be commenced within a month after the issue of the license, and the holders must continue with the work until its completion. All right to any race or channel will become forfeited if unused for a month, unless sufficient cause can be shown to the JBoard, when, this being done, the operation of this sub-section will be suspended. Every license for a race or a channel must be reuewed annually. The occupier of any race must keep the same in repair, and make a bridge where a road crosses the race, upon being required to do so tiy the Board. No water is to be diverted which is required for public purposes, or for the use of the miners generally, or for mills or manufactories. Two sluice heads of water shall, if required, be at all times allowed to flow in the natural course of any stream for general use. Where a race or channel crosses any water course owned or used by others, such race or channel is to be carried either over or under such water course, so as not to interfere with the natural flow of water therein. 32. Any land held under license or lease which shall have been withdrawn for any of the above purposes shall be deducted from the acreage originally granted, and the rent thereafter payable under such license or lease shall be reduced in the same proportion as the deduction bears to. the entire acreage. 33. The right of entry upon any land for the purpose of searching for gold or any other metal or mineral is reserved to the Superintendent and to such persons as shall be authorised by him, and every certificate or lease shill be subject to a condition that such certificate or lease may be determined when any gold or other metal or mineral shall be' discovered " on the land. Under the head of " Compensation,, fecvclause' 34 "provides that when a goldfield is proclaimed upon any. waste lands held under license or lease for depasturing purposes, it shall be lawful for the Governor to cancel guch license or lease. ,36.' Leases of pastoral lands' "proclaimed in Hundreds shall be entitled to compensation at the following rates : — Where the lease shall have a term of nine years and more ' to run, a sum not exceeding two shillings and sixpence per acre ; not less than six nor more than nine years, two shillings per acre; not less than three nor more than .six years, one shilling and sixpence per acre ; less than three' years to run, ninepence per acre. . 39. Holders of pre-emptive rights on Hundreds shall be.entitled to the privilege^of purchase, 43.

The Superintendent may take a twentieth part of any leased lands for roads, &zc. 4-4. The Board may issue annual licenses to cut flax upon any land on such teims as they may think n't. 45. A fee of £2 shall be paid for each lease, and £1 for each license. 46. The Board may grant for such rent and on such terms and conditions as they shall think fit, way-leases through Crown lands for the construction and working of tram roads or railroads to and in favour of any lessee or licensee of adjacent land occupied by miners (including lignite) quarrying stone, liiue, &c, for the period which may be unexpired of the lease or license ; provided that the exercise of any wav-lease be not prejudicial to any public tight, no compensation to be payable to such lessee or licensee.