BLACKS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 239, 29 August 1872, Page 6

BLACKS.

(From our own Correspondent.)

August 20. Fearful weather, horrible roads, and extremely dull times. There has been a great deal written on the above subjects lately, so I think the best thing I can do is to leave them all alone. Your readers and yourself will please to consider that I have growled just as loud and as hard at, and even louder and harder upon and about the whole three than any other writer. So 'now to business. . . :'"~: '"~ ■, We had a regular Blacks meeting 1 here on Saturday evening {your readers, all over this district will, know what that means.) The meeting was convened by Dr, Niven, and held at

the .Shamrock,, Hotel - <,Djv Niven Occupied the chair. There, was a very poor attendance, a«.:m,fact there aiw.ay* is at Blacks when any matter of importance is to be jdiscussed. The object, of the meeting. was to. appoms a committee to. draw up a memorial, and obtain signatures to the samey praying the General Government to take the management of the goldfields under their control, said committee to communicate with the Lawrence, Clyde, and Arrow Mining Associations, with a view to co-operate with them in tbe business. After a great deal of talk on various topics, the following committee was elected to draw up a memorial: — Messrs. J. D. Niven, M. Fitzgerald, J. Ritchie, J. Duppell, J. Blackely, J. Dundas, and M. O'Hagan. After a discussion with reference to the election of a Progress Committee and other matters, the meeting adjourned to Thursday evening, the 22nd iost., when the committee appointed for the purpose is expected to bring up the momorial and submit it to the public. We shall see how they get on with their work. It would be very unfair to comment upon the merits of j the various members ot the committee until. they have given us a specimen of what they can or will do. If I chose, I believe I could foretell the result ; however, I am quite at liberty to comment upon their object. They have followed the example of the committee formed in Lawrence, and like them they intend this memorial to be a sidecut at provincialism. lam no provincialist myself — far from it ; but I do think, if the inhabitants of the goldfields wish to attack provincialism, they should do so boldly, and strike at the ro.ot of it at once. There is no doubt that Provincial Governments and Provincial Councils cost the population a great amount of money, and could be very well done without. I think if a memorial was got up in "every district throughout the colony in favour of Mr. Reynolds' separati >n resolution, it would be signed by all male adults in the colony.

Owing to the late heavy rain and snow, the sluicers have had a full supply of water lately, and have all been kept busily employed sluicing and repairing the races, &c. In con sequence of the flat being all taken up for agricultural purposes, and the Government being so long in giving; a final decision as to whether they will withdraw a few of the sections, and give them to the miners, or not, it is now almost deserted by miners, all the land that has not been surveyed for agricultural leases being worked out. It is a great shame that men should be kept idle this way, when the ground is known to be auriferous. I think myself, if the Government have made a blunder in leasing it, they should compensate the farmers to leave it. Tbe extra gold duty they would receive would very soon repay them for so doing. At Blacks No. 3 things are looking very well. Reveel and party had a very serious mishap lately, a large quantity of t'ueir tunnel tail race having fell in. This accident put them back for a few weeks, which at this time of the year, when water is plenty, is a serious loss. However, I am happy to say they have it in thorough repair vow, and are in full working order, with any amount of water. I trust we shall soon hear of them as having a first-rate washingup. The Homeward Bound Co. are washing-up. They have about. 120 loads of washdirt, and expect to make it up to 150 by the time they have finished. As there is one shift still getting out dirt, they expect very good returns — in fact they have already disposed of a large parcel of gold.