BLACKS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 258, 9 January 1873, Page 8

BLACKS.

(From our own Correspondent.) Christmas has again made his appearance, and duly departed. His visit to us this time has not been celebrated in the usual hilarious manner — no sporting or holiday-making of any description being indulged in ; I think I may also say not even a drunken man to be seen, which speaks volumes for oir moral character in this portion of Her Majesty's dominions. It also tells another tale, which I will leave i your leaders to imagine. Oui township i» again gazetted for sale. The sale is to take place on the 27th o? January. This has given great satisfaction to the people of Blacks proper}, and all are in high glee at the prospect of being able to purchase their Actions and make substantial improvements thereon. But while it has givin great satisfaction to the general inhabitants of Blackß, it has precisely t\e opposite effect on a few ; I allude to Messrs. Worth, Eraser, Graham,) and one or two others of our immediate neighbours, to say nothing of our more distant relations, which means, the population of the province in general, and of Drybread. Tinkers, and Devonshire in particular, who are invited tp sign their names to a memorial, which one of the above-named has been kind enough to prepare — said memorial to be duly presented to the Provincial Executive, asking them to again withdraw it from sale, ostensibly because the land is auriferous, but in reality to gratify the vindictiveness of one or two individuals, who have boasted that they will do all they can against the interests of the place. One of those alluded to has publicly said that it is not" the township he is against but the people that are in it — substituting for the word " people " a term of endearment used by sailors. I write this because I think the authorities should be fully acquainted with the nature of the systematic opposition that is at work, and I think they should take no notice of a memorial that has to be taken a radius of twelve or fifteen miles to obtain signatures. In the selection of a township, none but honafide residents should be permitted to have a voice in the matter. That the township on the north side of the river, called Manuherikia, is not a suitable or commercial site for this place, is proved by the fact that some thirteen allotments were sold over six months ago, and no buildings of any kind have been erected ; that only five allotments were purchased by residents of Blacks, two of which have been forfeited, and the remaining three,' I be-

are for sale at reduced prices. A great deal of the opposition to the sale of Ophir is pushed on by purchasers of sections in Manurerikia, who run away with tbe foolisj idea that if Ophir is not sold the business people of Blacks, together with the Government buildings, will be breed to remove to the other side ol the river, thereby enhancing the valie of the sections they have purcbised. They forget that many of these, business people have held their present sites by business license for the last ten yaars, and that the Governnent have not the power to compel any of them to remove their buildings to any spot they think proper. Another thing I can assure the grand trio cf is that the people of Blacks will notstand quietly by and see any of their public buildings removed to the other side of the river.