WAIPORI COMMONAGE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 289, 14 August 1873, Page 6

WAIPORI COMMONAGE.

(From a Gorrespoiident.) A meeting was convened at the Oddfellows' Hall, Waipori, on Monday, August 4th by the Waipori Progress Committee, to ascertain the views of the cattle owners in reference to the Commonage question. Mr. Buchanan Chairman '01 Progress Committee, occupied the chair. The Chairman explained why the meeting had been called. At the first regular meeting on 9th July last, the Progress Committee, seeing the pecuniary loss* and trouble the cattlo owners of this district were being put to through their cattle straying on the adjacent run, resolved to request the Superintendent to grant the appointment of a Board of Wardens for the commonage. They saw, if that were granted, the Wardens { could duly assess all stock on the common, and that they could ascertain the number of great cattle and sheep belonging to settlers in the district, some of whom, under existing circumstances — viz., the want of some authorized body to see that cattle owned by settlers and diggers are not crowded out of their legitimate ground by large owners of sheep and cattle, and the limited area of the common, — are now paying from 10s to 15s per head assessment to rurholders. On such statistics being prepared and forwarded to the Government, the Wardens would then have strong and just grounds to demand an extension of commonage. On the 18th Ju)y Mr. Henry presented a petition requesting the Committee to get it signed and forwarded to the Government, asking them to open a strip of ground between tho Waipori and Wafcherstones commonages' of about 6000 acres, now occupied by Messrs Sutherland and Poison and H. Cable & Co. On being questioned, Mr. Henry could give no information as to the boundaries, but stated that a surveyor was drawing a plan of the strip in question. The Committee decided to let the petition stand over for consideration until the receipt of reply in re application of a Board of Wardeus. On the 28th July, at the next meeting of Committee, it was stated that Mr. Henry had obtained signatures and forwarded the petition to the Government, It was further stated that the cattle owners of the district were divided in opinion as to whether it would not be more advantageous to try and get No. 49 or Fulton's run, thrown open for commonage, as a portion of owners were now paying assessment for a considerable number of cattle on that run. On hearing the above facts, the Committee resolved to write to our representative, Mr. Bastings, requesting him to withhold presenting the petition until they had ascertained the wishes of the people on the matter. It was decided to call a public meeting on the 4th August. The Chairman read the resolutions passed by the Committee during their temi of office, and stated that the Committee would answer any questions relative to the actions they had taken in the matter. Questions were then put with considerable spirit and force by the meeting ; the pros and cons of the, case were discussed with greater rapidity than a brisk charge of Maoris, and considering the contending forces, it was carried on with a very large amount of good feeling and temner, with but one exception— one individual be'nji carried away, made remarks, which he no doubt in his calmer moments will regret. It was proposed by Mr. Samuel Henry, seconded by Mr. James Bolton, '* that this meeting is in favor of the ground applied for in the petition being thrown open as a commonage." Proposed by Mr. James Ritchie, seconded by Mr. James Robertson, as an amendment, <g that application be made to have Fulton's run thrown open as comrconage." Mr. P. Macledowney and other gentlemen made a few appropriate remarks in favour of the proposition. Mr. Ritchie replied, stating that if the ground applied for were got between the two commonages (as per Mr. Henry's petition), that small or petty squatters would derive the greatest if not all the benefit. On the amendment being put to the meeting, it was lost, The Chairman declared Mr. Henry's proposition carried, and then thanked the meeting for their attendance. The usual vote of thanks to the "chair was then recorded. After the meeting it was decided to call a public meeting on Saturday, the 16th of August, to propose a vote of want of confidence against the present Progress Committee,

The young ladies of Oil City are in a state of despair at not being able to follow the Parisian style of wearing high heels to their boots. They tried it for a time., but the pavements being made of rafted lumber, % and being* full of peg-holes, the fair wearers frequently found themselves entrapped, and usually the pavement had to be torn up before they could reaume their walk. < There is more than one way of "talking on the subject of religion." and a better way, evidently, than the old English lady had found whose husband was wasting under a lingering disease. The rector ex presweci a hope that she sometimes spoke to. him of the future. "I do indeed, sir; often and often I wakes hino in the night, $nd says: — John, 6ohn, y<y.i Jittlft thinks of the torwenta a,s is preparing for you."