WIKAT0 BUSH RESERVES. PUBLIC MEETING.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 612, 22 April 1876, Page 2

WIKATO BUSH RESERVES. PUBLIC MEETING.

If accordance wLh our promise in Thursd iy'a tsaue of » tie Times, we here give a fu'l reporii of the 0.-oceediigsof che public meeting held at tbe Hamilton Hotel on Wsdnesdn./ evening list, fo'* the purpose of cuusideiing the advisability of having withdrawn, from sale lots 78 and 79 bush retires, in" ihe parish of Te Bapa, CMintv of Waikalo. Ihe long room of tbe IlHtniKon ffolel, ii wliicu tlio meeting wi.% held, was tilled wu'i settle.'s rfeiduig in and around Hvnilton, and Au* Samuel Bteele voted to the chair. Mr W Jones was first to speak en toe s ibje^, auJ nijved the following resolution, in o-der that the meeting might have something to snsak on " 'J'liat this meeting views with ala m he fact of lo.s 78 and 79, uush revere es, iv the uamh of Te Uapa, oo m.vof WniL.no, being offered fir salo on I he 3rd M.iy next,." This wt.s becuiicled iw Jl De-Jgan. Mr Hinton up to s.iy hoiiething '.bout the military setters having htd i!>o use o e the bushes iv question, buu theia wo.c no miliijry setders now — when he iras iineiTupled oy some one present. M> flintoa, however, aaiu he was not going to be pu; down. He had the floor and would keep iw, although he was a dunes I and didn'c know B Ivaax a bull's foot. (Laughter). Mr Knox: I think Mr Hindis drifting away from the question. If he will allow, me I will explain in ten minutps the whole circumbUuces relating 1 to military set-lers. Mr H-iulon : Oh, all right; I'll sit down < ill you e^,)lain, and then L'll answer you. J'm bound >o have a fighb with John Kuox to-night. Mr Knox said about tvrtlve years agvj cerUia bush Jots were set aside fo^ military betllei-s, whish co-'ld be touched by others. On one of these lesorves (B"own'a I bush^ he selecied gmuad. Me Hammond fl-"ter w»rds applied for the bu«h, and he (Mr Knox) was one of a deputation wuo waired upoa Sir George Grey, praying -hat the reserve should not be disposed of. Sir George agveed with them that if the lots were sold ii, would be the means of driving the people from the district. The speaker believed such would now be the case if the bush reserves were put up to uucdon. All of the sellers were not io a position \o go dowa country for their timber. If the bushes had bean sold io Mr Hammond thei« would have been no timber for general use nearer than < )baupo. He (ihe speaker) had spoken p ivji-ely to the lute Mr Williamson on the B.ibjecu, j aiid that gentleman said io was neve*meant to charge for cutting timber. Mr Hinton : Tbe Govern meut never intended io charge military hci.Jbi* fo.' cutting timber, buo meano tlrnt oLbe-s should pay for doing so. I know whai, Knox is ] I worked with him, and had to do p.ll toe work myself. (Lat.ghtev). Mr Knox : I had the hono,« of TOi-king wifc'i Me Hin uOB, u 0B, f.ucl -though J reckoa myself pretty sharp, I found him a good deal sharper. (Lsvighter). Mr Hukou again rerevted to the snbjecc of military sett4ei« and the cutting of timber, the sabsuince of which our reporter could not x; itch. Mr McPhoraon {sotto zvee) : You would ▼aste more timber than any man in the country. Mr Hinton : Good morning, sic. Mr Deegan (to Mr Liinton) : Have you got a promise to go on the land if sold 1 Mr Hinton : On my honoi", no., I am a man of my word! A voice : Then you. lie 1 Mr Hinton again created laughter by informing the meeling that lie was a dunce, and didn't know B from a bull's foot ; but he wasn't going to be pub down. Mr Knox asked Mr Hintoa if he didn't kaow that Colonel Moule some yearn tact

tried to get possession of the bnah laud*, which nearly ended iv a mutiny * Mr Hinton : JSTo i Here some half-dozen roiees were hearcL at once, the loudest among which was that of Mr Hinton. This gentleman was with difficulty persuaded to sit down. He insisted that he had the floor, and would keep it. Mr Cox, MH R, asked if Mr Knox spoke of bush lands generally. Mr Knox : ]tfo, air ; only Brown's, Stoke'e, and Wilton's bushes. Mr Hinton again rose to speak about military settlers ; and said he wanted to have a fight with Mr Knox. Mr Cox asked whether the Gorernment had ever advertised %nj other bush except Hammond's bush for sale. He wanted information on this head, a»he would perhaps have some explanation to give afterwards. Mr Jones : I think Mr Potter will be .ible to give an opinion regarding the bushes on tbe other side &f the river. Mv Potter explained that when Farrell's biiob was alienated from tbe Crown, Colonel Moule, who had been promised 40 acres near FarreH's f.trm, called upon the Government to verify that promise, which? they did, and allowed the 40 acres to be put un. The speaker was of opinion vhat if the bushes on the other side of the iver Trere taken from the people (and they were now practically tnken from them, a pe;son by paying a license of .£7 10a a year could select ten acres for ;>is own uhc), Tor/ shortly the public would noi, be able u> get a stick of wood. Many could no , afford to buy th© wood. If the amber was to be alienated the/ would be forced to buy coals aid fclie consequent result wwty be .. nse in the price of thac artiele^nd many families would havo 10 suffer during . Jie wia.er. OC the 40 acre* of bu-jh laud alluded, to 30 ac:es were already taken up by t'iree private individuals, who could, beciuye they had p,»id a license of i) 7 10a, "Ui, for sale as much wood as they likeJ, , beside* using- it themselves for manufacturing purooses. The »oe*ker proposed , imt the bushe-5 should be open for everyone, bat noc for sale. Properly managedj he> would last the next 20 years. Mr Knor could -ea.- Mr Po ,*ev out that Colonel ?.loule had had uhe first selee.ion. Mi Hluto i kere gut up ag*ia to spe*k, oui w.i^ cried Jowu. In ..nvwer io a question put by Mr Cox, M - Jones -.aid lift was the only person wiia h\d i. license cut -imbe.- fro tj Suokss* bus'i, bofc he co isidere.l if a great injuries that one uun should b j flowed übe u*°. of s>o lar^o ana e a to tbe exclusion al' ofcie/a. M • McPiierson explai ied how t!ie bush license syotem wj^ .vorked ia ¥icton"a, viz., £1 pe>- yea.' w^s charged .to each. lerso^i ci' 'Liug timber. Mr Cox said he woulil oxpUia how the locs iv que->aoo caite to be adv3.LlseJ for uucion an. \,\\z 3rJ May wxt. He, wi.k tiis Mr Williamson, nad agree J c» lake in exchange ioc l rt nd of theu'a required by (' jvm uiue >. fo ■ ro*d ami l^il■f'Aj purposes an eq\i<d t >re.i oi ihe land* or tale, aijd ihe C- 'v'e'i'nen u&t saving \jo -e<- iiii'ei i-i^AcGof 18G3 ..o grant the land, wet ft c'j'n .elled to nave it put up io .uictio.i, in ending i,o buy it r.jft ili'n oO'iv^v it, to i'aem (Mosbrs WilliacjisO.i aovl Coz) in exc'i \uge for the Und «ey (>'oe Govern men t) required. Ife (/.ie eptj.tLe:), however, wo. Id st.uo to .lie Governmen!, that ie was tj <h&l interesis of ihe public iliat the buslios be* I oofc sold, bet uut they be kept Or>ea to the pu'ylic iiader proper regal.. rions. He admired the desi v.blenes^ of preserving the ousaei, aad, if laeG-oveMneat v/e-'o willing, would wit-t-d-'aw his chiinis. If the Govern.ner.b let him oflf, well and good ; bu, if tue/are ()u ( )u tip »o auc-ion he would Brjriuln'y bid fo: ohem. Mr Knox «aid SLI- George Grey h*d promised ihat the bi shea should n&v,er be pao up for bale. Mi' Himou • Was he drunk 1 A f«.e." further discu^^io-i, Mr Jones moved ihe following resolution, whica was carried nctn con: — " Thao this 'meeting vie^s with al»"m .he F.Cj.uha- lo.s 78 aoJ 79, bush reserves iv tbe parish of Te 'ia«)a, county oi Waii.a o, bein^ advertised lor s^le on th^ 3rd of Ma.y next, and that a memo/id be /o'iv;i,\'ed to iho Hoa Dr Pollen, Waste Ld'iUe Comaii>*ioner, reqaeating hi-M to withdraw fiom sale Ihe said lo.i 78 and 79 ; to reserve them and all bushes in the HamilLoa High ./ay Disuicb not already ,iiieniiied fox- th» purposes for which they were originally dnuended — viz., to ihe purpose of supplying set Jers with umber for buildiug.feaeing, and firewood; under proper regulations aud iesuicaons." M • Jones >,uen proposed the following^ gtnJamea as a comniiti.se to duaw up a pev/ition, whic'i should be placed in the hands of Mr Cos, M. H. R., to convey to ihe Hon. Dr. Pollen : — Messrs Kaox, Longbouom, 8 Steele, and the mover. Cumed. Mr Co.-c comeuoed to tn.ee charge of the pfidiiou, whicli he would himself sign. The memorial was then diawn up and signed by orer 40 setule.s and residents, alter whicli a voi.e of thanks was accorded ihe chairman, and tho meeting separated.