THE MINERS AND THE GOVERNMENT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 11, 12 July 1873, Page 13

THE MINERS AND THE GOVERNMENT.

(Coniniuuicated.) Now that the Secretary for the the Provincial Government has dadared that after ten days the Government* to be recomt, ucted the nnners and gold-fields' residents need not hope for SS Seawttha! anything wiU be done to secure to them depasturing ri-hts &o IndS3 creeds, the man who w»s a devout m a oSlff lU,,n"Vth. SS' won't iniud ; he is a runholder, and a Ba B a olaff tlw SSnlfnM y tathobaw. of life, ku, the .uDiX"^ 1 , 0^ I^.^-

head and if the miner want grass, he i 3i 3 asked £1 per head per year for the privilege of being allowed a cow or two, Th. Government empowers the ruhholder to impound stray cattle, and to cell them if not claimed ; and if the miner happens not to be on terms with the runholder or his officials, he has bis cattle watched day after day and impounded, bo that in one week he muy have to pay £1 or 30s in costa. Ihe little family, if there be any, must go without bread, as far as the runholder cares. The miner man eyesore ; the dread haunts tht runholder that s>meday, before he can manage a big block, the miner may ask for a few acres on deferred payment, and the big block would have a blauk spot on it. What could the Government do in this case ? They could apply the lancet, open the ugly sore, and prevent the evil from spreadina wider. When granting a lea.c, let it be a clause of that lease that every miner will be entitled to run a certain number of sheep, cows, or horses, &c., on the run on the same termt per head as those granted to the runholder, and let every miner be entitled to take up a oertain number of acres on deferred payment, and that without the rendme* clause being enforced, provided he fences the land, and places on it such stock as it may be able to support. Would this be a boon to the miners ? Most certainly,; and if the miners be not protected from the petty vexatious influence sometimes resorted to, many of them will Burely leave for other Provinces, where greater advantages are granted. Indeed, it would be advisable for the miners at present to petition the Provincial Council to pass the Estimates during the lolmie ton days; for if not passed, yerhaps big block after bi« block may go by arrangement either through the principal or deputy, 0* both 5 and then God help the miner—the Government won't