Public Meeting at Livingstone.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XVII, Issue 5306, 21 June 1892, Page 2

Public Meeting at Livingstone.

A well attended and orderly pililicl meeting was held in tho schufew.B Livingstone, on Friday evening tel>l consider what steps to take to clew tkl mining reserve of rabbits. Mr AVilliatitl Sutherland was voted to the chair. explained the object of the meeting, aiifl introduced Mr Empson (Inspector o! Stock). Mr Empson said he had convened thi meeting to give the settlors an oppor tunity of formulating a definite and organised plan of poisoning the niiniiiij reserve. He explained that there nj some dissatisfaction with the poisoniiij last year, and the settlers had to pay loi the work after the department had doiil it, and he thought that, .seeing they b the free run of the reserve for their stal the least they could do would bo to k« it clear of rabbits. Mr Button said that perhaps t Secretary of the Miners' Association, wi was present, would inform the mcctim as to what decision the meeting held a Maerewhenua 011 the 4.th instant had ar rived at. The Secretary of the Miners' Associa tiou had no information to give. Mr M'Quade said : I under,stand tin the Secretary and Chairman of tin Miners' Association say there are w rabbits on the reserve, hence there a be no necessity for poisoning. I» 1,1 opinion it would be better if the reservi were leased to responsible persons. Mr Hutton moved that a rahbitcr« employed to poison the reserve, and tin ho act as ranger also. Seconded by Mr R. Cook. Mr Farquharson : In passing such 1 motion you are going beyond )'« powers. Are you aware that a persoi named Bell has offered to rabbit the rc serve for the skins only 'I Mr Empson said that no such oiler m made to him, but that ho had had sever# offers. At the same time lie consider* it was a question for the settleis to dccw among themselves. . Mr Farquharson suggested that" 1 meeting stand adjourned to some fuW date, as it was not a fairly representatn meeting. . Mr Hutton explained that the people Maerewhenua had due notice of t]ic ing, and if they failed to attend it " their own faults. He also informed meeting that he had received suvrit demand for 4d a head for his stock on reserve. "He did not know by authority this demand was made. Mr Roberts said that the question bristling with difficulties. One was no one would be responsible for paynie and another was to engage a man to W the reserve without supervision. / ' was no guarantee that he would stic his work. He also stated that tho » John M'Kenzie promised to introclu Bill at the next sitting of Parh#» dealing with the reserve and other serves similarly circumstanced. Mr John Pringle, jun., wished to what power a ranger would have. Mr Hutton said that the ranger have power to muster stock, them, and collect fees. The Chairman asked for a hands of those willing to pay w. r stock grazing 011 the reserve. j. hands were held up for payment, an against. , . f 1 Mr Gallagher said that lie thougM Miners' Association was going to the reserve, but now he found incm ing out of it. vr in( Mr Farquharson said that tho » Association was in exactly the tion as the public meeting, , v th pass resolutions, but could not cariy out, . , Jmi| Mr M'Quade then moved that . diate steps be taken to clear the reserve of rabbits, and that the 10 Committee be appointed, with P actH. Howe, Win. Bailey, T. Smith, John Pringle, j■ Frater, R. Cook, William la dH Gallagher, E. Catling, W. Sutherli" ■ M'Quade, and A. Baxter. Seconded by Mr Hutton, and /■ "Mr John Kennedy moved, ■ newly - appointed Committee fl Livingston on Tuesday evening, ■ inst.—Carried. in M Mr Hutton moved a vote 01 ', ■ Mr Empson for his courtesy in c ■ 'VvS'ofeh^totioCMi^l minuted the proceedings. H