The Tarras Station. Fire.

Otago Witness, Issue 956, 16 May 1889, Page 15

The Tarras Station. Fire.

Editob Witness,— Sir: As a settler in the .country smarting,, under a great injustice for which I am unable to find redress, < I have to ask the favour of some space in your columns, and to request the assistance of your powerful pen. ; ' It, is now about nine months, since you' and other newspaper , editors mentioned the , fact that ;a fire had taken place at Tarras station, by which 1 several valuable corn stacks bad > been destroyed. In a subsequent issue yOu mentioned that an inquest .had been held at ' the station at which the following verdict was ret ; turned: — "That some person 1 or persons to the jurors unknown, feloniously, wilfully, and maliciously did set fire to the said six stack's of oorni .the property of the, said Dalgety and Co., .on the morning, of the 22nd,,dayof, .April last (past) at Tarras freehold with' intent then and there to injure;" I and the following rider was added i' v Thatgravev suspjoipn. lays (sic) to James M'Kenziei farmer, at 'Tarras; also ,to John Beaton. M'Kenzie, his hired servant, and that every «are and precaution ; has {sic) % been displayed by Mr John Stronach', manager of Tarras station against fiw- '"• „, From that day to. this I have been straggling to get rid of the effects of that unjust rider, but have hitherto been unsuccessiul; I have now to ai!k your assistance, and I beg to tell you at some length the true facts of the case.

, I have been for over five years farming in the district of Tarras, a lonely country in the centre of Otago,. principally given up to sheep farming, but with a few small agricultural farms..dottedover it here and there. My farm, which is a 'small agricultural one, is contiguous to the house of Mr John Stronach, the manager of Morven Hills station. . ' • , Althongh I have always been on the , best terms with the stationowners, I regret that for s«me 18 months past there' have been disagree-, ments 1 between the ; station imariiger and myself . On the night of 22nd April last the corn stacks already' mentioned, were barntr-«pparently by-

M» . incendiary* An .inquest was heM in, due ,cpart e, to inqnlre into the, cause,. of the* fireyand it ifi pf the Regularities practised there and the' wrong clone to me by the rider above quoted that I complain. The inquest was held in Mr Stronacb's office. This 1 is a little room situated amongst the station buildings, and fo about 20 miles-distant-from Cromwell, <the nearest town: It 'was attended by neither representative of the press npr member of the public. There were present— Mr; Coroner Hickson,' who presided.the inepecfcor of- police, who was supposed to condaot the inquiry*'** solicitorj brought from'Queensto'wri by Mr Stron&ch, and &<jury of sixl 'The' inquest' laitedjfoui f day*, »nd during'all that 'time' the Coroner, f the police inspector," the soliciltor, and thti foreman of the Jjury were living with and sharing' the hospitality of Mr John Stronadh, the station manager.' ' „ | jmyself, my Wife, my -brother-in-law, and my manlservanii' were subpoenaed 'to attend," bat were 1 brdered to wait outside the court with the other -witnesses' until called on. As' I -was; not accused many wayVand did not* dream of' any ! charge beirig made against me, I was' not represented 1 at the hearing. When; however, I was called I became painfully award that it was intetaded (in French fashion) to make me supply evidence against myself. I was examined by the jinspector, cross-examined by the solicitor (who, so far as I can see,' had no ' right at- all to cross > examine ' me), and reexaniined by the 'inspector. My ' man, 1 my wife] and her brother were all put through a;'si)nilar "racking." When my ' Wife, after being cross-examined, ' was allowed to return hom£, a constable was- sent to accompany her, and she wag told "if it were not .she had an infant to nurse she would not be allowed to go > home at all at that time." ' Ttie last day I was recalled. I was once more examined and 'cross-examined, principally as to somq small matters of difference between my' , evidence and that of others (which were after* wards easily explained, ;althoqgh< at the time, being oonfnsed by cross-questioning,; I found it difficult to answer the questions, asked). My man jwas recalled. B[e was examined and crossexamined as to various charges that were alleged to have beenj.n&ade against him years ago, {and as to whether he bad Jived with one Selby, who had been .*' convicted about a dogj'?, and I whether he, had been mates with one. John Mercer,, and whether he had. heard, that ! Mercer had since, been .convicted... When my man; objected to answer a question which was intended to discredits him, he. said to • the coroiier, ".Am .1 , bound to, answer that?" ", Certainly," said the coroner, "as you stand in a very serious position." In all fairness I chink if we stood in a. serious position— that is, werej suspected— we ought not to have been questioned at all.' ' X ', , When the examinations were at last over we left the court, but I 'learned that the jury were being addressed, and I can prove that the solicitor actually addressed them for about an houij and' directed his speech 'chiefly ; against nic and jny man — that is, we were accused and did not know -jt,— and this solicitor was allowed all the license of the. Coroner's .Court tjO blacken our characters. < ' ;, J- < ' ;' [•' ' ' Then the jury retired and (still in my absence) brought hi the verdict; and rider as first j mentioned by me. j, My man/ and myself ' were called in to hear this most iniquitous rider. We yvere completely astounded. „ r , . , „ , > ' ' I *t oncef Wrote to the local papers challenging! the inspector of police or ''station manager to proceed against me to givey.me a chance of clearing myself.-. -No charge, however* was iever preferred against me. ' . I then at considerable expense obtained- a copy of all the. evidence > given at the inquest, and I had Jibe sapie. published in ,tbe Cromwell Argus, Up t a that? time I had not known, what evidence had been given ,on the,.strength of which the ridei was found ; .and it now appear, edjtbaij there was 30 evidence at all which a. reasonable, man wou] d look, at. In fact, in place of. showing my guilt, ijthink that it would have clearly showed my Absolute innocence had.it been fairly put before the' jury. ' lam advised that the mode of 'conducting the proceedings throughout was irregular,; that the. cross-examination of myself and man with a view, to discredit; us was very improper; and that the libelling of us in a rider of the jury which was 1 contradictory to 1 the verdiofc 'was veirv. wrong. But, l am told,! haye r no, redress at law.' I consulted an eminent barrister in Dunedin, and I was advised by him that I should petition the GHiyfrnor to appoint a commission, to consider ' the matter; that' in any case the action of the coroper, who took an irrelevant rider and, made it parfcof the ,verdict, was, wrong ;,and he < con* 'eluded by mentioning, what' ought to be done by/ Gfbyfrnment .under Jsunh circumstances/ As advised by him/ 1 prepared a proper petition and forwarded^he, Ratne[ f) tp tyr^ Fergus, our',' district, member. To .this , I received a short 'formal, reply from Mr Fergus' under-secretany^ Btaidng that the 'Government would give the blatter theii attentioa/and \l have Only now 1 received, a furitier letter stating, that .tbeGovernmeetcan :dof' i othing. A petition signed .by 2(59, electors of the district, addressed to the New Zealand requesting the appointment of a Commission, was also forwarded by 1 me to Mr Fergus, but he has, never' even acknowledged, receipt ; so the Government, t fear, will not help ,me until further pressed. • v . The police long ago gave up the idea that I was in any way concerned with the fire. The whole district )aughs at the charge, and aij, the jury jwho found the rider. But the stigma remains, and the unjust charge has damaged my credit in Danedin and otlwr places where the, facts' are not known, and may be flung in my ; teeth 20 years, after this. ,] The clearing of my name is to, me an all : importp.nt matter which I claim by all that is, just and equitable, »nd I request you, Sir, by publishing this letter to assist me tp obtain that ppportunity of obtaining a fair inquiry '^ichi I, have, bitter to ; been denied. -It is (manifest that it the Government will permifc the machinery ofithe -Coroner's Court to be , utilised as it was against me, that it is impossible to say'where'such prpceeflihgs will stpp ? or who' . will be the next victim. It is not only myf } interests th^t are affected,. bvitthe interests of all ; and I ask to be assisted by the public opinion of the metropolis as I already am by the feeling of , my awn district.-T-I am, &c., TarraB,' April 28. • J. Maokbnzih. Settlers' Arrears.. BbiTOR Witness,— Bir : With your permission I would like to criticise the, opinions expressed by the Hon. Q. F. Richardson, at Wyndham, , on the subject of arrears owing by settlers. The hon. gentleman-at-tributes the increase of arrears to a twofold cause j the, introduction of the, Fajr ,Rent and Price of Land Bill, and the pronoiße (bade by Sir Harry Atkinson that extreme measures wou?d not be taken' against settlers for overdue rents: Judging from : the tone of fth;e ,hori. geintleroan's remarks I, feel certain thpt; settlers in flistreis owe nothing to Mr Biicnardsqn for any consideration which maythave been chown to them hythe present Government. • Mr Kichardson's argument' that I ' now ' becansA'.pHcVw of, prodpoe !are At.apa^jtog.fignf^ jVejre'.is.np further excuse forj arrears is simply nonse,n'se.| Karming under, • favourable circumstances is a moderately profit-

able business Mt tf heft fed J?|fliu#;j?Jio sup* p^seS that one., good season ingoing t^ak*^ up all theiossea of aevcto .bjad, ones is too.san* i: guin^more especially wfcefl ; it ( is { aamitted »•*•■ farmer'Barepayiiig'2sper <) cent(, mere than the value of $heir land in' many cases, and in a few» • much more. It 'seems that the Government, a* ■represented by Mr : Richardson, have decided, to .. invoke the' terror* of the law and compel, Ray-, menfc pi moneys due ; thoße who, pay up quickly are to be let off with a reduction, but to those,,,. M whoi either can't or wont' pay, there is ,to be n6 mercy, shown. Tbey 'are^to;be suecl for the , whole amount of their arrears* failinjj,thepayment »f which, \ suppose, their leases wjll D 9 ■ cancelled. Such is the policy of the Government : in regard to their' tenants , who., are behind ..witjh their payments, as prdpot&ded by the Minister ofLandj. Hbw.much'iiao're^reasonableit would , be'ti ascertain by ' means of the .estate, HsheVunder'a'Fairlfentßilli the exact position , of (i each tenant, when those who" are in a pbsiiion to pay could bey made'' to s ; do'fßO^ -whilethose who require relief might recerw'ilj by 'means of which they might' become prosperous tattlers and ab assistance to the whole conii - mdmty.'" Our Minister of«i Lands prides 'himself J ob is pleased/ to Iwm<( backbone, but 1 ' which his acquaintances are more-likely to distinguish byline name of pigheaded obstinacy, 1 md it is to be regretted that the. hbnourablft • gentleman should so far allow this peoularity tb control him as not to see the necessity of treat* ■' fog publio tenants with a degree of- liberality * which would not be expected or a privatelandlofd,' for it must be plain to any man of ordinary intelligence that it will be more beneficial to the : - colony to settle prosperous settlers on our lands •■ than' to wring from poverty-struck "individuate! by harsh measures, a few pounds of ready • cashj— l am, &c., May 4. .Nativb. Editor Witness,— Sir : I. crave space to say something on . the other side in reply td your correspondent "Native." ' '' ' ' , "Native," who probably hails from Welling* toh or Invercargill, finds fault 1 with the Minister' of Ljinds because he refuses'to give unreason- J able [relief to Crown tenants in arrear.' "Native" admits that a private landlord .would not make 'such! concession ; why' then should- the Governmen); ? Mr Richardson has no more right to for- ' givei public debts than the unjust steward in the scripture had to tell his master's tenants 'to wjrite off so much. As regards' the lona' fide cases of distress "Native" can thank' the sale | by auction 'system of " tlje Stout- Vogel Government period for the' 1 troubles of his friends, combined of course with ■ the folly of those of the purchasers who, with' their 1 eyes open', took up land at rents in excess of ' intrinsic value; but the last reports of the rangers go to show ..that; in very many cases the. outcry, is " bunkum," and in many others indications are not waning that tenants > able j to pay have refrained from doiug so in the., •hope of extorting a reduction in, rental. Personally,,! am in favour of free grants of land to ■ bona\fide settlers; but I fail to see why the present Minister of Lands should- be reviled becabse he, does, his' duty \n collecting rents agrei id to' by the tenants. Another correspondent ("Roxburgh") complains -because 'some land has been purchased by ■ what he would 1 probably call a "bloated aristocrat." Why did' not "Roxburgh" and his friends buy it themselves? It was quite open to them ' to do so under ''the present businesslike' land regulations. They 1 ' don'i want it themselves, evidently, but cari'fc bear;to see someone else in' possession— -" dog in the manger IJ business over again. , Under the ' landilaws of thd preceding Government, ""Roxburgh " might justly have* raised, an outcry if ati 1 intending purchasers The sections would have] gone to aucfctdri,'and it' would have been '"'Roxburgh*" versus "Millionaire." The purse win& It- is of course just possible that "Native" and? Roxburgh," are, politically* ,'f outs," probably ( with) notions of land nationalisation and similar fadsj excellent in, theory but impossible to practice.! As one of' the " ins.'M cannot .permit to , pass in silence disparagement of a Minister .who has en extensive practical experience, of land, business, who has devoted himself 'to farthering ;truei settlements, and whose only faults; are a miscpnceptjon of the value of the -mining in* .dustyyiandan honesty which- prevents, his dismissing deputations with the customary, promise ta ",keep steadily an view", each and,,, every request. — lam, &c.» ■" ..<,-, Mosgiel, May 8. ' Anti-Humbug. .. i- ; ■■■ ■ , , ' ' <• JRotoe*: on,' Cataeeh" corrects, ' )dours at once. Complete .cure of , worst chropif" bases ; also unequal as gargle for diphtheria, sore • jhroat, foul breath. • „ „ 1 The- Wellington .Acclimatisation Sooiety. have. . seni? Home for> a. supply of English partridges, whicjh are to b& liberated in Wellington district. 'Alnumber bf persons charged at "Fitasiru with using dynamite to capture fiah pleaded ignorance - of the law, and were fined Is eacb." The fish 1 werf sprats, of) which there are large numbers ■ nowj in Timaru harbour.