Tairua.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2011, 15 June 1875, Page 2

Tairua.

(fbom a cobeespondent.)

Moncfay morning.

Owing to the fact that there has been no news of importance to report for the last week or ao I have not written my accustomed letter, but it is as well for you to know the reason of this dearth of news, and if I could send you a photographic view of the Prospectors' Hill at tho- present moment, enveloped in , a perspiration of rain and mist, it might 1 give you an idea of the physical causes which prevent the working of the field. But another and a greater difficulty exists —the absolute stagnation of all energy in the way of prospecting'ground now occupied, or to which the title had not been properly secured, owing to the unsatis- ; factory state of the law regarding the rights of prospectors and the difficulty of substantiating their title.. In regard to the physical difficulty; there is nothing left but to exercise -oatience until the advent of Spring and fine weather; but, with regard to the moral and more : serious difficulty; of the two,- a> deeper consideration is involved. This question, iwhich is shortly to be discussed in the i Warden's Court, may absolutely determine sthe fafea of a goldfield, which, if opened under fairer; auspices; would ere this time) ihave asserted itself as one of the first in >tho Australian Colonies. It is too late 'now to discuss the abstract question, jwhether the field ought or ought not to Ihave been opened under the(Act of 1873; we must accept the fact that under that Act the field has been opened, and every honafide miner upon the field has acted in accordance with the terms of the Proclamation, and, that a large and influential class of loafers and quibblers have conspired, by means of local agitation and legal "quiddities," to attempt to invalidate the titles of men who have acted according to the law, and who reasonably expect that law to protect their rights. In spite of the iate heavy rain we have had several visitors, amongst whom were a few illustrious gentlemen—men who are well known to the general public. Perhaps your readers would be gratified with a description of the modern legal jumper, as he is to be found upon Mount Pakirarahi. His habits are shy and reserved ; he is never to be seen carrying a mining tool or tin dish; his stock in trade consists of a tomahawk, a tape line and a two-foot .rule. He is never seen far from the haunts of men, but his locale is newly pegged claims and unlicensed holdings, withthe view of ousting the rightful owners by some contemptible legal quirk or quibble. He is on terms of intimacy with men who would scorn to do the work which he does, but who prime him with the necessary before he goes to work. It".is very discreditable, and the .progress of this field has been retarded % the action of this wretched specimen of the genus homo. All eyes are now directed to the Courts to purge the district of this common nuisance—the professional jumper— the man who has -the clauses of the Act by heart, and is ever ready to take advantage of the slightest laches on the part of the miner.

I The Brothers claim is producing good gold. During the late heavy weather they have not stopped from work, sluiceing night and day. The return of gold is heavy. They intend to send down a ton of the tailings to be crushed by Saturday next. Taking a straight line, this claim is about two miles from the Livingston Lease, on a branch creek running into the Puriri creek.

A miner had a narrow escape from drowning in crossing at the Booms on the Kauaeranga. He slipped off, got a good ducking, but his mate, who was crossing at the aame time, caught hold of him, and thus saved another job for the Coroners. Who is responsible that a proper footbridge is not put across? I believe the Saw Mill Company has undertaken to keep the crossing in proper order, is it the Engineer or the Highway Board that ought to see to this ?