The Under Secretary for Goldfields'visit to Ohinemuri.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3056, 30 November 1878, Page 2

The Under Secretary for Goldfields'visit to Ohinemuri.

The Under Secretary for Goldfields,; accompanied by the County Chairman; and the County Engineer, left on Friday; morning for Ohinemuri, arriving at Paeroa at two o'clock, and visiting some of the agricultural. lease sections with Mr Mitchell, and inspecting the sites for the Court-house. Mr Wakefield, on the part of the Government, some time ago replied to a memorial 1 from the agricultural lessees that as soon as the purchase of the lands from the natives was completed, the Government, would take into consideration the question of affording the leaseholders some facilities for acquiring a freehold title, and now that Mr Wakefield has visited the 'locality" and seen the improvements which have been made upon the lands, he will be in a much better position to judge of what

concessions should be mud« when the time arrrives for giving effect to the prayer of. the memorialists. In the evening a deputation waited^ upon Mr Wakefield in reference to tlie-' site of the Court House. It was at first the intention of the Government to erect the building removed from Mackaytown upon the leasehold site adjoining the police buildings given by Messrs Jackson and .Russell,-but an offer of a freehold site at the proposed junction of the main road from the Thames to Tauranga, with the main road to the Waikato,, near the race course reserve, having subsequently been made, the erection of the building was postponed until a decision could be arrived as to the best site. After hearing v.cry spirited arguments for and against each site-r-a matter which appears \ to h? •f absorbing interest to the inhabitants of Paeroa—iMr Wakefield said that the Government, of course, had the first right to fix the site of the building, that the decision could ?ot in any way be affected by local jealoujies, but the most convenient site in the public interest would be selected. He added that he was glad to find so much interest takan in local affairs at Paeroa, and that this, combined with considerable enterprise shown by some of the inhabitants—especially in the case of Mr Phillips' Btore-r-would no doubt'tend to farther the advancement and prosperity of the place. The deputation thanked Mr Wakefield and with* drew.'- ■:[ :'■;•..■" ■ .■■ ■■•.'■. The Under Secretary and party returned to Grahamstown to-day.'