MOUNT BENGER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 37, 24 October 1868, Page 3

MOUNT BENGER.

(From our Own Correspondent. ) Thursday, 22nd Oct. Great excitement prevails amongst the storekeepers, miners, and small settlers throughout the whole of tfye Mount Ben- ! ger district, and deep consternation in the southern portion of it, on the run lately purchased from Chalmers Brothers by that ■ enormously -wealthy individual known as "Big Clarke," who has just notified to all the residents having horses or cattle thereon that they must either pay him Ll per head yearly in advance, or clear them off, awd in case of non-com-pliance, that having the law on his side he can summon them to-day, fine them to-morrow , to-morrow summon them again, next day repeat the fine, and continue the same process daily for a month or two, for twelve months, or to the end of his lease eight or nine years hence, if so be his will and pleasure. It is easy to conceive of a settler say fifteen miles from Court, being summoned to-day to appear to-morrow, and so on daily, being kept thtre for an indefinite period, and continuously fined without 'the slightest opportunity of taking his stock elsewhere, unless some good Samaritan should do it for him, and such a case is not at all unlikely, as everyone is in a complete fix not knowing where to remove them to ; to sell imder.-present circumstances would simply be throwing away the savings of years, and in the meanwhile he may be summoned to appear before his betters. So long as' the runholder is not compensated the digger pursues his avocation entirely on sufferance, he has no right to destroy a single blade of grass, not even for a shake-down on which to rest his wearied -limbs. Strictly speaking, notwithstanding all the rules and regulations that have been made anent digging, in. so far as they concern right and title they are valueleless ;.: Tuapeka, Waipori, and the Wakatip, being I believe almost the only places where compensation has been awarded.- If that statement be wrong L am open to correction. Admirable-state of Ofcagan Jaw-and justice that, isn't it ! Adequate reward and - recompense to the miner whoso persevernig inaagtry has raised Otago from o*bscurityi torank as the first of tho Pro-

virices, and Dunedin from a fishing village to be the commercial metropolis of New Zealand ! , » ' At whose hands have the miners received this piece of model legislation. Has it been at the hands of a Yogel *md his coadjutors, or who else I Think over that by your firesides, . calmly, yet- firmly discuss the matter in public, and deter- (- mine -where • blanie ' 'lies if i blame there be. Take also into mature consideration the obsequiousness of the ''Provincial Government under i^s present leader, when ■ the General Government wished to assume the management of the goldfields. When polling places were established throughout the Province wherever a ' score or so of voters , could be ga^th sred together, ; and a' Plebiscite taken, and you air but unanimously pronounced in favour of the former power, then ask yourselves what, return you have got for that support,, whether your best interests have been trampled on or not. Ponder the matter deeply, consider it well; But to return to the subject with which 1- commenced. Ten shillings per head for cattle has been the rate charged annually hitherto, and paid ungrudgingly, because considered fair and ju^t to all parties. I need not say, however, that all the residents with one solitary ! exception have demurred to pay LI per head, considering it so exorbitant and grinding. Personal remonstrance has been tried without ' avail, and the previous rate offered with a like result. One man who firmly, yet temperately so remonstrated, was told that for so doing he should not bo .allowed to run a single head even though he should offer L 5 each ; whether that threat will be carried out remains to be seen, but that such a statement was made I can testify on oath. Mr. Clarke also stated on that occasion, that he would rather give every man LI per head to take them off his run, than be troubled With their cattle, but when asked by an individual present to "fork him out " LI for tho only beast he possessed, and he would comply with the offer, absolutely declined to to do so. Mr. Clarke claims payment in advance, and asserts that such is due to him from the Ist September last, on which date he j came into possession of the run . Some parties who had previously paid Messrs. Chalmers for twelve months, and whose term was not expired, claimed to be exempted till the end of such period producing their receipt, were informed they should have to pay just as others would have to do<; that he should tarbrand all cattle on the run to prevent evasion ; that all calves whexi six months old should be so branded and paid for, and' from the conversation that took place on the subject, those present inferred that if a calf became six months old, say B3ven months after the Ist September, 1868, ib would then be branded and paid for ; and on the Ist September, 1889, or' five months afterwards another LI would havo to be launched out for it, along with ihe rest of the cattle. Now the southern portion of the Mount Benger district give 3 but small returns to the miner for his labours, and if that cannot be supplemented by running a cow or two for the use of himself and family, and have an Agricultural Lease besides, it were better for him to leave the district altogether than continue to drag on a miserable existence. The system of Agricultural Leases without commonage besides ia a complete myth, a gross j absurdity. Most of thoss who take up leases are not in a positieu to fence in all their land at once, and if their cattle encroach on the neighbouring runholder, they are liable to be impounded. Another great injustice to the agriculturist is the heavy taxation ho is subjected to at the outset, paying LlO for survey, and 43. per acre for the first year j before he gets any benefits out of it, and that too at a time when he needs all he has got to start with. Rental should at first be nominal, and increased yearly in proportion to the ability to bear it. It seems to me that in clapp"n? on heavy taxation the first year of the lea°e, as if our legislators simply intended to stifle agricultural settlement in its birth ; how far the squatting interest mr.y or may not have brought its influence to bear on the matter I leave for an intelligent and discerning public to judge for themselves. Since Mr. Clarke has avowed his intention of enforcing the LI a head rate several of the residents who had settled down with their families, and made themselves comfortable homes, have made -up their minds to sell off everything they possess at whatever sacrifice, and leave the Province. This is no myth it is a stern reality. I had it viva voce. , Clarke's run i 3 composed of four applications laid into one, and is about 141,000 acres in extent, and for which he pays the Government the magnificent sum of L 1,400 by his own statement, or something over 2Jd. per aire. Now under the 5,000 acre block system 20,000 acres could be withdrawn for agricultural purposes, could that be got it would satisfy the miners for years to come both for cultivation and commonage, I think that is so far aa Mr. Clarke's run is concerned. But it has all to be compensated for to the runholder, and as that has been left an open question the squatter can demand what he thinks proper. Deputations have been sent to the Government to urge the oponing of the lands repeatedly, -but they have bean put off with fair promises and tha usual excuse no funds. • To petition tho Provincial Government seems to lead only to temporizing - and vexatious delay. Let public meetings therefore be called throughout the Province within the Goldfields, and let the wants of ihe miners, as regards Agricultural Leases and commonage, be laid before" the General Government in due and proper form, in fine if " Big Clarke " succoeds in obtaining Ll per head for cattle, other rmiholders throughout the Province will consider themselves entitled to the same amount, it therefore behoves the miners everywhere to take the matter up, cooperate, and vigorously protest against it until they get redress.