CORRESPONDENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 268, 20 March 1873, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

WAITAHUNA MINING RESERVE. (To tlie Editor.) Sir,— ln your issue of the 13th curt., I was rather surprised to see an application made by Mr. Edwin Leg«e for sections 20 and 21, block IV, Table Hill district, as I thought every one knew that blocks IV, V, and VII, Table Hill district, and block V and X", Waitahuna Ea3t, formed the mining reserve, and were exempt from occupation for agricultural purposes. I hardly think it is just that applications for leases within the blocks named should be received,- and applicants put to the- expense of advertising, as the Warden must know that he has not the power to grant them, — I am, &c, Digger. Ha velock,. 18th March.

(To the Editor.) Mister Editur, — Many a day has ' passed sins I wrote you last ; and I don't knoe that I w.ood hey trubled you even npw, only I hey a grievance, and I want to make it knoen throo the mejium of your collums. In the Tuapeka Timbs ot the 13th March, 1873, 1 saw an application for 100 acres of land, situate at, and Dein in, block 4, Table Hill- distreect. Now, Mr. Editur, I want to knoe frum you, why thet application was receved by the Warden, knoeing, a3 he undontedly must,, thet block 4 is on the mining resurve 1 The gentleman applyin fur the land is pretty weU know to the miners in this disfcreect, as. they wur put to sum expens in opposin an application made by him two year ago, durin Warden Simpson's time, for section 45, block 4, Table Hill, distreect. Evidens was produced, wJiich satisfied the Warden the ground was aurifurous, and the applecation was refoosed. lam not prepaired to say that the 100 akres air aurifurous, but I cannot help lookin with suspision on the doing of the applicant, so far as takiu up land in block L T. H, D. is konserned, as it is

well known that he has at diffurent times received money from miners for the priviledge of wurking ground alreddy in his posession. I don't say thet the miners shud be allowed to go on to a man's ground and work it without payin ; but I do say thet every care shud be takin to prevent the aurifurous lands on the goldfieids fallin into the hands of men who try to make beleev thet they want the land fur agricultural purposes, whereas they are really lookin forrard to the time when they will be able to levy black mail on the miner wishin to get at the gold contancd in it. Mistur Editur, I feel vexb when I think thet the owner of section 6, "block 7, T. 11. D managed to egstort between fifty and "sixty pounds from a party of Chinese for the priviledge of miniu on about three acres of land enclosed by him ; while the owners of section 1, block XI., T. 11. D. air not a whit better, as they hey also managed to obtain over seventy pounds, I hey heerd, from John Chinaman for his bein allowed to wurk a strip nf ground in the gully section 1 orosses. The parties last referred to hey recently fonced and plowed a section (originelly takuti up by Mr. W. A. Murray) situate on the Waitahuna River, in the neigh burhood of Blyth's Gully, sum of the ground in which would pay eight shillings per day per man, if stript with horses and drays. As the unenclosed aurifurous ground beoome3 worked, men will hey to turn their attention to these leaseholds, when, no doubt, their occupants will, Shylock-like, look fur their pound of flesh. Alistur Editur I think I hey pretty clearly shown that it is possible in applyin for agricultural leases, fur people to be atooated by motivs other than the desire to becum tillers of the soil ; and as I hey sed all I intend to say at jwesent on.thesuhjec of the Waitahuna mining reserve, I will conclude by apoloji&in for trubling you with my trubles. — Yours, &c, Poor Digger. Waitahuna, March 17.