GABRIELS COMMONAGE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 4924, 11 January 1902, Page 3

GABRIELS COMMONAGE.

ANNUAL MEETING.

' The annual meeting of the Gabriels Commonage Committee was held at the Land Office on Wednesday evening. There was a very good attendance of oattleowners, Mr J. X, Simpson, the chairman, presiding. The minutes of last annual meeting were read and confirmed. The Chairman said he wati very thankful to the cattleowners for tho manner in which they had attended the annual meeting and generally for the interest they had taken in the affai-s of the commonage during the year. He had never failed to find a ready and cordial response on any occasion on which he found it necessary to seek

their co-operation or advice in any matter likely to further tbe interests of the commonage. He ' was glad to be able to inform them that the affairs of the commonage were in a very satisfactory state. There were at the present time 85 head of cattle being paid for on tbe commonage ; but he might say that that number, as they might easily understand, did not represent the aggregate number of cattle- actually running on the commonage. That was a point, as they were aware, that ha had been descanting on for some years, but yet it did not seem to have the desired effect. There was another point which was closely associated with what he bad just been speaking about ; that was tbe punctual payment of the fees. As men of intelligence and judgment, and he put all his friends present under that description, they Bhould know that the fees charged for cattle were simply nominal ; they were simply fees in name and nothing more. He therefore appealed to those who were present and to those who were absent through the Press, to be a little more generous iv their support of what be might call one of the grandest privileges that democracy can confer on them. —(Applause). They might think they were very secure in their privileges, or their rights, or whatever they choose to call them, but let him tell them that if they bl umbered or became diffident of their rights as sure as night follows day they would pass away from them. — (Applause.) There was another matter that, it was suggested to him, he should 1 bring up and lay before them : that was i the old recurring question of tho encroachment of the adjoining lundsheep and the consequent trouble and, be might say, injustice, that follows from it. — (Hear, hear ) But he was not to be understood as saying tbat bis friend Mr Cotton did anything deliberately to transgress tbe laws of the commonage as they were given to them by Parliament. — (Hear, hear.) But he would say this at the same time that he thought they had a cause of complaint, and as long as he was chairman of the committee and as long as they put their confidence and trust in him he would never abuse it- (Applause.) He did not want to fall out with Mr Cotton, who was a friend of his, and he should say this for him as a mere matter of fair play that tbe principal cause of aheep trespass lay on themselves, or rather on the Government, who should support or subsidise them to put a ring fence around the entire area of the commonage. — (Hear, hear.) Until such a fence as he mentioned was erected it was useless to expect adjoining landholders to keep their sheep off the commonage. He did not have such an opportunity as the preseut one every day and he would take advantage of it now to impress on what he might call the small or s'ruggling people of the district to maintain and uphold their splendid commonage rights and hand them down iDtacfc to ibeir children. — (Applause.) He might tell them that they could leave them no better heritage, and as far as he was concerned himself he would see that the Gabriels commonage remained the property of the people.— (Applause.) Coming to practical detail?, he was glad to be able to say that their financial position was very satisfactory indeed. They had at the present time a credit balance of £53 10s 9d, which compared very favorably with last year's credit balance, which was £34. They could therefore see that the finances of the commonage had not been badly managed^ indeed, on the contrary, he took credit for saying that they had done very well Economy and efficiency had been their motto and he belje-red they had carried it out efiectu ally. — (Applause.) Before concluding his remarks he should like to express to Mr M'Leatt their thanks to him for the kindness and consideration he had unfailingly shown them as regarded their meetings. He had, as they were all aware, been most attentive and kind to them and he asked them to signify their appreciation in the usual manner. — (Loud applause.) He had also to ask them to signify their appreciation of the manner in which the Tuapeka Tjmes had not only during the jear, but iv previous years, championed the cause of the commonage and always upheld their rights.— (Applause.) . Mr Christie suggested that in future the meetings should be advertised at least a week before they were held. In the present instance it was only advertised on the day of the meeting.

The phairman agreed but explained that holiday arrangements had interfered, otherwise, as in previous years, the notice would have been more extended.

On a ballot being taken Messrs Girvan, Donnelly aud Coxoa were elected among the new committee for the ensuing year.

At the conclusion of the public meeting a meeting of the committee was held at which Mr Simpson was elected chair : man and Mr Girvan secretary. Mr Girvan in proposing Mr Simpson for the position said he should take the opportunity of expressing his obligations on behalf of the cattleownera for the splendid services Mr Simpson had rendered. They were deeply indebted to him for the time and trouble he bad given to the commonage and they had to thank him for the splendid position financially in which th^y were in,— (Applause 1 .) A 8A 8 they well knew when Mr Simpson took command of the commonage its affairs were in a very bad state indeed but he had pulled it through and placed it in a most satisfactory state. He asked them to signify in- the usual way their appreciation of Mr Simpson's services —(Loud applause.).