Page:Discovery of the West Coast Gold-Fields Waite 1869.pdf/28

 Flat was sorely suffering from a superabundance of water, Charleston, on the other hand, was at times frequently suffering from the want of it, and was, previous to the discovery of the prolific red cement, decidedly on the wane; but no sooner was the immense richness of this cement found out, than works of considerable magnitude arrived at completion with magic speed, and, besides crushing machines and engines, flumes and races of great length soon intersected each other in every direction.

But with all this wondrous improvement, that proved such a benefit to the public, and from which the Government derived no small amount of revenue, how fared it with individuals whose property was damaged and overrun by the countless numbers of people that were continually traversing the country in all directions, and who, unless compensated in some way, were bound to suffer the loss of any improvements they had made? Before concluding my narrative, I will endeavour to show this.

As I have before mentioned, in the year 1863 I obtained my depasturage licenses, and right of run for Waite’s Pakihis; I stocked the same, and made various improvements; and subsequently applied to the Government for the pre-emptive right to which I was entitled, but which, as I have already shewn, I failed to obtain. Thus was I left without protection, and compelled to make the best of a bad bargain. Some people may contend that my property is merely leasehold, and that I am not so much entitled to compensation as if it were freehold; but they must bear in mind that the rent has to be paid, and paid it always has been regularly; and for that rent a person would naturally suppose he was entitled to some protection; but with the Nelson Government it is indeed a supposition. It is, in point of fact, paying for a right that is useless, and which, instead of being a private right, is in every sense of the word a public one. Another person having a licensed run on the coast has received compensation. Why? Principally, I suppose, because he happens to belong to the chosen few; therefore for him they have slain the fatted calf. Money that I have invested in stock is for ever lost. My fencing and timber were taken to make the Government road with that crosses my run. For this certainly I did receive compensation; it being such a barefaced transaction that even the grasping dog-in-the-manger officials could not for shame sake vote against it. But that compensation had nothing to do with the right of run; I still had to retain my licenses, and pay the Government a rent, for kindly allowing the public to make what use they liked of my property. After this I applied to the Provincial Executive to have my licenses cancelled, and the runs thrown open, but was refused. At a later date a petition was forwarded to the Provincial Government from the cattle dealers, butchers, packers, and others, of Westport and Charleston, praying that the depasturage licenses held by Mr. R. Waite, for Waite’s Pakihis, might be cancelled, and compensation granted him for the same, so that the