February 21, 1873 - Challenging the representation of the Arrow Miners Association

“A CONTRADICTION.

TO THE EDITOR ARROW OBSERVER.

Sir, —In your last issue I see a letter signed by four persons, viz:—Messrs J. A. Miller, J. F. Henley, S. Symonds, aud K. Clarke, purporting to be on behalf of the Miners’ Association, and calling upon me to refute a statement charging me with saying at a public meeting at Macetown, that at a Committee meeting of the Miners’ Association, Messrs Healey and Miller, and six others of the Committee recommended that the commonage should be sold, (meaning I suppose that leases of pastoral country on same should be sold). I do not attempt to deny anything at all of the charge, because I did say so, and I did this from the best of authority—that of Mr Healey when appearing to support the application of himself and Mr Miller, and Mr Healey to a question from the Warden replied, that the Miners’ Association had recommend the Government to grant the applications of Mr Paterson, and Healey and Miller, for leases of runs on the commonage, and, moreover, Mr Healey informed the Warden, that both himself and Mr Miller voted for the resolution, by which the matter was carried in Committee. The Warden at the same time expressed surprise that Messrs Healey and Miller should vote for such a measure, when they were personally concerned in it. Now, 6ir, I should like to know who the Miners’ Association are. I am very sure they do not represent the miners, or 38 miners at Macetown out of a population of 41 would not have signed the petition opposing the leasing of a run to Messrs Henley and Miller. Every miner whom I saw at other places readily signed the petition and at the same time expressed their indignation at the pernicious conduct of Messrs Healey and Miller. I must express an opinion that the Arrow Miners’ Association does not in the least represent the miners in this district, they, being only a small party of self-constituted busybodies, neglecting their own business, while prying into that of other persons. If the Miners’ Association desired to make a recommendation to the Government respecting the leasing of the commonage, the matter should have been dealt with in public and not in a hole and corner manner in committee. I further beg to say that the Miners’ Association does not represent me or any miners among my numerous acquaintances. As a matter of fact, I consider the Arrow Miners’ Association to be a body long since defunct.— I am &c,

Henry J. Cope

Arrowtown, February 21st, 1875. [this is the date on the letter but the publish date is the following year so likely a typing error]”

Source: LAKE COUNTY PRESS, VOLUME V, ISSUE 246, 23 FEBRUARY 1876, PAGE 3 (https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LCP18760223.2.10.2)