FOUR RESIGNATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 956, 25 October 1910, Page 5

FOUR RESIGNATIONS.

..'. .-~ ——t-*-H— -—;. -.;■■■ ■ •'•■ Trouble, in the mines depart- -;■:;::■■;;.;• ■'•,:•/MEKT/-: ;,::■... 7."-. 0 There;is trouble;in tie ..Mines! Depart ''■'. : /pent./ There as said to have :been jour -'resignations.'-',/ •■/a few weeks from a , very.:.. limited. staff, and it, is .'• . conceivable: .that : _ there may, ; ha "more//From..Central 'Otago. we .learn of what appears to'be a very hard, • case, which .has■'■brought/about; the resig- / nation' of''Mr/M/Intosh, • an:.-Inspector ■'~,of..Mines. '.'-'TheV-iricident: arose over a '...-■.' question-:'as-to water' Tights in ■■Central Otago,'where the; Government, is '> interesting-itself'in'an irrigation scheme. /;'•■'. A' hundred.-' head--of '. water' was required . : by the Government stream in the Maniototo County; which was to furnish power for.an,electrical plant to be used m connection -with the proposed..State :irrigation works.'; The..Crown,:it .appears,, had applied for. the-water rights in the usual- way, but an- objection ,was lodged . with -".tie Warden of the District by.the ■■• local" authority,;, ihe • Maniotptb: County ; : Council, 'on the:; grounds,' that -it could .not-spare;, the .water (which, was; to be : conducted to :'a watershed other than.the .://natural-one which lay;.within the county in question): .As!the point-was a knotty one,/ the- warden, aoting.;■ under • powers .vested in. him, "was called upon to adjudicate betwecn:the Crown and"the local • -'". body,; and '.decided : to. ask; for. a report : ;fiom. the Inspector of '.Mines (Mr. M'ln- ■ ; tosh), whom :he. considered.-"a competent person,"/within:the. meaning of. : the Act. The inspecor reported:in favour: of .the : local vbody. '/Instead of;'basing- a 'judg-. ' i .',ment• or'.finding..': upon.-'.' the • report, the ;, whole .-matter/was preferred: to : the: Mih- ■ - ister .for. Mines /(tho Hon. R.MTCenzie), .;; whose'; attitude ,in .'the, matter, .it "is alleged,, has brought-about : the resignation' \;of ; :Mr. : R. M'lntosh.'/A question was, wit ;to the /Minister' for/Mines; in" the. House;:by Mr.'. Scott,/member .'for.:Tuapeka.'.'.who,, oh. August 3;, asked:' / ■'/'' / .-"Whother an.instfuction/was issued to j Mr.'.M'lntosh,/Inspector' of / Mines,'to 1 .withdraw, a Tepoft"Ki'<h'ad'-.furriished'tb--.the' warden at Nasoby, 'dealing ..with F. -. ..W.jFurketfs appreciation on .behalf .of f his /Majesty ; the ICrasr:fori- 100.'head \ of' .■■..: water j, to. ;bej .diverljed..from : Burn,' and, if/so, 'why* were, they ..issued ?•"■ Tie:reply'of-. ; the/Minister was to , the followinir t) /:/■ / V ■ "The Inspector of, Mines 'referred to by : ■•:■ the honourable -member" rather • his duties' in lodging' an. objection to tho "-,' application made on:behalf of the .Government before/the -warden' at" Naseby .. withoutVfirst';.notifying the -Department .'•' as/to his attitude; on, tho "question. The - inspector-was.evidently under, some mis-, apprehension,' as the" water applied for is. intended to bo'.used for developing tie mining.industry.'of•■the/district, 'as well as.for, irrigation purposes, and it would . benefit .both .miners .and; farmers."/.'... .'ln the:above Teply.'it will,do.seen that ■■•'- th 6 Minister; 1 states ■ that-'it-was'the in-: epector who Mddared an objection ;to '. the application- of the': Crown. The-fact of tie; matter is tiat ie: only reported on the : case. at the:request of.,the warden ■'/, after the local body -had. lodged the objection/to. the application. //.-,-; '-iAs late as' Tliursday last,'.Mr/R. Scott' .asked'ih the. House.if it was a'fact that ■ Mr.. M'lntosi,; /Inspector "of. :Mines in Otago, had resigned; The Minister said he had,: ,Asked as to >the reason, ie said ho supposed. was. the judge -. of-his own. affairs.'. ■•;':■.:;.';.•■;.■•..■/:■..■'-.;. ■From"tho \ foregoingVfacts /the/public will be able to draw: their own- conclu- ', .Biohs.''' '■■■' •'-• *:;,.:.- ':■•.■.-""' ■''