TROUBLE IN MINES DEPARTMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 980, 22 November 1910, Page 4

TROUBLE IN MINES DEPARTMENT.

SEQUEL TO A. RETIREMENT. A sequel to tho recent trouble in the. Mines Department is that Mr. EoberfcM'lntosh, Inspector of Mines for the Otago Mining District, has petitioned. Parliament stating that ia January last application was made to' tho warden at Naseby by"F. W. Furkert, • .engineer to the Public Works Department, on behalf of the King, for a lieenio for a waterrace for 100 heads o£ -water ffom the. Loganburn. The grant' was' opposed by tho County Council and inhabitants of Maniototo. The correspondence that passed botween applicant and petitioner showed that tho scheme proposed was an irrigation scheme. Petitioner prepared a report for tho warden.' In this he pointed out that there was a possibility of the fur-, ther development of the mining industry in tho district, and suggested that it might: be advisable to protect that.industry b.r refusing to make the grant. A, copy of the report was forwarded, to: the Mini*ter for Mines, who at once instructed the petitioner to withdraw the same. Petitioner then withdrew his report, and tha ; application was subsequently granted. In August the Minister, in answer to a question in the House, stated that petitioner bad exceeded his duty in lodgio* an objection to the application, and that petitioner had acted under a misappre-' tension, as the water was to be used ; for developing the mining industry aa well as for irrigation purposes. He claims that the publication of the Minister's Teply in the press was calculatedsubstantially to disparage petitioner's reputation. He requested the Minister for! Mines to afford him an opportunity of" justifying his action by an inquiry before a ' magistrate. . In consequence -of the Minister's refusing.his request, he feltit incumbent upon him to resign his position, which he did. He points out that the license granted is a license for water for irrigation purposes only.. He claims that he was carrying out his usual duties in. making the report, and was under no misapprehension as .to the purpose. of the application, . He,: therefore, asks for an inquiry into, the whole matter.,. ■•. . •