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Dunstan Times, Issue 566, 21 February 1873, Page 2

The “ old identities ” must feci themselves rather taken aback by the report uf JVlr. Carrnthers, Government Engineer in Chief, who attributes the periodical flooding of the Taeri river to the silting up of its bar at its sea mouth, instead of to the accuniu ation of debus from the raining districts on its upper waters. About Mr. Carrnthers’ conclusions, there can be no two opinions, the debris from the gold workings in the Upper Manuherikia ■ and Taeri Valleys has never reached so far as the plains of the Lower Taieri; one glance at the state of the river bed is sufficient answer to that, and when we come to consider the miles, any deposit from the goldfields wou'd have to travel before it reached the low flat, lands of the “ old identity/’ no danger need be apprehended, as all the gravel and silt would have been deposited long since. The bar at the mouth of the river was not the creation of the “new iniquity” —the presence of many evils has been attributed to the gold miners, but from the highest authority we are assured that for this particular sin ho stands unconvicte!. The cure is in the hands of the Taieri farmers themselves, who must induce the Government to remove the cause of these inundations, no one will begrudge the expense, the miners wish ill to none, but desire to live in charity with all men. Were we to accept all we hear from the head quarters of ignorance and superstition, we would almost be fain to believe that the presence of the gold miner in Otago was a calamity, or that the periodical .inundations at the Taieri were visitations from Pi evidence, inflicted upon the “ old identity ” for his sin in admitting him into the country. If ever there existed an ignorant superstitious lot of people i t is tlie old settlers of Otago, they never j saw anything before they left homo, I and have never seen anything since, I and if ever their minds were ever enj lightened, it must have been on the passage out. What w'ould be the use ot the jMosgiel woolen manufactory, it it were not for the gold mi .era ■ who would be found to wear its cloth r socks drawers, or use its blankets, or what would the old identity do with his oats, were they not consumed by tho teams which supply the wants of the miner • lie could not export to Victoria now, or-to a very small extent, and it is quite evident, that had the much abused emmigration from Australia not have taken place, the operations of the early Otago settlers would be exceedingly circumscribed. Our Iriends in the Mount Ida district need take heart after this, one load ef sin with which they have been charged, has been removed, and if intelligence has not already pointed out, that instead of being enemies, they ■ are the real friends to Otago, all we can say is that, it very soon will, i