MINING INTELLIGENCE.

Evening Star, Issue 3601, 7 September 1874, Page 3

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

ARROW

August 31

The township is being added to by numerous neat buildings, and the value of sections is increasing in the suburbs of the town. Numerous paddocks have been fenced in, and the place begins to wear an aspect of comfort and progress. The main street of the town, however, is still almost in its primitive state as regards kerbing, channelling, and drainage, and now that the town is incorporated this state of things ought to be remedied as soon as its finances will permit. Some of the residents have formed patches of gravel footpath in front of their places ; but, for want of culverts, they have the effect of damming back water between the dwellings, and will inevitably lead to injury to health. The importance of drainage and water supply is now known by the painful experience of Cromwell and other places; but it seems as if young townships will not take steji to guard against disease and discomfort until forced to do so. Where no effort at systematic drainage is attempted in a small but closely packed township, the result can easily be imagined—the earth becomes polluted to a dangerous extent, and offensive matter accumulates. The Arrow has shown itself possessed of energy in many matters, hut action has hitherto been principally confined to the miners and the Press of the district. Steps are about to be taken in the matter of water supply ; but that of drainage should also claim immediate attention. The high price of fuel this winter is much felt, as although a very extensive coal deposit exists—to which I will presently more fully refer—it is in a distant part of the district, and cost of cartage makes it dear. It is understood that Mr M'Cormack has made arrangements with the Government to construct a bridge over the Kawarau below Morven Ferry, to cost L 7,000; and it will be a great boon to the district to have a bridge there at any price, as one of the worst pieces of the present road will be avoided. It is said that the cost of the bridge will be defrayed by tolls, which is to be regretted, but even under these circumstances it is better than having no bridge. The late flood will prove a great drawback to the United Co., as they had pumped their way to a depth of 26ft., and now the ground has again absorbed so much water that it will take some time to reach that depth again. At Whitechapel Flat the miners are nearly all earning satisfactory wages, and the water-race, which was constructed partly by Government subsidy, is costing very little for maintenance compared with last year. The residences and gardens of the miners heie attest the prosperity of the place. On the Grown Terrace but little mining is going on; and although ic is composed of the finest agricultural land, yet as it is generally believed to be also auriferous, it has been prevented from being alienated under the present Agricultural Lease Regulations, and is a block of land which should be specially dealt with, so as to give a fair chance to both the miner and the farmer. The proposed dray road to the pardrona would cross this terrace, and would also be a great step towards a road to the coal deposits on this side of the Kawarau, The coal measures of that part of the district have from recent discoveries attracted much attention, as there is every reason to believe

that a belt of country, rich in coal, is in course of development. The subject is, however, too extensive to be dealt with further in this communication.