THE RIVERS' COMMISSION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 13 September 1901, Page 4

THE RIVERS' COMMISSION.

The Inangahua District.

Wellington, September 11. The llivers Commission reports as follows regarding the Inangahua River—- " Seeing this river has been used for the last thirty years as an outlet for waste products from quartz batteries and that is required to admit of large mining operations being carried out in future, your commissioners recommend that the Inangahua River with its branches and Iributaries be proclaimed a water course into which tailings. and waste water produced from mining operations maybe discharged with the exception of Pattinson's Cr v ek, opposite Reef ton and Phillip's Creek near Inangahua Junction and those tributaries which have already been proclaimed. Your Commissioners have to state that no claimant has riparian rights. Your Commissioners have carefully examined the whole properties on account of which claims have been made with the excep-

tion of an outlying one of small extent up the Inangahua river in the interior, ' but regarding which reliable information was obtained by them, and submit awards oc compensation for prospective damages representing a total amount of £5,196. Should the prospective works on the river side in the town of Reef ton be carried out in the manner suggested, then certain of claimants would not be en-

titled to any; compensation whatever a« V the properties in such case would be liable to no enquiry. As the r.esult of the proclamation of the river some of the claimants have taken up dredging or mining claims on tha river and it appears questionable whether they are entitled to compensation as they would be contributing to any damage properties may sustain.