MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 484, 15 April 1878, Page 2

MINING REPORT.

[From our Special Mining Reporter.] I have heard this week that a private party have started a sludge channel, somewhere about the ,sp.,t where tire Government proposed starting. It will be much more preferable if private enterprise will perform the work in a straight forward manner, but if pressure it, to be brought to hear on the Government to buy out the promoters at a fancy prico, then it will bo for the community to resent any waste of public money. The reason that I refer to it at all is that I think it strange that private enterprise should wait till the Government proposed doing it before thpy made a >tart. Any person who has n.»t been along

the lead for a week or so would be surprised to find a few new in different parts; and out at Larrikins Mrs Gibbons is making extensive alterations and improvements to her premises, as I believe the-Licensing Officer has promised her a licence, if her house is made suitable. Perhaps it is as well that the Government' should reap some benefit, since any" person can see that the half of the traffic of the trollies is in beer. In mining matters everything is joggingalonginthe usual-way. Amongst those who know the run of the country on the other side of the river, a good deal of interest is taken in the Erin-go-Bragh water-race, as it is considered that a large tract of country will be made to pay well with agood water supply, that otherwise is useless. There are some men over in that quarter who have been working there for about ten years, and have gardens and fruit trees brought to great perfection. When the Govern ment enlarged the size of claims to 100 ft a man they conferred a great boon on the mining com n-unity,' but I think some greater inducement ought to be given to miners to sink to greater depths on places like the Kumara. I believe leasing is not allqwed in any case here, but circumstances may arrise where ground has been abandoned as not payable und'-r the.present' system, and if a pn-ty thbnght by going to considerable outlay of money and labour that they could make it remunerative, I think ought to be allowed to lease a reasonable portion of ground. It is right that the Warden should keep down monopoly as much as possible, but where there are a fair number of men employed in proportion to the ground held it cau scarcely be called monopoly on this field, for as a rule it is but a wages diggings. The County Council seem to have fallen aslfep over the road from Dillman's to the Loopline, but if the people of Kumara are alive to their owri interests they-will poke them up b little, for there is every reason to believe that a deal of auriferous country would be opened up on or near the proposed route if easier, access were'made. 1 know several parties who were out in that direction during the but had to give it up on account of the tediousnass of getting Hupplies through the bush,