MINING REPORT

Kumara Times, Issue 539, 19 June 1878, Page 2

MINING REPORT

]Fbom our Special Mining Reporter.]

I understand that the petition of the miners of Hayes Terrace to the Erin-go-bragh Company, to have water brought to their- workings as coon as possible, has been replied to, to the following effect," viz—" That they (the company) are resolved not to! construct the race further than Westbrpok, till once operations are commenced there; but that the men of Hayes Terrace have the optioii of extending the. race them-" selves, the same to be paid for in water/' Now as this offer can only be construed to mean that the. directors are., doubtful whether they have water at present to meet the demand on,'Hayes Terrace, the miners there_very rightly decline to enter on such a work as the making of a race to carry 40 heads of water, on such slender chances of getting such a supply when /< finished. At the same time they, are feady to -construct a race sufficient to carry a few heads ho as to meet thfir preseut,■wants, if the company agree to pay half cash and half water. If even this arrangement was carried out it would effect a vast improvement iii their immediate ( prospects. Any one acquainted with the nature of the ground there ; knows that instead of paddocking all the dirt with the accompanying shoveling, and shifting, of large quantities of stuff,,and. then "they

can scarcely make both ends meet, as is the case with the majority of the parties, that if a reasonable supply of water was obtainable to wash the stuff away as it was knocked down, the ground would pay handsomely, as is shown by the returns of the one or two parties that have water at their command. A. good supply can be got very easily by means of pipes from the Kutnara side, and would have been in operation, I believe, before this time had not the floating of the Erin-go-bragli, and Dobson's Creek companies a year ago with such a flourish of trumpets (ending aa we see now in penny whistles), promised abundant water. I would recommend the men of Hayes Terrace to consult with Mr Gow ; and, in my opinion he can supply water «ooner and in greater quantities than -any of the north side companies.