The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1879.

Kumara Times, Issue 924, 16 September 1879, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1879.

Oxn of the main objections urgVl against the construction of the Kmnara shulge-cbaimel by those opposed to the cariying out of this highly important work was the inadequate supply of water that would necessarily ensue through its rtgeney should the Government not take steps to increase the supply at present brought on to this gold field. From the annual report of the District Mngiueer on the various water-races in the Westland district we observe that he has anticipated this objection by pointing out to the Government that, should the necessity arise, a very large storage reservoir could be constructed in the Kapitea Valley, at a cost of about £BOOO, which site lie leeomrnends as a highly suitable one. That the Government have good grounds for incurring; thhs expenditure tnay be safely '.sfiiriuod when we state that the value of the water sold during last year from the Waimea race was ~C4ooo, while the expenses, including the extension to Kmnara, amounted to .£2OOO, leaving the handsome net profit to the Government of £2oo() as interest on the capital expended in its construction. .Referring to water-races generally, but more particularly with regard to the Nelson Creek and. Waimea waterraces, which aiv the only ones in this district hitherto constructed and worked by the Government itself, Hie District i'higiueer says :

There is a subject which is worthy of some consideration, and upon which some hitherto unattainable data has i-o.'U collected during the 1.-isfc few mouths -namely, the collate! ill advantages ilorivi'd from water-races over and above aiiy net K'.v( j i)!H! wiich they may yield towards paying interest on their costs. r L\-, rj;e r. so sue- idea ni' this. Hie m. makers of 'Hie tvo faces. iu question wviv instructed some cousido.-abP time back f.o en.-] -avor to ascertain hy f.vory miM'.ii in their power ill" actual namljoi- of men kept at work in the mines by the use of Government racewater, and the number of ounces of Sold thus obtained, and, after experimenting upon various methods of acquiring this informatioo, thev have sneceo led since November last in getting it with a close approach to accuracy, and the average for the year deduced from this inform ition is as follows : _ Nelson Creek Hiee.—Number of men employed daily throughout the year, 70; num.ber of ounces of <_'ohl so obtained, 4.000. Vaimea Race.—Nmiu'w of men employed daily throughout the year. 017 ; number of ounces of gold so obtained. 21,100. From this, then, it will bo scon that, while the direct net revenue of the races in que.-.tion is .£2, ( J00 per annum, ihey at the same time maintain in ci'iitiuous employment as many as 067 men, and yield to each, of these an income of £145 nor annum : and, as this is considerably in excess of the cost of living of the men in question, it is a • reasonable deduction, as it is also the fact, that capital is thus accumulated by at any rate some of the men engaged, and that this capital is afterwards applied in developing more permanent industries in other parts of the country. The collateral results arising from the construction of water-races, thoiefore, appear to be very great, the gross receipts derived from the two races above mentioned, which cost in al! about .£200,000. being about £IOO.OOO per annum, ami involving the maintenance of GS7 working miners, equivalent to a population of, say, 3000 souls, who each contribute a, considerable amount to the Customs revenue. After a statement of so highly satisfactory a nature and from so competent an authority to judge as the District. Engineer, and in view of the increasing I supply of water required ns ground- | sluicing becomes every day more i general, further comment as to the | remunerative properties of water-races constructed by the Government on this gold field is rendered utterly unnecessary.