VISIT OF THE HON THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1079, 16 March 1880, Page 2

VISIT OF THE HON THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

The visit of the Hon. R. Oliver (Minister of Public Works) to Kumara was of very short duration, and his time was fully occupied. Shortly before ten o’clock yesterday morning he received the following deputations, who were' respectively introduced by Mr R. J. Seddon, M.H.R. ZIGZAG ROAD. The deputation consisted of several members of the Borough Council, and his Worship the Mayor, who said their requirements were not large, the chief being the road to the Teremakau bridge; which he understood the Government Originally contemplated carrying out with the surplus of the vote unexpended in the construction of the new bridge. The road at the present time was in a very dangerous state, and he trusted the .Hon. the Minister Public Works wpiild, take the matter into consideration! • ; The Hon. Mr Oliver, id. ,reptyy-said that although it was a small matter, at the same time it was a-yery important one, as granting there ;was an unexpended balance of the.vote -referred to, the making of a road by .lhe Grovernment inside the precincts of thelbprough would establish a very bad precedent, and one that every borough throughout the colony would at once avail themselves 0f.,. He did ndt really think the Governmeht would fid it, not

on account of the expenditure (as he would be glad to give them the benefit of such vjL trifling work), but on the principle jbat all municipalities elsewhere would he clamouring for the same thing if the Government established this precedent. Mr Beddon explained that the road referred to was a portion of the main .road made instead of railways on the Coast, and not a street under the Act. The Government has a,lso included this 'in the boundaries of the borough against the wish of the petitioners when baking to have this town formed into a municipality.

The Hon. Mr Oliver would, after the meeting was over, visit the road in question, which he subsequently did, and then stated that he considered it was a matter for the Government to deal with, and not the municipal authorities.

EDUCATION RESERVE, The Mayor said that only recently an Act had been passed relative to the Education Reserve in this town, and the inhabitants were very anxious that the Act should be brought into force, so that they might receive some remedy for the grievances they complained of in regard to the existing rentals. The Sion. Mr Oliver said that Mr Seddon, would bear him out that he had taken great interest in getting this Act passed last session, and he would promise the deputation that immediately he vvent hack he would urge his colleagues to get Ibis matter dealt with at once. SLUDGE CHANNEL. Mr Seddon drew the attention of the Hoh. 'the Minister of Public Works to the fact that the present contract for the Kumara si edge-channel terminated ’at a point when completed where there were also a number of tunnel tail-races brought in by private enterprise. Knowing that the. Government would, if possible, make tlio work under construction to ,be of a reproductive nature, he would as'k th? Minister of Public Works to urge on his colleagues the desirability of calling for tenders at once 'for the second portion of this work as the yields of gold oh the field were very good at present and daily increasing. •

The Hon. Mr Oliver was glad to hear the prospects of the field were so good. He had inspected a portion of the workings, and he might say he was agreeably surprised at the amount of enterprise shown and the nature of the works constructed. From what he had seen personally he considered it was a work that should at once be constructed and he would promise that the plans should fee at once proceeded with and the tendjers called for the construction of the work without delay. He was most favorably impressed with this district as one of the most prosperous goldfields tie had visited in the colony. . ' WATER SUPPLY. Mr Seddon would also point out that the moment the sludge-channel was completed there would be a scarcity in the supply of water on the field, and, under the circumstances, fee thoiight this ought to be taken into.consideration with the extension of the sludgechannel. If the Government purchased the Okuku water-race, they would have the w'hole water supply in their hands, and he thought the District Engineer ■would Bear him out in this. And again, had the Government had the control of the whole water supply during tfee last few months, they would have received a large return on their outlay. Probably alsC, by the Government haying the right of the sole water Bu'pply, they would be enabled to reduce tfee pride peV head of water. Tfee Hon. Mr Oliver must say from what he had seen of the district he was far more favorable to the purchasing of the Okuku water-race than lie was before he visited this goldfield. He was thoroughly satisfied with the argument advanced by Mr Seddon, and he Would have a sum placed on the Estimates for the purchase of this race ; but it was a matter that would have to be dealt with ’by the House, He did not think, as Minister of Public Works, that he would be justified in authorising the purchase without the sanction of Parliament. He had strongly objected to the dictatorial power assumed by the late Ministry, and lie for one should be sorry it out himself, as he be Heved Pariajyoeut should deal with the finances of and not. appoint half-a-dozen gentlemen as a Ministry, to spend the funds ot the Country at Will. J

nOAD TO CHRISTCHURCH ROAD. Mr Seddon said that £IOOO had been placed on the Estimates lor widening the track between Dillman’s Town and the Christchurch road into a dray road, and trusted the matter would be carried out. The Hour Mr Oliver Would bring the

subject under the notice of his colleague Mr Rolloston ; hut it was not in his (the Minister, of Public Works’) department. Mr Blake, before the deputation retired, would strongly urge on Hie Minister of Public Works the desirability cf at once proceeding with the second contract of the sludge-channel iii the interests of this district. He knew as an actual fact that one quarter -acre of ground had turned out 4000 ounces of gold, and the gold duty ou this alone was a large addition to the revenue.

The Hon. Mr Oliver could assure the deputation that he seldom made many promises; but when he did, they could rely on them being carried ont. LONG-TUNNEL TAIL-RACE. A deputation of the owners of the Long-tunnel Tail-race Company were introduced by Mr Wylde, who fully pointed ont by means of maps the large amount of work the company had completed at a cost of £2320, and asked the assistance of the Hon. Minister of Public Works in procuring them a subsidy from the Government, as they (the deputation) understood there was a vote on the Estimates for encouraging private enterprise ou goldfields.

The Hon. Mr Oliver stated they labored under an erroneous impression regarding the vote in questionj as no stretch of language could construe the words “ opening of tracks, minor works, or equivalent subscription,” which were contained in the vote in question into subsidies for private enterprise. However, he.would liai-e a report made on the subject by a Government Engineer, and then they would deal with the question on its merits.

REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF WATER,

Mr Harris, as one of the deputation of sluicers, said they had waited on the Minister of Public Works to see if they could get a reduction in the price of water per head. At Waimea the price was only £2, and here they have to pay .£3 per head. If the water was cheaper, they would be able to take a larger quantity. They worked very hard and made but little, and if the price of water was not reduced, many of them would have to give up working. In his claim, they had expended over J£l(jO for twelve days water. The Hon; Mr Oliver considered the district a very prosperous one, and he had only a few .moments before been asked to get the supply increased. There was a demand at the present time for every drop of water at current rates, and if he acceded to their request, it was the very Worst thing that could happen the district; as the Government were willing, where they saw there was A chance of the expenditure paying, a small interest, to Construct new works ; but not if the rates were brought down, so that .there-was no probability of Government receiving any interest on their outlay. He could not give them tlie slightest inducement at the present time to expect that the rates of water on their field would be lowered.

The various deputations as they withdrew thanked the Hon. thfe Minister of Public Works for the attention and consideration with which he heard their respective i’eqnests.