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Kumara Times, Issue 1416, 16 April 1881, Page 2

The struggle between Mr Maher, the contractor for the first section of the Kumara sludge-channel, and the local representatives of the Public Works department has ended in the triumph of the department. The dispute commenced when the department refused, or declined to pay, about £2OOO which the contractor asserts is owing to him. As it had repeatedly been shown in the Warden's Court that the Government had no legal title to the sludge-channel, and as it was rumored that a party of miners was about to apply for the registration of the tunnel, the contractor took and held possession. The Public Works department took the alarm, and at length it has been conceded to the contractor that his claims shall be considered. He accordingly withdrew, on Thursday, the initiatory proceedings he had instituted against the Minister for Public Works, and formally handed over to Mr Gow the section of the work he had completed. We do not know if the Government intend to take the necessary steps to obtain a legal title to the sludgechannel ; at present they have none.