KUMARA GOLDFIELD WATER. SUPPLY.

Kumara Times, Issue 1451, 23 May 1881, Page 2

KUMARA GOLDFIELD WATER. SUPPLY.

A meeting of the Water-Supply Committee was held at Dillman's Town on Friday evening last, the 20th inst.; present—Messrs Agnew, Dungan (in the chair), Morris, Wheeler, M'Kenzie (Secretary). The minutes of the previous meeting were i*ead and confirmed. The Secretary stated that since their last meeting he had received a letter from the Hon. the Minister of Mines ; it was in reply to some communications that he had forwarded by order of the Committee. He thought that the labors for which they had been appointed had now virtually ceased, and he was in favor of holding a public meeting, so that they could tender their resignations. He would read the letter referred to : To Mr R. M'Kenzie, Secketaky to the Water-Supply Committee, Kumara. Sir—l am directed by Mr Rolleston to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th of April ultimo, upon the subject of an increased water-supply for the Kumara goldfielcl ; and, in reply, to inform you that full inquiries have been made into this matter, with reference to the representations contained in your letters of the 9th of February and the 21st of March, to the Minister of Public Works ; but that the result of this inquiry appears to shew that the expenditure required to bring in the increased water-supply is disproportioned to the prospective benefits to be derived from the undertaking. It is also estimated that it will cost a considerable sum to restore the existing water-races, recently damaged by the flood, to their former condition ; and that still further expenditure will be required to make the Kapitea dam secure against future heavy floods. In view of these circumstances the Government does not feel justified for the

present in undertaking any new works for the increased water-supply, nor until the present races are again in repair, and the capacity of the sludge-channel to discharge tailings in its relation to the watersupply has been proved. The difficulty (referred to in your letter of the 21st of March) preventing some parties of miners, who had begun branch tail-races for sluicing into the sludgechannel, from working, has been i-emoved, and your request as to the blocking of the sludge-channel has been noted by the Public Works Department.—l have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, Oliver Wakefield. Mines Department, Wellington, May 6, 1881. Mr Agnew remarked that the letter certainly did not shirk the question ; and although appearing somewhat candid, still an increased water-supply was not made admissible. The Chairman said that the letter was explanatory of the urgent claims pressed upon the attention of the Government. From the tenor of it, beyond a doubt it looked to have a very definite meaning. However, the committee had now done all that lay in their power, and a public meeting was now desirable, to hard over their resignation ; at the same time to enable the public to dictate a course of future action. Mr Morris, would be in favor of getting up a petition to next Parliament on the subject. The miners must interest themselves more and more in the business. Ample time should also be given for the public at large to know of the intended meeting. The following resolution was then carried :—" Tnat a public meeting be called for 8 o'clock p.m. ou Monday evening, the 30th May, at Dillman'a Town, to receive the report and resignation of the committee, and to consider what future action should be taken with reference to an increased watersupply." The meeting then adjourned until that night week.