REASONS WHY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SUPPLY CHEAPER WATER TO THE MINERS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2394, 1 May 1884, Page 2

REASONS WHY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SUPPLY CHEAPER WATER TO THE MINERS.

[to the editor,] Sir—-If you will kindly grant me space, I will endeavour to show good reason why the Government should supply us with cheaper water. In the first place there are 13 claims, using 102 heads of water, as follows: Lee and party ... 10 heads Fraser and party ... 10 „ Palmer and party ... 9 „ Sellars and party ... 9 „ Pascoe and party ... 9 „ Hobbs and party ... 8 „ Cullen and party ... 8 „ o‘Neal and party ... 8 „ Bramhall and party ... 7 „ Ferncrew and party ... 7 „ Nesbit and party ... 6 „ Hanna and pary ... 6 „ Bass and party ... 5 „ Hanna and party, using free water, leaves 96 heads that the Government are receiving pay for; therefore each day’s water brings in £24, or, allowing each party to use water 4 half days a week, £96 per woek, or, say in round numbers, £SOOO a year. Now, allowing £ISOO per year for maintenance, there will still remain £3500 to pay interest on £35,000, or ten per cent on the total cost of construction of the Kumara water-race, the big dam included; and all this money is paid by about 80 men. The largest half of the 80 are not making wages, and some are not even making tucker itself. Yet the Government will have its pound of flesh in the shape of payment for water, no matter who goes without. Now, sir, I contend that it is unfair and unjust that we should be called upon to pay so exorbitant a price. There is no other water-race nor any other public work in the colony where a third of the people benefitted by it are forced to pay the whole cost of maintenance and ten per cent, on the cost of construction.—l am, &c.,

G. Yoysey. Kumara, April 30, 1884.