THE GOVERNMENT WATER AND TOTALISATOR.

Kumara Times, Issue 2533, 4 August 1884, Page 2

THE GOVERNMENT WATER AND TOTALISATOR.

[to the editor.] Sir—There is a matter which is small in itself in appearance, but is causing no little annoyance to the miners using Government water. There is what is known aa " the totalisator " in use in connection with the Water Office. The miners have to go nightly to see at what time they are to get the water on the following day, if they get ifc at all. If they are in favour with the department, they are sure to get it. But the matter that all complain of is the want of a light being placed in the window in such a position that we can see the totalisator, as during the late wet weather, it was almost impossible to get a match to keep alight to see whether your number is up or not, more especially with those that the manager has thought fit to take away their numbers and substitute a name, in writing both small and bad. I hope we will not have to send a petition to the Minister of Mines praying for a small light to be placed in the window with the totalisator, by Davy. We have no reasou to be pleased with the Mines department, so far as the officials are concerned that are in charge here. It is high time that there was a reform, and it must be one of the special duties of our member when he goes to Wellington to see that reform is begun by the removal of the manager and the whole of his staff, which is known as the army—an army that has swallowed up the earnings of the whole concern and given no equivalent for it, and thereby has brought this part of the goldfield into contempt with the Government; in fact, ruined our credit, so that we can get nothing ; whereas if there were the returns of profit that ought to be—to say the least twenty per cent, on the capi'al ontlay, which is not more thau half ch<j jjiofiis would

be if it was in the hands of a company—we would get any reasonable request asked for; but while the same manager is kept here, the same mismanagement will go on, for he will keep this useless army of pensioners, to the injury and ruin of the district. Let there be a new manager and a new Davy, and compel all the work to be let by contract, and that to be done by public tender, sawn timber to be cal'ed by tender, so that the general public will have a fair show for a part of the work. The way it is now is " Make an offer!" and this is only to a favourite, and there it l-ests, and nothing more is known until the manager's annual report appears in Wellington. The sooner this state of things is altered, the better it will be for this district. I say apply the broom, and cleanse us of our reproach ; send a stranger lhat will—no, not Joseph. A Miner. Dillman's. August 2, 1884.