KUMARA SLUDGE-CHANNEL AND WATER-RACES.

Kumara Times, Issue 2529, 11 October 1884, Page 2

KUMARA SLUDGE-CHANNEL AND WATER-RACES.

GOLDFIELDS COMMITTEE’S RESOLUTIONS. ♦ PUBLIC MEETING AT THE THEATRE ROYAL. A public meeting, convened by his Worship the Mayor (D. Hannan, Esq.), was held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening, for the purpose of considering the resolutions passed at the meeting of the parliamentary Goldfields Committee on Monday last relative to the petitions re Kumara sludge-channel and water-races. These resolutions appeared in the Kumara Times on Tuesday last. There was a large attendance of burgesses and miners. His Worship the Mayor presided, and in opening the meeting stated that the matters to be discussed were more as concerned the miners than the Borough. Council, though, of course, that body and the burgesses were largely interested in the general welfare of the miners. [His Worship then read the telegram he bad forwarded on Monday last to Mr Seddon, M. H.R., stating that the burgesses wished to know what had become of the borough petition praying for a reduction in the price of water for sluicing purposes, and if relief prayed for was granted : also Mr Seddon’a reply, and the Goldfields Committee’s resolutions 3 also the Chairman of the Goldfields Committee’s telegram, asking to be informed whether the resolutions were satisfactory in present shape, or, if any modification were desired, of what nature. All these messages and resolutions have appeared in this journal within the last few days.] The reply, of course, would place upon him a great responsibility, and he was desirous that the burgesses and miners should express their opinion on the resolutions. His opinion was that the management of the sludge-channel and water-races could not be satisfactorily vested in or conducted by the County and Borough Councils. But they were here now to express an opinion, therefore it was for some one to get up and propose some resolution on the subject. Mr W. Morris said bo had a resolution to propose— That this meeting while approving of the principle of vesting the management of the sludge-channel and water-races in a local body, disapproves of its being vested in the County and Borough Councils. [Great applause.]—He considered it would not do to place the sludge-chan-nel and water-race manangement in either of the local Councils 3 but if Government insisted that it must be vested in one or the other, he would prefer that it were vested in the Borough Council 3 but if that were intended, it would be necessary to take in the goldfield into the borough, and have a new election of councillors, not to have things managed as at present, in their own tin-pot way.—[Laughter.] If rested in a Trust, let it be the same as the Mount Ida and Bannockburn Sludge-channel Trusts, Anything would be better than the late Government, which if it had been in power till doomsday would never have done any good for the miners. The present Government now appeared to be only trying to get rid of the management of these works. But he did expect more from the present Government. There is plenty of water if it were only properly conserved and made use of. Why the rain .we have had for the last two months, a man ought to be paid £5 a week to work out in it. If these works were vested in a local body, that body would get all the revenue, A gentleman told him lately that he was payin° £IGO a month to the County Council for gold duty.—[Applause.] Mr A, Orebar seconded the resolution. Mr R. M'Glone would not have come forward at all 3 but this was a subject they all had to depend upon. It seemed Government was willing to part with these works. He was opposed to either County Council or Borough Council taking them under their own or joint control. The way the Borough Council managed the streets was a total failure. If dams burst or anything serious happened, where was the money to come from ? or who was going to repair it p Men were put into these Councils who were not fit to conduct any business, and turned into politicians.—[Laughter.] He hoped those men who worked for the interests of this field would vote against these works being vested in any local bodies. [Applause.] Mr C. Harris had a few words to say. He thought that now the chance was given to have a local Board they should accept of it. Lot the Government chose 1 woni. three members, and the miners five or six. saum as they have iu Yictodtn It tvviuu uot do iavest

these properties in the Borough Council, except the Borough was extended and the Council elected by miners, and not townspeople. A Board was best. If it was vested in the Borough Council, he did not see, in the event of a dam breaking, how they were going to repair it; but if vested in a Board, why, if the money was not forthcoming they could go and repair it themselves. [Applause.] When Mr Oliver (a member of the late Government) was here he said the price of water should be lowered. Instead of lowering the price, the quantity had been reduced from 40in. to 36in. One was for one thing, and another for another, and so nothing was done at last. Mining Boards in Victoria worked very well. Let the Mayor and County Chairman and so many miners be elected to form a Trust, County Councillor Jack would do nothing for us. There were a great many members in Parliament who did not know the way we have been treated. He hoped if these works are to be turned over to us, every miner should have a voice in their control. Mount Ida got 40in. for a head of water; it was a rascally shame that Kumara got only 36in,—[Applause.] Mr E. Barrowman said he had an amendment to move, which was as follows : That in the opinion of this meeting the Government ought to rectify the blunders of their predecessors in office prior to handing over the management of the sludge-channel and water-races to any local body, as from the unsympathetic and harsh treatment of the previous Government this district has inherited an amount of jealousy and discontent that would at the outset place any local body in insuperable difficulties. The Government have a right to extend to this district a simple act of justice by reducing the price of water and finding accommodation for all the parties they have crowded into the channel; and, when that is accomplished or provision made for it, it will be immaterial whether the management is retained by the Government or not. And this meeting would therefore request the Goldfields Committee to reconsider their report, so as to make alteration in accordance with this resolution. He would caution them to beware of having a herring drawn across the scent. Government seemed anxious to make any excuse for delay. If they take over the water-race and sludgechannel, Government has this question pending of priority and non-priority of right. Priority of right was a mistake the Government made from the first; there should have been no priority; there is none now and things are working smoothly, and there is no grumbling. The best thing was to make priority unnecessary, and make provision for all by an additional race.—[Applause.] It would be twelve months before anything could be done if handed over to a Trust. What we want is to insist on a reduction of water and the construction of another tail-race. The short winter days would be coming again before anything could be done by a Trust. People will say the Kumara miners are always grumbling for something. He believed this was a scheme for staving off the difficulty or reducing the price of water. They must not lose sight of the main question of reducing the water—insist upon it that this shall be first accomplished.—[Enthusiastic applause.] _ Mr W. Barnett seconded the resolution. He said the Goldfields Committee must be aware that the County Council on a previous occasion refused to take over these works. He considered that only a Local Board would be satisfactory. But let them first deal with the question of the reduction of water.—[Applause.] Mr Crebar said he hoped they would not allow the herring to be dropped across the scent at this meeting. His opinion was that the Goldfields Committee was doing the best for us, and, in carrying the amendment it would only be throwing cold water on the question. Mr Morris did not consider the amendment in the light of an amendment, but rather as an addition to the original motion. Mr White considered the amendment did away with the question of any local Board, county or borough bavin" anything to do with the works. ° Mr Morris (who was received with groans) wished to state that he agreed with the amendment as regards the water-race and new tail-race. He held that there were as many men sitting on the benches before him who were as competent as the Government or a council to manage these works. He was quite astonished, when in Wellington, to see the amount of correspondence there had been on the water-race and sludge-ch mncl questions. ile agreed with the amendment, but let us have the management in our own hands. The Chairman then put the amendment to the meeting, and a forest of

hands were held up for it, only two voting when the original motion was put. Mr Crebar then moved that the resolution now carried be forwarded by the Chairman of the meeting to Mr Pyke, the Chairman of the Goldfields Committee. The motion was seconded by Mr John Skipper and carried, and A vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated the proceedings. The resolution passed at the public meeting was duly forwarded by the Mayor yesterday morning, as desired, and a copy also to Mr R. J, Seddon, the member for the district. Later in the day the following message was received : To D, Hannan, Esq., Mayor, Kumara. Hope you sent copy of resolution passed to Government. Goldfields Committee met at eleven o’clock this morning, and had prior to the arrival of your telegram, made furthe*’ recommendation that as an addendum to the previous recommendation arrived at, that the committee have further to add that they are of opinion that the sludge-channel and water-races should be put into thorough repair before being handed over to the local bodies, or to a local trust. That pending the handing over of the sludgechannel and water-races, the committee are of opinion that those clauses of the new regulations which are objected to and unworkable should be suspended. In reference to the petitions of the Mayor and burgesses of Kumara, the Committee report that they consider a reduction in the price of water desirable, and recommend the same to the favorable consideration of the Government. The same recommendation was made in reference to the petition of William Morris, praying for a reduction in the price of water. The increased sludge-channel accommodation could not be dealt with, seeing there is no petition on that head as yet before the Committee. The foregoing recommendations were passed on the motion of your member, seconded by Mr Cowan, of Invercargill. R. J. Seddon. Wellington, October 10, 1884. 2,5 p.m. To the forogoing his Worship the Mayor early this morning sent the following reply : To R. J. Seddon, Esq., Wellington. Am not authorised to send copy of resolutions to Government. Pyke and yourself desired expression of opinion, which has been sent. D. Hannan, Mayor, Kumara, October 11, 1884.