MINING REPORT.

Kumara Times, Issue 2932, 23 March 1886, Page 2

MINING REPORT.

[By our Special Mining Reporter.] The Lead, March 22. What Mr Gordon will lecommend in the critical state of the sludgechannel tailings-site is a matter of the utmost moment to this place. One cannot imagine that the Government after such enormous expenditure will quietly allow the whole thing to »o to the dogs much longer. That Mr Gordon from au engineering point of view ia eminently fitted lo report on such a matter nobody will dispute, but it is for the Government to weigh all the collateral advantages of Wp-'nw a means open of working all the payable grouud iu the vicinity of the chaunel,

so that parties may be recouped for their heavy outlay in opening their claims, and that the Government by water sales may be reimbursed for their outlay. The matter of the No. 2 channel being connected with the No. 1 channel should also he reported upon by Mr Gordon for although the working capacity of the channel is not at present overtaxed, still every day's tailings deposited on the river bank is adding to the difficulty.

There is a likelihood of the number of working claims being reduced soon, as already two have suspended operations. Hardy's is worked out, as they were completely surrounded and had no chance 09.0 9 . extending iheir boundaries; and Hood's parly has iind such poor washings that it is almost impossible to go on. Tbe greater number of the claims, however, have only got a fair opening made, and have a number of years of profitable work before them, if only the Government would show a little foresight and not, allow things to get inetn'evably muddled before"they put their hand to the wheel. The excessive rainfall within the last week or ten days has caused considerable difficulty where there are high faces; but there is some compensation in the assurance of a plentiful water sll PP l j; for with full dams to start and ordinary winter weather, we should be pretty safe till near Christmas.

I have not heard particulars of either of the prospecting parties of late. Some complain that tbp party at Larrikins are too near to ground that has been already tried. In prospecting, it is merely a matter of opinion, and there is certainly plenty of unoccupied territory where all shades of opinion can he emphasized by sinking a shaft. There was deep sorrow felt by all classes at the untimely death of Syvert Rynning or " Old Charley," as he was move familiarly known. He was very fairly educated and an intelligent man. Although talkative, he was unobtrusive and altogether an estimable citizen. He was a victim to a morhid notion of sticking to old habits and practices. Numbers of people continued to climb over the same old truck at great inconvenience and risk, simply because they had done so for a nnmber of years. In many instances the extra distance by jjoing by the new track would not have exceeded a hundred yards. It is very satisfactory to be able to testify that the Westland County Council have kept well abreast of the requirements of the place in the way of tracks, which is no easy matter, as the ground is being constantly washed away.

The claimholders who get their water from the flume running along the terrace between Larrikins and Mignonette Flat have been put to a tremendous lot of inconvenience and expense through having to shift portions of thp flume where the ground has been sluiced, and through the flume breaking down in places. Ifc is to all intents and purposes a work that should hive been constructed solely by the Government for the distribution of their water to customers ; but at the time that it was built the Government were curtailing expenses, and Mr Gow point blank refused to construct the flume, bat promised that the Government would supply the timber if the pu-tie.s using it would construct it, and undertake to keep it in repair for a period of three years. This was agreed to by the parties interested, although it was an unfair proceeding, as all other main flumes were constructed solely by the Government, and the parties simply (tiled off to their respective claims. The h'rat portion of this flume was finished in Jane, ISB2, so that the time has expiied that the parties undertook to maintain the flume, and they ou«ht in all fairness to be relieved of a responsibility that never should have imposed upon them. I understand the parties interested intend interviewing the Minister for Mines on the subject when he visits this district.