THE MANUHERIKIA HEAD RACE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 215, 11 April 1873, Page 5

THE MANUHERIKIA HEAD RACE.

(To the Editor of the Mount Ida Chronicle.) Sib, —-After some four years agitation, we have got our wish/so far grat-ilied .that a head race is iti course of construction, which is reckoned to bring in some ten or

twelve Government lieads of water during, e "ven the driest weather, and we hear the- > I race can be brought in liigli enough., lav, ■ command the highest known auriferous*- . I 'grouud. I trust this-will'be looked too,. as, iu the opinion of many, it will mainly depend on the height at' which the water is delivered ou the diggings whether the... work will be a useful one to every interest-. It is not so far known, I believe, what way the Government intend to apply the water scheme, X mean whether it is their intention to* enter in to direct opposition with the water proprietors, or to make use of their elaborate network of distributing races, on terms wh.clr would be to the beneiii of all concerned. It-is asserted, and justly so, by the water proprietors, that it ihe Government bring, their water scheme inio direct oppositioiu w'iiii- theu. it is a breach, of good faith, audi, thai they wouid have lu j>ay a share of capital and interest to maintain an opposition, with winch they are to cope ; but surely tuis.can be avoided, c.-ay one Government bring ■.:%) heads of water,' that amount wouid enable tiiem to scii, lor eight hours, t)J htads at a uniumum price of say. 10s,. and lix a maximum, price of 15s ; the o.v or do per cent, oe alio wed- to ihe present-.' • • water proprietors lor distributing or " seil--ing tiit; same. As they charge 355. forelicit'- own water, add 355, aud loswould give a mean or 25s jer head, a reduction sufficient to meet me views of' any reasonable uuuer. Thus the Government would be able to avoid competition, the water race proprietors would- gee their own price for their water, and the. miner would nave a great beneiii eonierred. i\ o one would ioose, for I hold it Would cost the Government more o'J per cent the amount allowed to cut races and look after and distribute the water.•if'any race .proprietor -.shou-id prove that his race, or races bring in say an average right through the year ot ten. Hogbu;u heads, then let hint apply to the Government for 10 Hogbu.il heads. This would enable him to sell sixty heads of water per week for £75 at 25s per head, instead ol' 3D , heads J'or £52 ills or 35s per head: The •CObt.-j lor the ex<.ra 3"J heaus to the race proprietors would be £lo ; nelt profit H er week to race holder lor u.->e of dam room and distributing: races£7los,which.vvouid pay tor. extra tear and v\ ear and manager's vvages,- I jhitik tlien that , the waier proprietors would be as much benefitted by the water scheme as any other class on the field, and vvould, instead or' being idle a pbriion ol the year, their races dry, and being cracked and destroyed, their customers gone (harvesting perhaps),>neyer to return, at least nave a; : steady population, and a small dividend, and their races, kept in ' repair by a continuous stream v\ ater. But what of the tail race or Sludge Channeli J Wen.w find out that the race is at least 9 feet too shallow to admit ot the miles of good ground-ay? being worked below the township. Who * is to blame lor this blunder p Is it, as has beenasserted, through your paper, the lault ol the Trade {Society? 1 hope not, as we had begun* to look upon that,association with a great deal of respect as being a body who has woiked weil for the benefit, ol the district, and has been .the means ot bringing any little good things it may - have received. If it cannot deny the charges it will certainly loose the good opinion, and deservedly so, of the 'Mount Ida people. Was the Surveyor too- wise, to asit the opinion ot practical men ? or was he ;led by tha jiose by some of our would-be clever meji—whose oniy idea of Call is money falling on their counters, or water, as an to make the whiskey go farther, not earth. That there is blame is undeniable, but let it tall where it is due. In the meantime it would be well to see the levels altered or stop the works, which means throwing away some eighteen; t.iousand pounds, to remove a few tailings from the town of JSaseby, one half of which would remove the whole township to a more elevated site.—l am yours, &c., OIS LOOKEB.