HEAD RACE REGULATIONS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 430, 12 July 1877, Page 2

HEAD RACE REGULATIONS.

The Committee appointed by tlie publie meeting at JSlaseby on Saturday last met the Warden, by appointment, on Monday, at half-past four.—The "Warden expressed himself as most pleased to have the opportunity of receiving the opinionsof the deputation, and regretted that such a course had not been praatieable before the regulations were issued, but he had been hastily summoned to attend the Con. ference at Wellington, and so had not had an opportunity of presenting the views of the miners to the Government.—The regulations vrere taken seriatim, and th e suggestions of the deputation carefully noted down. The first matter to w&ich considerable importance was attached was the " abolition " of the poor old Hogburn head. The deputation urged their views strongly, on the grounds of the measurement being now-obsolete, and that the claims that would take advantage of the Government race would all require at least from two to three Government heads—The Warden thought that the Hogburn head was worth retention, as a convenient unit of small measure, to which he district was accustomed. He, however, noted down their objections.—Re* gulation 5, regulating the price, was regarded as the main-spring of the matter. The Committee had, they said, looked at this question very carefully, and considered that £2 per Government head, or about equivalent to 16s. per Hogburn head, was a fair price, and would pay tne Government well. Regarding that sixty heads were available per week of eighthour day 3, this would return an income of £l2O per week. The reasons urged for the reduction of the price from 255. were that although water was still nominally at 305., yet in practice any good customer could get six heads, and be only charged for four ; that the present price was fictitious, and only maintained for strategetical purposes.—The Warden, while not prepared to take a statement of perhaps isolated cases as proof of a rule so general as to reduce the price of water to £2 per Government head, yet thought there was reason in what had been urged, and would, he thought, be prepared to recommend a reduction.—lt was also that the ground now, being low, required more water in proportion to the stuff removed, and that the gradients admittedly necessary in the Sat to protect the Channel in practice reduced all ground, hio-h or low, to the same condition, as requiring higher water power, so that as much could not be given ibr water as in the old days, when stuff could be tumbled down a hill in any fashion.—With regard to thepayment in advance, it was urged that such a system would be too heavy a handicap upon enterprise. They suggested'that payments should be made monthly, after the construction of the tail race, the Manager to have some discretion as to when payments should commence. It seemed to be the opinion that when a* claim had been broken into for a month the holders should be able to pay their water bill.—The charge for running into the Channel was suggested to be kept at Is. 6d., but the Government head substituted for the Hogburn head, payments to run concurrently with water bills, or be paid monthly.—The ticket system was objected to, as cumbersome.—lt was pointed out that in practice there would not be somuch trouble as was anticipated, but it was admitted, if the Government conceded the point of payment in advance, there would not be the same need for *ie ticket system.—The Committee suggested that the Manager should supply'an account weekly of water supplied, and fees due the payments to be, as before suggested' monthly.—Regulations 11 and 33, providing for the allotting and supply of water were discussed. The deriutation adl mitted, after argument, the "necessity of the Manager having discretion in the quantities of water to be allotted, as one person might claim fifty heads, and then if the system of rotation, as suggested! was also adopted, everybody else would havetostandstill. Theallottingand supply were entirely distinct processes. With regard to the quantity to be allotted the minimum was put at two Government heads, and a system of rotation of water allotted, m times of scarcity, was suggested, in lieu of indiscriminate reduction of quantity.—The last point of material moment urged by the deputation was in regard to the discretional powers vested in the Manager in clauses 16, 17, and 19 and in the Warden in clause 18, which ap* peared to give an appeal to the Warden in a matter affecting the safety of the Channel, and for which the Manager was responsible, under clause 2. The Warden > pointed out that this clause IS had been apparently altered from its original idea which was to have made the appeal to the : Engineer. In practice the clause would mean that in such a case of dispute the Warden would obtain professional advice.—The deputation urged that theminers who were dissatisfied should havea right of asking; that assessors should be - called in to decide matters of disputed connection of tad races. Several mem- * hers seemed to think that applicants would take a refusal in better terms if it came from three practical men; the cosfe of such hearing to be against the applicants. The Warden said there was one difficulty, that the assessors had not the responsibility and the Manager had ' The consequence would, he thought be that appeals would be multiplied, as' the Manager in every case of conceivable difficulty, instead of taking any risk, would force an appeal to be overruled by the assessors* After discussion, the deputation modified their suggestion to the extent of asking for a Board of Advice, upon whose shoulders many matters of difficulty ! might be relegated; but the Warden did j not hold out any hope that such a Board j could be allowed to frame regulations except by way of suggestion.—The question of supplying water free for prospecting purposes along the line of race, and between Hills Creek and Ifaseby, was intended to be urged. As the inferview lasred for nearly three hours, it was overlooked A minute has, however, been remitted to the Warden on the matter.— The Warden thanked the deputation for their advice, and undertook to forward their suggestions to the Government with his remarks. In some matters, as iD that ot the substitution of the Government head he could hot agree to recommend, but he felt that the views expressed would i be of service to the Government.