INTERESTING SPEECHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 31

INTERESTING SPEECHES.

PAEROA. February 12.

Sir Joseph and Lady Ward arrived in Paeroa at noon today from To Aioha, travelling by motor car. They were welcomed to the township by the chairman of the Ohinemuri County Council (Mr W. G. Nicholls.)

The most important matter which the Prime Minister was called upon to deal with at Paeroa to day was the silting up of the Ohinermiri River. Tailings at the rate of from 35,000 to 40,000 tons per month are being turned into this river, and as a result are 'choking it. destroying it for navigation. In addition, the tailings are being spread over the flats, impoverishing settlers' lands and destroying the drainage of v the district. On top of all this it is feared that the water must sooner or later spread over the flats, in which e-ase many settlers would be practically ruined. It 16 on the tapis, too, that the Piako swamp drainage may be affected. The matter has formed the subject of a petition to Parliament, and has been recommended to the Government for favourable consideration. These facts were all laid before Sir Joseph by a representative deputation, and it was also suggested to him that the Government should subsidise a scheme for making the tailings into a commercial commodity, such as bricks — a -scheme that was put forward as being feasible.

In reply, the Prime Minister sSid he recognised the vital importance of this question. It was receiving very close attention, and The Government would assist any practicable scheme. It did not, however, want to take the course suggested for the utilisation of the taihnsis to find afterwards that the intention of experiments had not been realised. It wanted to be sure that the brick industry suggested could >c established at a moderate price to en»uro the successful carrying on of the enterprise, and that the bricks were equal to oidinary bricks now obtainable. There was a difference of opinion on this subject. If the Government could prevent the destruction of the settlers' lands and preseive the river, and at the same time contribute towards an industry with a good chance of success, it would be prepared to givo a considerable contribution, running into several thousands. — (Applause.) He considered, however, that there should be somo co-operation between the two local bodies interested, who were receiving between them about £21,000 per year for the gold revenue. He hSjped before very lon^ to be able to submit a practical proposal to 6olve the silting-up difficulty. If this destruction of the river and the ad)o:nmp; lands was going on — and he was aware that it was — the Government should obviously assist to stop it. There was, too. a duty on the gold mining companies. When the Ohinemuri River was proclaimed a sludge channel it was never intended that as one of the natural rivers of the country it should be filled up and destroyed. Though it was right that the interests of the mining companies should be fostered, there was no doubt that when the country realised that the destruction was going on in connection with the Ohinemuri River and the surrounding land it would become a question whether there should not be a modification of the law on the lines of preventing the putting of the tailings into the rivpr or assisting in the handling of them. — (Applause.)