SILTING OF THE OHINEMURI

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43213, 10 August 1907, Page 4

SILTING OF THE OHINEMURI

In connection with the silting of the Ohinexniuri riven communications were received by tlie Thames County Council front Mr Hanna, secretary of the .Silting Committee, and were dealt with at Tuesday’s meeting. Mr Loughlin,~on behalf of the committee, asked for the Council’s assistance and sympathy in the matter of stopping the tailings, coming down the river. He stated there were a nimir her of old Thames people living up there.

Tlie Chairman said capital had been made of /the statement that the action of the settlers was to injure the mining industry. lit was no such thing, the object of the petitioners and the Silting Committee was merely to devise some scheme, if possible, whereby the silting up of the river could Te a,verted. ' The Government proposed to spend a large sum on unwatering the lands of the Piako, but unless something is done to prevent the silting up of the Ohinemuri and Waihou river's, they would be practically undoing the good that was intended. Tlie same thing had occurred in America, and mining had to be stopped in consequence. The difficulty was admitted' bv the Ministers for Mines, Land, and Marine as well as the settlers, and the question was how to overcome, it in the best. way. It was a bad thing for the Thames district., extending from Tara.ru Point to Te Arolia, ,and also for railway communication as far as Thames, Paeroa, and Waihi were -concerned, if this silting was allowed to go on. There was no desire or attempt to injure mining. Mining and agriculture were the two greatest industries in the colony, and they should run hand in hand. Cr ICillgour heartily endorsed the Chairman’s remarks. It. was the duty of the. Council to give every assistance to stop the silting. The time would come when it would affect the Thames directly as it had the upcountry. He thought they should give their support to the Ohinemuri County Council, and proposed to that effect.

Cli- Clark, in seocnding the motion, concurred with the previous speakers. The difficulty, lie. said, was this. Government had granted concessions to the Mines Department, by declaring the river a sludge channel. Due. notice was given, to the owners of the land in the Thames Valley, and there were no objections made. This Was the weak ipoint. Tlie situation, however, was a. serious one. He- repudiated the stat.ment that the object was to interfere with the mining industry. In the Interests of self-protection some plan should be devised. The result of the silting would! be felt as far down downi as Tape. Seven years ago, remarked the sneaker, one could get fish any time in Tapu, land the water was perfectly clean. Now, there wais a noticeable difference. Nothing solidified like slimes, and it Was imperative that some change should be effected. The. motion was carried unan in. ou sly.