THE MINERS-STRIKE AT Mt. IDA

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 106, 19 February 1870, Page 5

THE MINERS- STRIKE AT Mt. IDA

AN EXPLANATION,

(To the Editor of the Tuapeka Times.) Sir, — An article, appearing in the " Mount Ida Chronicle" of the 11th inst. , and said to be taken from the " Tuapeka Times," I think requires some explanation. It is stated in that article that Tuapeka is paying 20s. per day for the same quantity of water that the Mount Ida miners want at 30s. per week, and think the same very jnoderate. I fancy there must be some mistake as regards the measurement of water between Mount Ida and Tuapek.*. Sir, if you will allow me, through the medium of your columns, I wish to rectify the mistake (if any), and also to give an explanation of our conduct. At the present price for water paid here (eight hours per day) a Government head amounts to 20s. per day ; at 30s. per week it would amount to 12s. 6d. per day. There is certainly a wide difference between these two sums, but I can assure you it is not in comparison with the exhausted state of this golftfield. Sir, I do not think this goldfield ought to be ruled by any other, and no other goldfield ought to be ruled by this one. If miners on other goldnelds found the shoe pinch them as it did us, I think they would be perfectly justified in consulting to remedy the evil. The Mount Ida miners did this (liominis est errare), and if they made a blunder, they were forced into it, not from choice, but from necessity. They petitioned the water companies first, showing the exhausted state of the field ; to this they received a very cuit reply, through the "Mount Ida Chronicle " — that the present price of water would not be lowered. The miners put no market value on it at first : it was left to the water proprietors themselves to reduce it. Then the miners had a second meeting, as to the market value of water here offered for sale, which resulted in the unanimous proposal that 3us. per week for a Hogbnrn head of water was sufficient. [A box sixteen inches wide, with a trap door at the head raised one inch, and one inch pressure, eight hours per day, is a Hogburn head of water.] Sir, after giving these explanations, if there has been any mistake, I trust it will be corrected. — I am, &c,

A Miner. Naseby, Mt. Ida, Feb. 12, 1870.

[For the information of our correspondent we submit a scale of the charges for water mnde by water companies on the Tuapeka Goldfield : — The Wetherstones companies' prices per day of eight hours are as follows : — For a head of 40 inches, 10s. ; 5o inches 12s , 60 inches, Ms ;70 inches, 16s ; 80 inches, ISs ; 90 inches, 20s ; 100 inches, 225. When the 100 inch head is taken for a week, the price charged is £6. The prices at the Blue Spur where, we are' informed, no party uses less than 100 inches, are as follows :—: — For 100 inches, £7 per week ; and for 150 inches, £10 per week. Al6 x 1 inch head, with one inch pressure, is a very poor head indeed — 4 x 4< would be much better, as there would be less friction, and it would be more just to the purchasers. — Ed. T.T.~\