WATER SUPPLY FOR THE GOLD FIELDS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 168, 27 April 1871, Page 5

WATER SUPPLY FOR THE GOLD FIELDS.

(To tfie Editor.)

Sib., — The water supply for the benefit of the goidfields is a question that should be assiduously inquired into, and should have a prior claim to any other undertaking that may be about to be engaged in in the province. It is to be hoped that it will be the first placed on the estimates of our share in the expenditure of the English loan. It needs no argument to induce people to believe that the "gold digger " has been the greatest stay and the largest contributor towards the wealth this province now enjoys. He is exclusively the pioneer of Otago, and, undoubtedly, he pushed through all the privations which assail travellers in these wild regions. It will be still in the recollection of the greater portion of the inhabitants of Otago that our little capital (Dunedin) could be denominated nothing else than a small village at a period of fifteen years ago, and inhabited l>y a few poor, but brave men, who subsisted by fishing and providing for a few u p-country squatters . Such D unedin was at that time. Suddenly the scene changed, the rumour being spread that payable gold had been discovered. Hundreds and thousands caught the " fever ;" rush succeeded rush, and Dunedin, in a few months, from a mere village became a flourishing town. The revenue, that had before been a very small amount, increased to a great extent. Offices were made and filled ; public works were accelerated and carried on, which gave profitable employment to hundreds ; an impetus was given to irade in all its departments, and as the country began to be opened up, the men of capital, who would not venture into those* far off wilds before, procured large tracts of country for the purpose of sheep farming. They readily found a market for their stock. And one of the greatest boons to the province at large and of well known utility, were the roads which were construe ed, which increased traffic and enabled the inhabitants to enjoy a great many worldly comforts, which could not be obtained before, without great difficulty and expense, and at the same time erased that desultory and apocryphal look from the country which it then wore. The real cause of this prosperity wos the miner, and he alone ; he is verily the upholder and stay of the province. Now it will be adduced from this, and seen, how essential it will be to further uphold and support him to a greater degree ; and that support will be to supply . hjjs.~with quantities of- water to ' enable' him to pursue his profitable labour. It has bean felt by the traders of this province the last year or so, that there has been a great falling off in trade, consequent on the decline of gold ; and it is also evident to all who travel over th© several districts,

that unless something is done for the miners in the shape of water supply that the whole country will be at a staiuf1 still. Water is the cry raised in every place throughout the piovince. The impression seems to be that nearly all the face of the country is auriferous, and that the hills have a fair sprinkling of "dust" all through them. No doubt some have greater deposits which, in course of time, will be found. Now these hills cannot be wrought for want of water, and private enterprise cannot afford the expense of constructing such large races that would of necessity be required in a great many districts ; some would require, say a distance of 15 to 25 miles. There are localities at the present moment which would give employment to quantities of miners" — in fact would be rushed if a plentiful supply of water could hu obtained, and the miner could work and benefit himself. The present system appears to be that those who have water at their command are too prone to charge those who require it uff them such an exorbitant price that it swallows all a miner' 3 earnings to pay and disburse such debts, so he is wasting his time and labour on other people in toto. This system cannot work ; it may do for a time, but the digger is not the man to be pressed. He is too shrewd and independanr to wast his time and labour for the benefit of the raceholder, and his own family perhaps at the time are in want of the bare necessaries of life, and probably running heavily into debt. The time has now arrived when the Government in turn should give them a helping hand, and endeavour to alleviate their troubles, and augment the remuneration for their labours. A stone should not be left unturned to effect this advantageous scheme. " Strike while the iron is hot " should be the motto of our heads in the Government It must not be placed on the shelf, but must be discussed, and serif >usly thought over by the financiers of Otago ; and if it comes to pass, they will see the benefit that will accrue from such a glorious undertaking. Consider, any one of us, and recall to his memory if he can, any place that has not benefited and been the recipient of good from the gold. There might be one or two exceptions, but that would be all. These places, which have benefited to a degree, in all probability would have been desolate wilds now but for the kindly services and industry of the miner. £300,000 would be a most inadequate sum for such a stupendous undertaking. The amount that would be spent on the preliminaries alone would take the greater portion of that sum, and tlie claims for compensation for existing rights would be something startling— in fact would swallow up the whole of that amount. A sum that would only be sufficient would be a million, or perhaps more if it could ha obtained ; if not, the attempt at such a scheme would prove abortive. It is no mean undertaking, and is one which would pay a higher interest than any other Government one in the country. Miner's rights would increase with the influx of miners into the province. The gold export duty also would increase largely in consequence of the greater amount of gold obtained — «c.\& that, as it is at present, will lie buried until the end of time, and will never be brought to light. Taky into consideration the impetus it would give to trade ; the expending of this gold procured, and also the_ different fees of the several districts, registrations, &c, that would accrue from a flourishing goldfield. o<-m lire with these the water money obtained from the seveml r.ices. It would be necessary that the Government should buy up all existing rights in such water ivice3. These races ought then to be enlarged to procure more water, and to meet the requirements of the districts in which they are situated. Then let thi water to private persons year by year by auction, which would save the Government the trouble of collecting the money and other disagreeable et ceteras, of course fixing a maximum price per head to be paid by each miner, supposing the Government head of water to be 60 inches, which would accommodate all goldtields, as in different districts the head of water differs according to the workings. Dams or reservoirs might then be constructed in gullies and gorges, which would be a great assistance to the miner, as is seen at the present time in some localities. In the event of this grand project being carried out, Otago will be in as flourishing a state as we could desire, and the money thus expended will be ever remembered, by the whole country as having been put to a really grand and profitable purpose. — I am, &c, Juxius. Switzers, April 21, 1871.