TAILRACES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 253, 5 December 1872, Page 7

TAILRACES.

(To the Editor.) Sir, — So far as I have observed in your columns, neither of the Miners' Associations have yet taken any action in what I conceive to be a matter of the utmost importance to the mining community — "the right to deposit tailings." This question will ultimately crop up in an ugly form, and maybecome a very serious matter, endangering the suspension of an important branch of mining, i.e.. sluicing. His Honor Mr. Wilson Grey has said : " that that's is n6 provision wade lor depositing tailings or tail water in the laws relating to mining." Now, does, it not seam rediculous to make provision for deviating the course of water for mining purposes, passing.it over milos of -country in an expensive ,water channel, washing the dirt from the gold with it through a tailrace, but when the tail of the race is reached it must stop there ? Why 1 the learned Judge has already answered ; unless indeed science can -supply a solution, as in tha case of smoke- from a chimney. The auuew have no other

remedy than to call for a legislative enactment. This evidently is a question fraught with various consequences, and demanding an immediate enactment. There are ample provisions for constructing head and tailraces, ground sloices, and drainage channels, sufficient to indicate s desire to permit the use of these indispensable auxiliaries to gold mining, but without permitting the miners to discharge tailings, thereby making the laws relating to races, &c, a dead letter and useless t I hope the Mining Conference will deal with this matter in a satisfactory manner. — T am, yours, &c., Si.xri©B».

Manuka Creek, Nov. 26th.