A THIRD DAM

Evening Star, Issue 14574, 24 May 1911, Page 6

A THIRD DAM

AT WAIPORI. OBJECTED TO BY MINERS. [Bv Ouk Own RepohteuJ LAWRENCE, May 23. A deputation took advantage of the presence of the Minister of Mines (the Hon. R. M'Kenzie) to bring before him to-day the objections that are raised to the prdpasal of the Dunedin Corporation to build a third dam at Waipori for the purpose of increasing the storage for electrical purposes. Mr F. W. Knight said that- the Corporation had applied for the right to build a dam 50ft Ingb, and this would dam the water on the mining reserve for a distance of four miles for the whole width. If this right wore granted the result would probably bo to cover six or seven miles instead of four. He would point out that the people of that Flat had no means of existence apart from mining. In the interests of the people and the interests of mining generally ho (Mr Knight) appealed to the Minister, asking that if the Corporation succeeded before the warden he (the Minister) would assist to prevent the Corporation from taking up such a large portion of the mining reserve. The people foresaw that they had to light for this, so as to keep Waipori as a mining district. In the course of time these high dams would back up the water all over the Flat, and thus prevent the sluicing of the gullies. Mr R. Cotton said that the damming of four miles would prevent the testing of the deep lead on (he Flat. Several dredges had proved that Plat payable. The twelve shareholders in the Success dredge got something life £950 each in dividends, it would be a shame to lock up golden ground for the sake of the Cor(onition. The Cor(rotation could get dams elsewhere, and they should not be allowed to bury up the gold. Mr J. K. Keenan endorsed what lire other speakers had said, ami remarked that the County Council were interested as a matter of controlling the roads. There were several miles of roads through the site of this proposed dam, and it would bo a hardship to have, to construct new roads.

The Minister : They would have to pay vou.

Mr John Edic, county engineer, said there was a splendid site for a. Corporation dam twelve or fifteen miles higher up. below the antimony crossing. He had pointed this out, mid the reply was that if the dam were built there a man would have to be kept on duty. If tire site now applied for were granted, two or three miles of the deep lead would never he got out. The matter was, ho understood, to come before the warden on the 6th June, and the County Council were putting in an objection. . Mr Furkert, asked by the Minister if he knew anything about the matter, .said that Mr Stark admitted that a dam on the site now suggested would be easily built, but it would not bold so much water as a dam on the site that the Corporation had applied for. The Hon. It. M’Kcnzic said he did not know that the matter would officially come to his notice. It was firstly and almost entirely a question for the warden, and if the people put before the warden as strong a ease as they had presented to him it would need a very strong case from the Corporation to make their application, successful. It the mailed- did come to him (the Minister) he would get reports, and if a mining reserve was uoing to be affected ho would have something to say. The County Council's objection seemed to he a strong one. In the meantime, until (he warden had dealt with the he did not see that he could do anything. If it came to him as a question of protecting a mining reserve he should say that he had even - right to protect the miners interests. He advised the deputation to see that a strong objection was lodged in the Maiden's Court. If so, there seemed every reason to suppose that the warden would not grant the application, and if that happened the whole trouble was settled.