MINING NOTES.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 943, 10 September 1901, Page 2

MINING NOTES.

THE LABOK CItISIS. An adjourned meeting of directors, dredgeshareholders and others interested in tho dredging industry in the district is to be held in J. A. Yule's oilier, Enmon Chambers, to morrow afternoon, to founder 11 number of important matters eoniineied with the industry. It was proposed at a pre litniiiarv meeting, held a fortnight agn to form itn association to woik in conjunction with the successful organisation recently inaugurated in Duncdin. Since then, however, most of the country companies outside of (tore have joim d the Duncdin association und it bus been s hv the latter that the Gore companies should also join in. The executive would then make every necessary arrangement for a proper representation of all districts before the Conciliation Hoard, and would ulso wield more inlltleliee in le " H 'd to the M'Ulemeiit of water i|Uestions and other dilliculties. No doubt this matter will be fully considered ut the meeting to-morrow afternoon.

CHAHLTON AND WAIMUMI! WATEU DIFFICULTIES. MrMeNab, M.11.U., has forwiuded to Mr -I. A. \ ule. Gore, the following reply reeened by him from the Minister „f Mines: •• I have the honor to acknowledge nceipt of your letter of tho '2llth tilt, transmitting copy "of a telegram from Mr J. A. Yule, of Gmc, urging a settlement of the question of proclaiming the Charlton and Waununiu creek-. In I( .ply I have to infoim you ill respect to Chiuluim Creek that notice of application having been made to proclaim the creek '.v.is issued on 1-th October, IHIHI, when claims were sent in amounting to £.V.l]ii, and it was afwr consideration of these claims that the lioyal Commission recommended that the creek should not be proclaimed, but that a storm channel should be constructed by the mining companies and the fanners, unit, as you are aware, the Government pimnhiil u contribution to the extent of one-thiid of the cost of the channel.

With regard to the Wuiniiiiiiu stream, 1 may lemind you that although the Itoyi,! Commission did nut recommend that tins stream should he proclaimed, as it was t<. the mutual bum-lit ot the farmers and mining companies to work together. On it being subsequently reported that a settlement coulii not bo arrived at, it was decided to issue tho preliminary notice ol intention to pioelaini the stream. The notice was accordingly issued in the ' Gazette' of Will May last, and claims amounting to £2;i,s(H> 15s rid have been Bent in; while the Borough of Matnura recommend tlnil, instead of proclaiming the stream, the Government should construct a channel through the swamp to. tho west of the Waimumu and intorsoctitit,the properties of Messrs Mackenzie liros. ami Mclllwraith Bros. 1 may, however, infmn, you that the Government is not prepared to. undeitakc this work. As the claims for compensation on both striams arc bo large it in not proponed to pro< laiin either of them unlesi the claims an- very considerably reduced.- -I have, etc., J as. JdcUmvAN, Minister of Mines."

DIiEDGING BUSINESS. TO Tllli JiJiIToII. Bin, 1 observe that a meeting of dredgeowners shareholders, etc., has l M :en culled U> consider dredging matters, especially the water question. Now, the water business might have been settle.) twelve months ago so tar as the Waimumu dredges are concerned, had those intercste 1 thought it worth their while to attend meetings adveili:-ed by tinfarmers for funning a liver board. Although, in addition to advertising, postcard: were sent to each dredge manager in the Waimumu district, not 011 c thought it wouh while to attend, or even to semi an answer. There! is another matter besides water which it will be well lor the dredge-owners to con Mdi 1 at their meeting, lhat is the repairing of the road*.' which they arc distroving with their heavv triiilie. I may mention the damage done tithe road by the Waimumu Queen *!,. an instance, lhat ro-ol has been cut up into, ruts, and is in a state now such as it Inn ne\er been since it was made. Is it not. reas mable that those who damage the road.-, should pay for their repair '! All the Keillors' trallic during the last I .urteen \cais on this road never made a singly rut, hut the dredge wagon, in les than two months alter il wa& gravelled, cut it into ruts again, It is rjuitii uutural lh;U it sliouM ; tho JotidH which it doe.- time I „is of eoal, and the weight of wagon added, brings il up to quite four tons or over. That is a ton for each wheel to carry. 1 ■ .1. erved j„ |, tM , week's papur lhat tin.- Mataura Borough Council had appioached the County Council, asking lor aid to icpaii their portion of the road liam aged by dredge trallic, asset ting thai dredge carting was County or country trullic, anil lhat tin.- C* uuty Council to pay (or it. I cannot see why the County should be responsible for il any more than tho liorough Council, as il is not sutlers' trallic. No, the only way to deal with it r. to put on a rate ol so much per ton eairied by those waggons, the amount U be collected by thu Mataura Corporation, and expended under tho County on the roads s 1 used. 1 am, etc., Onk 01 luk Ai.i.im.vi:i»,