MAEREWHENUA.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 208, 21 February 1873, Page 3

MAEREWHENUA.

(From our own correspondent.) I send you a few observations and current .facts. Harvesting operations are being vigorously pushed forward, and already the bulk of the crop is gathered in, the yield being in. many places first-rate—-especially with regard to the wheat. A few days of dirty weather threatened to give trouble to the farmers : but, happily, fine weather was soon again gladdening their hearts. "Wages have been high—l2s. per day and found for short engagements, while others had £2 10s. per week and found, for three months' engagements. Altogether, the farmers have had an anxious time of it. Working early and late, facing a certain low rate of market value for their grain, and having to pay high wages, is not a peculiarly pleasant state of things. Mining operations are at a standstill here at present, for want of water. The season has all through been very dry for mining purposes ; and until the races are cut into the rivers, no steady yield of gold can be expected from Maerewhenua. Nothing short of the main supplies of water being tapped can maintain a population on the.ground. Some of the races are : drawing near this desirable consummation, but still have a good deal to do before they can get into working order. _ M'Can's party are within a mile of the river, and will have a constant supply, there being enough water to keep two races going there at present. The race will be valuable when completed, as there is no fear of running short of water. The G-olden Hill Company are pushing ahead. They have got to Spring Creek, which leaves two and a half miles. between them and the main branch of the Maerewhenua, but there ! are a few heads in Spring Creek that I hear they intend to fetch in at once. A short tunnel is being driven at present, after which they have to throw a wire fluming across Bushy Creek. The material for this is on the ground, and if successfully put up, will be a great saving to the company. This race, when completed, will be of great value, having a good supply of water, and commanding, as it will, an unlimited field. The Band of Hope Company are busy extending their race from Bushy Creek to Stony Creek. This race is well constructed, and when ifc reaches a permanent source, will be second to none in value. I The Maerewhenua Company are; pushing ahead. They have fairly made their mark on this field, and deserve great credit for the way in which they have goneinto the work. They-started at the main supply, and are bringing the water after them. Over seven miles have been cut in as many months, through some very heavy and hard stuff. The race "is small, bub is al-1 lowed a greater amount of fall than is i usual. Shares are in demand in this I race. lam told that £l4O has been j offered for one share. The. Mosquito race has four and a half miles yet unfinished.- Nine men are at work, and expect to complete the race in about ten weeks. The value of this race can be gussed at from the fact that an experienced miner lately bought an eighth share for £4OO.

The Kakanui Water Bace Company, I regret to hear, is about to wind up. This will be a great loss to the district. Everybody here is anxious for them to go on. I am in hopes that the promoters and the Band of Hope Company will amalgamate, and construct one good race with the rights they already hold, instead of cutting two parallel races, as proposed. One race would carry all the water, and the difference of- expense in management alone would be some £6OO a-year. As to the question of rights granted and refused, I feel disgusted, and won't say anything further at present. Mr. G-. B. Taylor goes to Mount; Ida to attend the Company's meeting, and although

he has heavy interests in most of the races here, you will find him all there. He does not say much, but hears a good deal, and is not easily put off if he sets his mind upon a venture. 1 Everybody here has a good word for him, -and 1 am sure he will make a lot of friends before he comes back. The township is looking up. A good many travellers take advantage of the Pass road to get to the Waitaki and Lindis. The Mount Ida Trade Association are in remembrance for their exertions to establish a mail express through the Pass.

(Erom the ' North Ofcago Times ' correspondent.)

I promised in my last to describe the Maerewhenua, and now proceed to carry out that promise. The Maerewhenua Goldneld, as its name implies, is situated on the stream of that name. The extent of auriferous ground in this locality is eriormouf; its full extent is, however, imknowi. Eew diggings ever presented more certain signs of future prosperity. Many very valuable streams take' their rise in the Kakanui mountains, and after winding their way through what diggers call " made grouud " empty themselves into the "Waitaki. There. is a good supply of water, if it was all available; but unfortunately the Kakanui Eiver, which is one of the most permanent streams in the district, is tabooed. I happened to be present in the Courthouse, at Maerewhenua, to hear Mr. Julius on the part of Messrs Cheeseborough and Booth, and also on behalf of the Meat Preserving Company, flour mill, fellmongeries, and all the holders of land on both sides of the river, objecting to the application of Messrs Cooper and party, and the Kakanui Water Eace Company, to raise water from the Kakanui Eiver. As I stated above, this latter stream is one of the best sources the district posesses ; and were all the water available from this creek .brought on to the ground to. be sluiced, it would assist in supporting a largely increased population. This, however, caunot be done, as the Warden of the district refused to grant any further water rights without the express sanction of the Government. Mr. Julius, in addressing the Bench, stated—" That this water was required for public purposes, as represented by the inhabitants of a large agricultural district and important works, employing hundreds of of hands." If such were actually the case, it would be preposterous to suppose that the Government would or could sanction the cutting off the means of living of a large portion of one community to transfer it to an-, other. The fact's, however, are somewhat different, they stand thus • The point at which it is proposed to raise the water for mining purposes is situated about thirty miles above'the mill and fellmongeries, and also above several large lateral gullies, carrying a considerable amount of water. Should every drop of water be abstracted from the river at this point it would not, in my opinion, in any way affect the inhabitants below, for the following reasons :—A considerable body of water is at present running at the proposed heads of races, and at the mill, thirty miles lower down, there are but fourteen Government heads running, according to Mr A. Mowat's evidence. That gentleman stated—"AH the water we could get last week was eight to nine inches in a flume six feet, wide, and a flow of one and a half miles per hour," which gives between fourteen and fifteen Government heads. This goes to show that by far the greater portion of the water is lost in the extensive shingle bed 3 which exist below. If a properly-constructed dam were put down through the shingle aud built on the rock, this surplus water would be saved, and the mills and fellmongers would be enabled to work all the year round. A great deal was said in the Court about water not being diverted for mining purposes to the injury of their interests, but I failed to hear any remark passed on the subject of allowing water to run to waste The Goldflelds Kegulatkns distinctly specify that no water shall-be allowed to.run to waste; and in a case of the above' description it is patent that the

imi 11 owno rs and o wne rs' of fellmo nI geries are losing the greater portion of the stream. If it is not worth, the trouble to collect the water on. the lower portion of the river, why prevent an industrious class of men from making use of the surplus water above ?' Messrs Shepherd and M'Eerrow gave this subject a wide berth, and no doubt as far as their-own-'interests' were concerned they were right. They could not please., both parties, and* 1 therefore said nothing about-the matter. Mr. Julius/was perfectly correctwhen he stated'' that " the Commissioners' report/''was quite erroneous," for a more meagre document I have seldom perused. The Government sbould certainly- give this question some consideration, as it is one which will eventually lead to great trouble.. If the streams which percolate through., the Goldfields are sold, how can the " miner get water ? or where are his tailings to go to ? In Australia it has. been found advisable not to sell frontages, but JSTew Zealand legislators are slightly behind the times. - This is not; a question which affects the Maerewhenua alone, but one - which may ruin the whole of the Otago Goldfields. If the outlets to all the watercourses . are sold, and- it is shown to be illegal to abstract any water from the streamsabove, and that the streams are in no wise to be polluted with tailings, how on earth are the gold workings to be carried on ? The Government have opened a., pretty question for the judges, and in my humble opinion the sooner it is settled the better for all parties interested.. As matters stand at present capitalists are afraid to invest, and miners do not care about settling down in a district where they are not protected by law. The Goldiields Act must also be a dead letter, for it affords no protection whatever to the holder of a miner's right. The resume of the whole matter is this: The Government in several instances have sold the same right to -. two separate, parties,, and consequently are answerable for any losses sustained,, by either.