COMPENSATION TO FARMERS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume 24, Issue 1270, 31 March 1894, Page 3

COMPENSATION TO FARMERS.

TO THE E-TMTOB.

in no way a lover of paper controversy, I-cairbpt -let the" construction placed upon my r'emar.ks' by Mr J. C. Chappie go'■unchallenged. In the first place I tail to see why my remarks should lead •him to think that fair play would not be given to farmers by "the Mount fiJa Miners Association. Had I said in iio case would I give cohipeußatioii he would have had reason to think so. Besides, I spoke of rivers, uot sludge channels, which 'cfvised the damage. In two' of the cases he mentii>ns no reasoning could show but that ft was cansed by mining. 1 n the case of rivers I maintain it is vastly, different; since it can be proVed at aiiyrate., were just as liable \o overflow before Ihe 'diggers started Bluicingasthey hax'ee'ver been Since. luf&ctji think I can go farther »nd say proof of higher flood-marks can be shown, and %hat .wlk're settlement had, taken place along their banks just as much damage was done to the farmers.

Now we comfc to the sludge left on the land after a flood, which Mr, Chappie considers detrimental. *lf id how .can he account for the crops that are grown on the Taieri 'especially on the farm's bordering the Taieri and Waipori rivers, .where "the land is mostly composed of it, as weirSs inSriy other rich lan'ds iu fttago. It was knowing this that caused me to think poor land might be benefited by 'some of it, ;and hi 6pite of whac Mr Ohapple shoali say I still maintain it.

In conclusion, I would ask Mr Chappie 'how is it if nothing will grow on shingle that the largest deposit of it in New Zealand is to be auctioned in May next in two grazing runs—vifc., the LakeEllesmere Spit? As Mr Chappie intends to defend the farmers so wiU I th% "miners-, bnt not tb the detriment of Sither indus'tify beyond what is fair, since I am interested in both, and fail to see why both cannot thrive in unison:—! ani, jfec., . , % W. MASON', , Chairman Mount Ida Miners' Asstfciati'on. Naseby, March 19th, 1894.