HON. R. M'KENZIE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7022, 10 January 1910, Page 6

HON. R. M'KENZIE

AVEST COAST DEPUTATIONS. PKESS ASSOCIATION. HOKITIKA, January 9. Tho Hon. It. McKenzie, Minister for Mines and Public Works, visited Kosfc yesterday, and was waited, on by oepufations in regard to the. requirements ot the district. . Xhe Minister, in reply to a request from the people to unuertake the Waitaha extension of railway, said the proposal could not be entertained at present, owing to the large amount ot money required for the Otira tunnel contract. Several other matters received the Minister's attention. At Hokitika last evening a (deputation consisting of tho Mayor, president of the Rimu Miners' Association, and several other gentlemen interested in the mining industry, on the Minister and urged that a subsidy of i!15,O0U —which had appeared on the estimates for a number oi years and which had now been withdrawn —to assist in supplying water to. Rimu goldfields, should be. reinstated. It was pointed out that the total cost of the work, which was of great national importance, would involve an expenditure of from w£150,000 to The Minister in reply said he fully recognised the importance of the matter, but he could not promise anything definite. Personally he was in favour of reinstating the vote on ne*t year's estimates, and he would do alt he could for the deputation in this direction. The matter would have to be considered by Cabinet. In . connection with the foregoing the original idea of utilising water power to pump the necessary water from Hokitika river by means of electrical, appliances and pumps has been abandoned, and it is now intended to try and bring 120 heads of water from Toaroha stream through pipes and tunnels for 131 miles on to the auriferous ground in the Rimu district, which has been only partially worked owing to insufficient water being available. The Minister left for the north the same evening.