FOURTEEN-MILE BEACH DREDGING COMPANY. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11924, 24 December 1900, Page 6

FOURTEEN-MILE BEACH DREDGING COMPANY. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—Knowing the locality of the Fourteenmile Beach Company's claim and its line of water race, and having known llr T. C. Donnelly personally when he was superintending Ihe construction of the Bald Hill Flat Sluicing Company's race, as I was then a resident of the district, and had had many years' exmaintaining water races and dams (and this at my own expense and not that of other people) along the spurs and across gullies of the Old Man Range, I think I am competent to judge el work done by others of a similar nature. During this time I often visited Mr Donnelly's works. Therefore I can endorse his remarks in your issue of the 20th inst. regarding his experience of water races, and also regarding his mistake—and it shows a. good trait in his character when he admits this in a public print. I am of opinion that it would be wise for the Fourteen-mile Beach Company to engage Mr Donnelly, say, for a couple of months to put their race in order and maintain tho snmo for that period.

There is not a irrcalor mistake whore waterraces are concerned to hold and carry water, especially in rugged country like the Old Man Range, than to employ inexperienced men for that purpose. No doubt the men employed by the Foiirteen-ruile Beach Company in due time may acquire the experience that Mr Donnelly has had. At the commencement of this paid race, some 13 months ago, I wrote to the

secretary of the company calling his attention to the mistake of constructing it in tho way it was being clone. In conclusion, I am of opinion it would be as difficult for an incompetent man to construct and maintain a wafer race (to hold water) on the Old Man Range as it would be for an inexperienced man to construct a tank to hold water witli 'undressed timber.—l am, etc.,

; J. R. Kemp (Late oi Bald Hill Plat). Allanton, December 21.

MIKING IN THE WEST COAST SOUNDS. I TO THF. EDITOl:. I Sir,—The*attention of my directors! has to-

clay been called to a, description of " Mining iv the West Coast Sounds" in your issue of the 10th inst., in which the following appears in reference to some recent discovery on Crayfish Island:—"A hundredweight of stone was taken, out and crushed at one of the Morning Star batteries, it yielded no less than £3uO worth of gold," and I am instructed to say that up to the present time my board have no knowledge whatever of such a. crushing at oui battery as the statement therein sets out.—l am, ' etc.,

Richaed Allen, Legal Manager.