OUR THAMES LETTER.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume I, Issue 22, 14 May 1892, Page 6

OUR THAMES LETTER.

From oub own Corbespondent

Tae Board of Assessments for the Thames County sat on Thursday and Friday, when a very large number of objections were dealt with. In some cases >it transpired that the assessor (Mr Woodward) had not even visited the' properties, although the valuation had been greatly increased.

: The up-county friends of Mr Alex. Brodie, who was for many years Chairman of the Thames County Council, but is'now a resident of Auckland, willi)e pleased to learn that he is now Te- - covering from his severe illness. He has been confined to His bed, for four months, •and is not yet quite himself. He is now hopeful of still more regaining health and strength. v ■ . V ■Quite a number of Thames residents express their intention to attend the Waihi races.

Some time ago Mr J. W. Walker lodged an application in the Warden's Court for the right to 'construct two water-races the County waterrace,, for the proposed utilisingelectricity in connection with the pumping of water from the deep 'levels of the Thames. .To this an objection was ! iodged'by the Thames . County Cpuncil, 1 w& ( that ttey, were the absolute possessorsJof the r Kauaeranga stream and all its tributaries, and thai; the Warden had no power to in any way; .interfere with those' rights. Con. • siderable argument took jpiace between -Messrs Purchas and Miller,.Vho, ap* pea red "or the applicant and, objector respectively, a.nd the !\V^r(3en;re3ervepl his deqisibn. ■. In ; . the meantime Mir. Nqrthcroft looked into the .matter, and ■ on. Thursday he ra^ecl that he was quite - satisfied he had .jurisdiction,; but would <further preserve ; judgmeni until the 9th •of June, in order ihat, he, ; might visit the spot, and, ascertain^ whether , the granting of;;the application would; in any „way. .interfere - L yfjth the public vintereits.;^;Tiii§;is a nasty jsir for f the County Council, a=» it simply means that that.the supposed absolute right, pf that the whole waters of the Kau--aeranga..and .intervening, streams, is a -myth.