THE MOUNT IDA SLUDGECHANNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 11 March 1882, Page 14

THE MOUNT IDA SLUDGECHANNEL.

TO TUB BDITOB.

Sm,~Havlng frequently noticed in the Witness paragraphs from the Mount Ida Chronicle stating the " good working order " of the Hogburn Sludge-chan-nel, and being interested in mining, I determined while in the neighbourhood to take a turn along the main gully and have a look at this great work that had cost the Colony over £24,000. The first throe miles was, to bay the most of it, in fair working order ; but what about tho lesd? Oone ; all filled up. Sludge and water running anywhere and everywhere I confess I was surprised, especially when 1 contemplated the great cost at which it wus constructed, and the object for which it was intended— viz., to confine the "tailings" and enable the miners to work the ground along its course. Neither of these things will it now do. A state of things not in the smallest degree creditable to those who have the work in hand ; a condition which even a new-chum digger would not allow his tail-race to get into. Instead of forcing the tailings on and out of the mouth of the channel they have been allowed to gradually settle, and so fill it up that they now run back towards the head instead of going on to the tail : so that it is only a matter of a few months' time, and that portion that is at present clear will be also filled, and the whole thing mode useless.

In the first place, the fall in a portion of the channel ia evidently defective; and, secondly, the remedies adopted at present in attempting to cure the evil are also faulty and vory costly— ln fact, are doing more harm than good. In place of lowering the tailend of i he channel so that the tailings might have a chance of getting away, these practical men iv charge have kept raising the Bides with scrub and travel as the tailings increased, until they have got the channel into Mich a mess that they are at their wits' end what to do next. Still the order is "continue the scrubbißg."

Well, Sir, you can judge the state of things when I tell you th.it t.ho water and tailings, in place of running on the \> 'i.toni of tho channel some seven feet below the jinnee of the earth, flow between Bcutb banks lainciJ aoiue feet above thetmrfaco. So much are tho tailings rising that all the bridges, flumes, &c. across this channel are to be rained in midair go that this scrubbing policy may be continued. II tho money which has been squandered on this channel for the last four or five yean in trying to do impojsuibjliHufl bad been wjod in removing the cause

of all tho ovil, tho Trust would not be under the necesKity of keeping threo men riding about in a cart for the purpose of replacing a bunch of scrub hero ana there along the channel that may by some accident have got displaced. Whether the Trust have lost interest In the work, or whether <bey think the rapid decline of the Hogburn goldfield removos the need of any great effort on their part to remove the true pvil, I know not; but of one thing I am satisfied, and that is :-If they would stop this useless expenditure, and do away with a lot of antiquated fossils in the chape of men, and employ their wages in the way of giving cheaper water to the miner, they would do hi hoc veal good to the Hogburn. Trusting I havo not infringed too much on your mince,— l am. &c.,

Sluioee.