Miners v. Farmers.

Otago Witness, Issue 1975, 26 September 1889, Page 12

Miners v. Farmers.

EtilTOß Witness, — Sir ( This isa subject that is not new to your columns* In 1888 there were several letters on this subject in connection with the Otngo Central railway ; and as it has unpleasantly come up in the district lately (Nay lor v. Undannted Company, Tinkers),and more is about to follow, with your permission I will endeavour to point out a remedy which, if followed, will enable both industries to be carried on side by side without clashing. The Spotfcis Hundred was gazetted in 1874, and immediately after the miners at Tinkers were granted on the site of the Spottio Greek one chain wide on which to construct a channel to carry off their dirty water, and also a mining reserve of something like 1000 acres on which to stack their tailings. The cost, of constructing this channel was paid by the Govsrument contributing 15s in every p >undj and the diggers themselves paying the other 5s in the shape of labour. Immediately after the charmul was constructed they commenced to build a dam to stack their tailings on j the reserve ; but for the last 10 years they have ' done nothing to prevent their tailings from ! travelling doftn the channel; and in consequence | they have been in trouble for years with the j farmers at the lower end of the channel, and quite recently they had to purchase some 12 acres from Mrs Cle&ry which { th<y had covered up with taflings and adjoiuing they have covered up nearly 50 acres of section 21 -nd 22, block 1, Tiger Hill, which two sections the Government has given the channel men as a reserve. And further, the VmceDt County Council pay them pouud for pound the expense of keeping the channel in repair (on what principal I do not know). In 1885 the Tinkers diggers allowed Messrs Greonlaifc and Co. to run eight heads of water from Lauder crtek iniso their chanuel by being paid r £120 sterling as compensation. Now, instead of this £120 being expmded in increasing the carrying capacity of the channel, they quietl) put this £l2d in their pockets, and have done nothing whatever to the channel, although the eighb heads of water added is nearly one-fourth of the whole, and from that time to the present the channel has gradually filled with tailings ; in fact, were ifc not for the stuff on each side deposited there from the construction of the channel, the whole of the land in ifcs course would be under water, and as a consequence the farmers cannot drain their land into the channel as formerly, and when remonstrated with on the subject they say the channel is theirs and they can do as they like with it, and if they like can build a bank each side as high as they like, and the farmers can seek a drainage where they like, forgetting that the channel on the side of the Bpottis creek is the natural drainage of the land. There are two outlets from the claims at Tinkers — the south is the one alluded to above, the other north, ruaa into what is known as the Homestead channel, Thomson's creek, and joins the main channel a 6horfc way from its head. Quite recently the Government purchabed the pre-emptive right of the Matakanui Run, 90 acres, and paid £500 for it, and gave it to the diggers to stack their tailiDgs on, which they have never done, and when remonstrated with about it, Mr Greenlaik said they had too much trouble to get them away from the claims to interfere with them after. It was from this outlet that Mr Naylor sustained damage and got a verdict in the Supreme Court for same last month. I have taken the trouble thus minutely to show how the case stands between the miners and farmers in this instance, because there is a great cry made just now that the farmers want to hunt the miners away. This I deny. I will now proceed to show how they can work side by 'side without clashing. Th^ miners have certain rights t that is admitted, but the farmers do not admit their right to damage their farms with foreign water ; when the channel was constructed it wa6 4ft deep from the surface,'and this depth was i .creased to 6ft by the scour of water when first turned in, now it is running level with the surface, the depth of water not being over 15in, consequently there must be over 4ft of tailings in the chanuel. Now, if the diggers will do the same as they did just after constructing their channel — that Is, prevent the tailings travelling into the channel, and stack them on the reserve granted them for the purpose, they will hear no further complaints from the iarmers — that, i?, after the damage already done is compensated for. If the tailings are kept out I will guarantee the depth is reduced 2ft in a fortnight. Very shortly there will be another difficulty to contend with. Mr John Ewing is constructing a very large race into Tinkers, and the water must flow through this channel — that is, if he is allowed ,to work bis claim ; but if the tailings are kept out there is plenty of room for the dirty water, and that is what the channel was granted for and constructed to cairy. — I am, &c.,

John Cole Oha?ple. Allandale, Ophir, September 19.

Iron Sand.

Editor Witness,— Sir: In the Witness of the 19bb a letter appears from Walter Stott as to iron sand.

Throughout the whole river system of the Shotover, Kawarau, and Clutba very large quantities of black sand have to be got rid of by the different dredges and hydraulic sluicing claims now at work. Of this sand quite 10 per cent, is magnetic iron sand, and, if of any value, could be easily and effectively saved by automatic machinery at a cost not exceeding 5s per ton, and from the Wakatipu district ifc would probably cost under special arrangements some 30s per ton to get to seaboard. Any of tbe dredges that are likely to be at work on these rivers would have no difficulty in saving i>everal tons per week, as I feel sure quits 1 per cent, of iron sand is present in all gold bearing wash. By a very simple mechanical operation every particle of this can be saved, and if any price over 85s per ton can begot for it, large quantities would no doubt be saved, and would help materially to swell the dividends of mining companies

in the way of treating large quantities of tailings.

Only to-day I was forcibly struck with the quantities the Blue Spur Company had to get rid of each time they wash up, and nearly every sluicing claim in the colony can say the same. Would Professor Black kindly say what black sand, not magnetic, is composed of : is there any trace of platinum or other of the rare metals in any of it ? Any quantity will be gladly sent for testing. — I am, &c., September 24. E. F.