MINING AT MAEREWHENUA. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 16

MINING AT MAEREWHENUA. TO THE EDITOR.

Sin,— Matters at Maerewheuua and Livingstone are at t reseat quiet, but from Ministerial reports this goldfield uppears to come well to the top. "We are debarred from going into anything out of the ordinaiy way of working for want of water, as our present supply is not half enough to keep those on the field fully einplojed ; and if one should attempt to try oilier methoJs of working that aic likely lo have go. d results, but will use more wattr, everybody seems to watch him with great in'o e^t, and I almost believe hopo he will fail. This no doubt will appear very selfish on the parfc of tha other miaer& and were I disjjosad

to throw discredit on the Livings! one miners I could easily do so by not explaining their reason. In doing so I do not wish to make aspersions on the action of the water owners, as thoy have a perfect right to make the best use of their propetty. The Livingstone miners for the past 12 oe 14 years (with the exception of the last 12 months) have been supplied with water from tha Mosquito race, which is the main r>c?, and the lessees have hitherto contented themselves with selling tho water, or most of it, and the miners have locked upon the race as their race, and have depended upon its waters to get a living. They appear to have taken it for granted that it would always remain co, and, as the old song puts it, " Wa n»ver miss the water till the well runs dry," for while the miners were always prepared for shortness of water in dry summers and haul winterc, it uever seems to have entered their minds that the day was so close when the death blow would be dealt to their water supply, and it is only after 12 months of a miserable, half-starving existence that most of them havo realised their position. The mother loses all heart as the husband cornea homo early in the day "with the same tale, " No water to-day," and feels as if there was a lump in her thi-oat when she has to meet the storekeeper and tries to stammer out she has no money — " My husband can't got water." While this is the case with some it ia not so with all, as some who weie in a better position than*the rest struck out for themselves, and after 12 months of woiking and waiting th&y are reap, ing tho reward, and now stand on a much firmer footing, having water of their own. Little wonder they are envied by their less fottunats comrades, who, after pulling through a diy summer and a hard winter, aie not able to get more than half-time water, with the prospect of getting nona very soon, their only hone being that more water will be brought on the field. ' I understand there is some prospect of our hopes being realised, as a grant of 10 heads of water w»s made at the last sitting of the Warden's Court at Living«tone, and the Government has been approached- for assistance, with a satisfaotoiv leply, but very little has as yet bceu done, judging from outside appearances, beyond levelling ami giving the race a name. I uudcistand it is to be called "The Prohibitionist." and on iuquit ing why that name had been selected, I was told because it was meant to cirry plenty of water, and to be tha means of hclpiuc; everybody in the district, and linger tbe circumstances I must admit it could not be better name'). I dou't think I would be doing justice to all if after giving one side of t,he question I left out tho other, fur while some are acquainted with the cause of our shortness of Avater, others aro not. To make a Ions; story short, tbe lease of the main race changed hands, and the new lessee prefers to use the water in an elevator which to, bo worked properly needs it all.. Now the great questioa is whether the held is worth the expense of bringing in another race, and if I were suited I should say that I be'ieve that if there was plviity of water it would stand terond to none in. is'ew Zealand. To back up this statement I may say tbafc I have it from the best authority tb*t there are several claims at pieseiit paying over £1 a d»y and as high as £10 a_ week, while thete is no claim that is not paying a fair \v.ige, and could they get a^ much water as they could -use, in some in^tauces the dtiim would pay double. Tht-n there is the Government engineer's and tha Minister for Mines' report*. Any person who haa read them must adniit/-th«t if water could J>e got our field would bid f.nr to be the best in -New Zealand. The want of water has always kept this field back, and this I believe is pretty general throughout Otago. What would Nassby bo without the Government race ? I am inclined to think that had the miners there to depend on the private* racts it would hardly be recognised as a goldficld at all, as the great proportion of gold got there is obtained by elevators and by u^ing large strenms, one claim Using as much water as oil our claims put together Put the Maerewhenua- Livingstone miners on th»- same footing as Na.=er>y no far as the water is -concerned, and the field would yield three limea tho amount of golit at present. In the goldfield reports laid on the table of the House of Representatives last sen-ion « c came well up per man, with only about half the usual tupply of water. I will conclude l>y saying that if the Dunedin Miners' Association were to turn their attention more to getting adequate supplies of water on to the goldfields they could do a great deal of good. Hoping this miy stir up the minds of the men capable of g ving a helping hi\nd,— l am, Ac, Mines.