THE RIVERS COMMISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2479, 18 September 1901, Page 27

THE RIVERS COMMISSION.

TUT. FINAL REPORT (From Or p. Own Coßii>,&roxnKxi.) WELLINGTON, Septemnei 10. The final report of the Knors Comim-sion drals with a miirber ot Otago rl\ei 5 and streams as follow*. - FRUIDBURX. The Fruidbuin t.ike* it« lise m the Lammeriaw R.itige, an-! to it? co'iHuenc c Witii ihe Clutha River pas=e- through Crown lands with the exception ol one section ot freehold Jaiul, i ompming an area ot b*o acre?, belonging to Mc«h> Rattray and .Son, who sue t"c- les- ee * ot t)>r Jst?<mnio.U station, a pastoral estate of 6SOO i'tre-. Ti.e best portion ot the freehold section lies in the aJlt 3 of the Fruidburn, ard i^ cultivated aiut used tor growing winter teed for stock. A large area of the leasehold, being high country, is eo\ ered with snow for about four months of tho year, and the stock ha\e. to be kept on and provided with food from the low country during that period. Two dams ot considerable size have been constructed in the valley of the Fruidburn by a company known as the Inland Block Hydraulic- Sluicing Company. The water in the upper dam covers a portion of -Messrs Rattray and Son's freehold, for which the company pay a renl.il of 10s per acre per annum. Jt?lie original < oft of the&e ctamp, i aces-, and hydraulic plant was about £30,000. The fk-t company went info liquidation, and the property v, as> pin chased by the present <-ompany about a year ago for £5250. iMnce the purchase the present company has expended about £2000 on the plant and repair* to tlie head works, and it ■m now employing 11 men in working the ground. The evidence of the directors of the company «hows that the company has a lease oi freehold land belonging to the Colonial Bank ot Australasia, Melbourne, compiling an area of 2000 acres, of which 750 acres are auriferous, and that it is intended to work thi« land with dredges, in addition to a hydraulic elevating plant, and to use part of the water supply to work electric plant for generating power for the dredge*-. Tiie directors of the company a«=ert that if the Fruidburn were declared a sludge channel their water rights would be rendered almost valueless, as the tailing* and sediment from the muddy water coming from jlanns higher up the ttreani would settle in the dams, and thereby greatly interiors with the conservation of water, and ,cau«e damage to the <omp;uij.'b plant. There are six n jners employed on a terrace adjoining the Fruidburn, about a mile and anaif higher up the i-treai,. than Messrs Rattray and Son-, freehold, and about two miles and a-half above the Island Block Company's upper dam. These miners ha\e nmalsrawatrd their interest. The washdirt in the ten sup in which thi» party of miners i.s carrying on hydraulk Muiring operations was about 30ft in deptli at the time your commissioners \uitecl the ground, but the terrace ri«e« considerably, and the bottom on which thu washdrift he«> shows indications '}f dipping, 'o that should the workings extend back to the top of the terrace the depth of the face would hv not less tlun 70ft. The tailing:; from the workings have to far been deposited on the flat, and not discharged into the creek, except at one place where the bank broke away. The Fruidburn !>as very little fall from the place where the miners are at work to the upper dam of the Island Block Company, and its banks aio so low that it tailings- were discharged into the sii earns n<- be r l would soon be filled up ior some distance below their mining claim The watfr ami tailings would spread o\er a considerable- area of the \ alley, and fresh channels wot' ld be liable to be cut e\ery flood. The miners in their eMdeiue were not in accord as to the time they ha\e been at work, but all of them were agreed as to the amount of gold they had obtained. Mr L. F. Blank produced °*fi book which showed that the total value of gold obtained from November 11, 1899. to No\ ember 13, 1900. was £23 14s Bel. He :xUo ,tatocl that, m addition to this-, there might be from the washing up then taking plate about l]oz of gold, which had a \alue of £3 17s 6cl pei oz. This would make tlie total \aluo of gold produced up to December 13 last £29 10s lid. From consideration of the evidence tendered, and an examination of the ground, your commissioners are of opinion that in the mining operations «o far carried on the ground has not been of a payable character, and therefore do not recommend that the Fruidburn be at present proclaimed a channel into which tailings, debris, and waste vatcr from mining claims may be discharged. KAKANUI RIVF.R. No miners aro woiking at present ou tnc Kdkanui Rher or its tubutaries. Tt ap pears that some of the lancK/wneis prospected the flats alongside the river, with •» to dredging, but did not find gold in Fuilicient quantities to warrant the proposed expendituie. The rner has a lock bottom troni near its source to tlie lower end of Balruddeiy station, about 14- miles tunn its mouth, where the bed widen- out m places ironi 15 to 20 chains, .aid is eotcued v.ilh

goise and broom. These places could easily be dredged if gold were tound in sufficient quantities to pay for working without injuring any adjacent land. There have been some gold workings on tho ocean beach at the mouth of the ri\er, as the remains of " paddcckiug ' can be seen, and this ground could also be worked without injury to any adjacent landed properties. Your commissioners are of opinion that sufficient prospecting has no* been done along the river to prove whether gold in payable quantities exists or not. and therefore do not rcc-om-inend that in tho meantime, tin.-, river be, proclaimed a water course into which tailmifs clebr,-, and waste water from mining claims in. y he discharged. AWAMOKO STREAM The Ay. anioko Creek taken its rise in the i.inge to the westward of the Livingstone township, a.id runs through a mining re seive for a distance of about four miles, and thone-o through the Tokcrahi estate, tho Maruwhenua estate, a Native reserve, and freehold land to its confluence with the Waitaki Ri\er. From tho point where the r reek leaves the mining reserve it urns for a. distant c of about three miles through a rooky gorge, from winch its course for a, distance ot about six miles, and a-half 19 through a narrow- valley, lianng an average width ( f about 10 chains, thenc through another rocky gorge for a distance of thiee miles approximately, thence for a distance of thiee miles through a valley ha\ ing an ;i\euge width of from 15 to 20 chains, ilrnee iln-uigh another rocky gorge to tho VT'utaki Valley, which it traverses for a distance ot about two m^e-. In the early day.- of the epo'diields tailings and water from mining operations were discharged into this cnH-k at the time the Tokorahi and Maruwhenua estates were freehold lands, owned by Messrs Borton and M'Maater, who, together with other holders of freehold s C < tiens abutting on the creek, took steps to prevent the miners Using it as a .ei'i'ptaeie of- tailings and waste water. The ( reek has, therefore, not been so used for the last 10 years by the mining community. Recently the Government, tinder "The Land for Settlements Act. 1894," purchased tho Tokorahi and Maruwhenua estates, which form a considerable portion of the land through which the Awamoko Creek flowt, and set apart a chain reserve on each- side of the creek, vvhioh reserve is now held by the different Government leaseholders on a y> arly tenancy. The evidence tendered your commissioners by settlers on the Tokcrahi estate showed that a number of them arj partially dependent on the Awamoko Cretk for the supply of water for their ■stock and domestic purposes, and that in th°- event of the creek being declared a water course under the Mining Act tailings carried down by the stream would raise the bed and in course of time be deposited) on the low-lying portions of their holdings. The miners in the vicinity of Livingstone state that there is a large area of auriferous ground that could be worked on the mininj,reserve through which the creek flows. Owing to the action of the freeholders above referred t-o mining of late yean, has been confined to the ground in tho watershed oE the Maruwhenua River, which is divided, from that of the Awamoko by a narrow ridge. It was asserted in evidence that unless facilities were given to open up ihi-f reserve many of the miners on the Livingstone goldfield would have to leave the district, as the locality at present being worked remuneratively would shortly be exhausted. At the present time 34 men are employed ovi hydraulic mining claims on the Livingstone goldfield. They are supplied with, water from four water races, which ha*e a maximum carrying capacity of 20 sluiceheads, but which at certain seasons of thpi year are reduced to a minimum of aboxii; three heads. Three of these waier races could be diverted so as to command the ground of the mining reserve in the watershed of the Awamoko. A dredge is approaching completion for the purpose of working the ground in the bed of the Awamoko Creek dircct'y opposite tLe township of Livingstone, near the lower end of the mining reserve, but very hill© prospecting lias been done to ascertain whether oinot the ground contains a siifTk icnt, quantity of gold to pay for woiking by U.i-> ruprliocK Your commissioners endeavoured to obtain information as to the area and rateable valuo j of the land liable to be affected if the Awamoko Cicek were declared a water courte under the provisions of tection 108 of " The Mining Act, 1896," but the information supplied was not sufficient foi- them to defii.itely arrive at ilie amount o\ compensation that would 1)6 returned to bo paid. 16 may bo ghen as an opinion, Ik wevcr. that the maximum amount should not exceed £2000. Ta.kint> all i-ircumstani es into con'j'tlpration, your commissioners recommend i hat in the meantime notice be gi\en of intention to proclaim the Awainoko Creole a water ooui"-e> into whioh tailing- . debris, and waste A\alor from mining dan,*? may i I)p discharged ; but in making this recommendation your commissioners dc-ue to place on record their opinion that, ir> \m»w of the fact that owing to the insufficiency of water, the goldfieldi in the watershed of the Awamoko could not support more than a veiy limited population. The colony would be warranted in paymy a small amount only by way of compensation should fhc proclamation be proceeded with. TATERT RIVER. The Taieii River flows thiough .uu.feroua ( ountry f) om its source to near the point where it enters the Toieri Plain. The. upper poition of the rivei has been a receptacle for silt from mining operations, for 'lie lat{. 38 yeai s . Tailings and silt from the gold workings at Kyeburn, Nas.eby, Hamilton, and other places adjoining the upper reaches of (lie ri\er lia\o boon brought down by the liver and its different tributaries and deposited in the Taieri Lake until the lake is now almoet filled up- A certain quantity oi silt and fine tailings has also been brought into the ri\er by its tributanos from the gold workings in the -vicinity of Hyde, Hin don. and Deep Stream in time of floods. The. fine silt is cairicd with the water, and a certain quantity ot it is deposited in the bed ot the ri\er, where the tide water ol tho ocean meets the down-flowing j-tream. A large area of the Taieri Plain was subject to being eo\ered with water in heavy floods befoie there were .my gold workings-. In the caily days ot the settlement- a poition oE the now cultivated plain was a swamp, and banks ha\e In en constructed mound properties, not only to pro tec t the land troni being flooded, but also to allow it to be. chained by the use ot puNion wheels with wide floats to hit the water o\er the bank.-. Thes-e wheels aio driven by power, and l.aye to be kept workmg during ordinary wet weather A bank has been constructed on the ucst side of the Taic n Rnoi by tho A\ est T.uen .Mid Henley Rner Bin ,i ids flora the niouih oi ilic gcrgc when.- the river «R-

fcere the plain to its confluence with the water from the Waipori and Waihola Lakes, and thence along the Waipori River and Lake to near the township of Berwick. This bank keeps back the water of the river from the plain, except in very exceptional floods. Its construction, your commissioners were informed, cost over £3000, the money for which was borrowed and rates levied by these river boards on the land'affeeted by floods to repay the capital and interest. The chairmen of these river boards informed your commissioners that there is now only one email instalment of the borrowed money to he repaid. They added, however, that the banks have been found to be too low in slaces, and will require to be raised. An exceptionally heavy flood took place about the middle of November last, and was one of the highest ever known. The water broke over the bank in places, but did comparatively little damage. On the east side of the Taieri River, where there i*. no embankment, the flood water covered on that occasion a considerable area, and has lett in places a thin deposit of silt on the land, 'but e\en where this deposit has been made it has, speaking generally, not damaged the crops to any material extent. Some of the kettlersTstate that the silt acts as a fertiliser, and though it damages the crop? to a certain tlegre© it does the land good. These hea\y floods, it may be mentioned, have hitherto occurred only once in about nine or ten years. During an inspection of the lower reaches of the river your commissioners did not observe any material damage caused by either silting up or the water cutting away 'the banks. It is well known that the beds 'of rivers which descend from mountainous country through alluvial plains are raised by Kilt and debris coming down with the water, and in many instances to such an extent (that the water flows in a fen, and in time of ,dood breaks over the low banks and forms new channels. The Taieri River, being very rapid in its course through the gorge, would naturally bring down a certain quantity of 6ilt and debris from slips from the mountain sides, even if there were no gold workings, and deposit it in the bed in those reaches where there is very little river fall. The gold workings during the past 38 years have «ontributed*to some extent to the quantity of silt in the river bed, but the land in the .plain has not sustained any permanent ••asiage.' Your commissioners have examined the land in the Taieri Plain affected or liable to be affected by floods, and have prepared a schedule showing the area of land .held by the different owners and lessees, with the rateable value of the same, and are of opinion that a consolidated river board should be formed by those interested 'to deal with the question of the protection of the land from damage by floods. As there are about 164 settlers, each holding an average area of 116 i acres of land, whose properties lire affected by flood water from the river, it would be desirable to allow such a conBolidated river board, at suggested, to formulate a scheme of protection po cope with the difficulty for^the leason that there would " he a greater probability of their agreeing amongst thenaselve3 as to what is required to lie done than fo any scheme submitted by * Government official. Taking all the surrouuding circumstances into consideration, and having .-in view the feasibility of a scheme which would conserve beth the agricultural and the mining interests, your commissioners do not recommend that the Taieri River bfr - proclaimed a water course into ■whi^h tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. KYEBTJRX. A great deal of work han been done in connection with gold workings in the \ alley of the Upper Kyeburn, and tailings have been sluiced into this stream for the last 58 years without doing any damage lo the land along its course. A dredge is now in course of construction to work ground in the valley, on what is known as Church Flat, and it is likely that more dredges will be constructed there if the one now nearly completed proves successful, as there is little likelihood of any claims being made for compensation. Your commissioners recommend that the Kyeburn. from its source to it* confluence with the Taieri River, be proclaimed a water course into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. HOGBURN. ■ Mining has been carried on ,in the Hcgfrarp and its valley for th« last 68 years. It is the principal outlet for all the waste water from mining claims in the vicinity of Naseby. Two hydraulic elevating plants ■re being jrorked in this valley, about two miles below Naeeby, and are giving good returns. There is a mining reserve 10 chains in width down this valley from Nasebv to the Taieri Lake, which manifestly precludes the possibility of any valid claim * for compensation being made in the even 1 i of the stream being declared a sludge channel, and your commissioner-; therefore re- j commend that the Hogburn be proclaime-J : a water course into which tailing, debris, j and waste water from mining claims may I be discharged. " \ GIMMERBURX. i The Gimmerburn takes its rise in the Garibaldi Range, and passes through a wide valley for a distance of about seven miles to its confluence with the Woddorburn, which is a tributary of the Taieri River. At the jioint where it leaves the gorge in the range there is a tailings reserve of 124- acres, which extends below the gorge for a distaice of about a mile and a-half. and from the lowe: -"end of this reserve to the Wedderburu i".'" I**1 ** is a mining reserve of two chain* wid - along the course of the stream. There have been considerable gold workings on the Oaribaldi Range, and there in a largo deposit of tailings on the reserve immediately* below the mouth of the gorge. Evidence "tendered to your commissioners showed that the tailings reserve was leased by (wo settlers, and that a channel for the nurpo.-e of draining the land was cut in the reserve to the place where the tailings are deposited. ■The cutting of this channel had the effect of concentrating the water, which formerly .flowed over the flat, and as a result of such concentration tailings have in time of flood ' been deposited on lands occupied by other settlers lower down the stream. The evidence also showed' that there were four miners working claims on the Garibaldi Range, and that they could only work for about four months in the year owing lo the scarcity of water. It was evident tft- your Commissioners, after inspection, that there is a sufficient reserve for the deposit of tailings near the mouth of the gorge, and that any damage done to settlers lower down the •tream is due to the action of those who cut the before-mentioned channel in the reserve. If this channel were cloned up near its head the tailings and water wootd go over a considerable area of the tailings reserve, and not in any way interfere with or damage the laud of settlers lower down

the valley. Under these circumstances, your commissioners do not recommend that the Gimmerburn be proclaimed a water course into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. FRASER RIVER. The Fraser River takes its rise in what is termed the Old Man Range, and traverses from its source auriferous country, some ]3ortions of which are known to contain gold in sufficient quantities to pay for working. A hydraulic sluicing plant has recently been constructed for the purpose of working the Fraser basin near the source of the rher. There is no freehold land on the banks of thi.-- rher until it leaies the mountains and enters the plain at the Earnscleugh estate, where it pastes through a pre-emptive right section recently purchased by -the Government. Below this preemptive right holding there are two small sections of freehold land : but one of these has lately been sold for dredging, and it is probable the other will be disposed of for a likf purpose Seeing that the bed of this vi\er is hkely to be woiked by dredges, and that little or no compensation will be required to be paid, your commissioners recommend that t!ie Fraser River be proclaimed a water course into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may he discharged. TUAPEKA RIVER. The Tuapeka River may be said to take its ri»e at Wethenstoneg and the Blue Spur, where rich deposits of gold lhave been obtained, and workings are still being carried en by dredging and hydraulic sluicing and elevating plants. Dredging claims have been taken up in the valley of the river. One dredge is at work, and another in course of cou&truction on the Wetherstones Flat, and other dredges are working on the Tuapeka and Evan's Flats. The result of the first gold workings, which were carried on by paddocking, was that the ground was left in a very rough state, and utterly useless for cultivation, but the reworking of it by dredges has the effect of leaving it in such an improved condition that there is a reasonable prospect of the dredged land being utilised for settlement purposes. Seeing that no injury will be done, and no compensation required to be paid to any landholder, your commissioners recommend that the Tuapeka River, with its tributaries— Wetherstones, Gabriel, and Monroe Creeks — be proclaimed water courses into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. CARDRONA RIVER. Active mining operations have been carried on in the valley of the Cardrona and adjoining terraces during the last 38 years. One dredge has been working near the junction of the Branch Creek and the main nvcr lor the la-t 12 months, and at the present lime there are five dredges under construction to work the ground in the alley of the Cardrona below the township, which is about eight miles From the source, and 15 m^es from the confluence with the Clutha. Very rich deposits of gold have been obtained in Ihe valley above the township, but below this the lead was lost. The ground below the iown«hip is much deeper than that above, and, there being too much water to contend with, it could not be worked in the ordinary manner. Mining will net detrimentally affect any landholder, and as no valid claim for compensation can be made your commissioners recommend that the Cardrona River and its tributaries to their sources be proclaimed water courses into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. POMAHAKA RIVER. This river takes its rise in the Old Man Range, and flows through freehold land for ;< distance of nearly 40 miles to its confluence with the Clutha Rher. Gold workings have been carried on on the terraces adjacent to the river since the early daya of the goldfields, but at the present time very little work is being done. One dredge is at work on the Ardmore estate, on a small tributary about a mile distant from the river, and is said to give payable returns. There is a large extent of low-lying cultivated land in the valley of the river, which ii covered with water in time of flood. Several dredging claims have been taken up in the river bed. but your commissioners could obtain no information as to the prospects obtained. Your commissioners are of opinion that sufficient prospecting in the river bed has not been done to warrant a recommendation that the i'umihaka, River be proclaimed a water ccuive into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be disci arged. ARROW RIVER. A number of mining claims are being worked on the terraces adjacent to and on 1 the tributaries of this river, as v, ell as workings in the bed of the main river. There j is no freehold land which can be injuriously I affected by such workings, as the river flows j principally through a rocky gorge from its I pouce to i+s confluence with the Kawarau S Rher. Extensive mining operations are likely to be carried on iv this locality for a number of years. Your commissioners recommend that the Arrow River and its tributaries higher up the stream than the Arrow township be declnred water courses into which tailings, d°bn». and waste water f 101.1 mining claims may be discharged. SHOTOVER RIVER. Rich deposits of auriferous washdirt were I obtained in the bed of this river in the ! early days of the goldfields, and gold min1 jiig- is still being carried on in the bed and • adjoining terraces. The river flows through i a, steep rocky gorge for a distance of fully | 25 niile« to it* confluence with the Kawarau River. Wherever the bed rock was reached gold wo/- foimd in payable quantities, and there are : o aches in the river bed in which no minins; operations ha\e yet been carried on. Dredges have been worked with very successful lvsult* in the portion of the river known as the Big Beach, and several dredging claims have recently been taken up in tlto«e portions not hitherto worked. There is no freehold land that will be affected by mining, and no valid claims for compensation can be made. Your commissioners therefore recommend that Jhe Shoto\er River and its tributaries be declared water courses iuto which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. " NEVIS RIVER. The Ne\ls River passes through Crown lands from its souice to its confluence with the Kawarnu River. It has been a receptacle for tailings from mining claims for the last 37 years, and at the present time mining is being carried on in the liver bed and on the d]oining terraces A number of dredging claims have been taken up in this locality. Five dredges are being worked, and one is under construction. Your 'commissioners recommend that this ii\er J with.

all its tributaries, be proilaimcd water courses into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. BUCKLERBURN. The Bucklerburn flows through Crown lands from iU rource to where it empties into Lake Wakatipu. There is at the present time a hydraulic sluicing and elevating plant for working the ground in the bed of the stream. Rich deposits of gold were obtained in this burn m the early day.* of the field, and llieie is a possibility of dredging being yet carried on near the niotith of the stream. In view of the fac f that no compensation would ba required to be paid, your commissioners recommend tha^ l'-e Bucklerburn and tributaries be proclaimed watercourses, into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be di°-d-arged. DART RPi T ER. A number of dredging claims have been lakpii up in the bed of the Dart Rner. One dredge js m course of construction, and iv expected to be ready for work at an early dele. There i^ ample ground for a large number of dredges, and should the dredge now being built prove a profitable venture there is every prospect of several otlieio being placed on the rher. There is no likelihood of any damage being done to adjacent land by mining operations, or of any valid claims for compensation being made. Your commissioners recommend that the Dart River be proclaimed a water-course into which tailings, debri=. and waste water fiom mining claims may be discharged. REES RIVER. Several dredging claims have be*>n taken up in the bed of the Rees River. bu f so far no dredgep are being constructed, and no mining is being carried on in the valley of the main stream, though hydraulic sluicing and elevating plants are being worked on two tributaries of t^e river — namely, the Oxburn and Templeburn, formerly known as Precipice Creek and Twelve-mile Creek i espectively. A large quantity of shingle ii brought down from the mountains every year by the flood water of the river, and is rapidly raising the bed. There is a conr.iderable area of low-lying cultivated land in the valley, which in the natural course of events will be covered with shingle. Were no mining carried on. dredging in the bed of the river will not accelerate the destruction of thih land. Though the ii\er bed has been taken up for dredging, your commissioners could not obtain ;>ny information as to payable prospects or otherwise having been obtained, and therefore do not deem it expedient that the_ Rees River be at present proclaimed a water-course into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claims may be discharged. OTHER RIVERS. Your commissioners visited all the goldfields centres, and examined the principal livers and streams into which waste water from mining claims is discharged — namely, the Clutha, Kawarau, Dunstan, Manuherikia, and Shag Rivers, with their tributaries. On some of these dredging opemlions are being extensively carried on. On tbe Clutha River, 32 dredges are at work, and 62 in course of construction. All the working dredges with the exception of one, near Lowburn, are situated between Cromwell and Beaumont. Twenty-four of the-.e are working between Cromwell and Alexandra, a distance of about 21 mile 3, and 15 in course of construction are intended to work ground between the two last-mentioned townships.. On the Kawarau River there s«re eight dredges working, and 17 in course of construction. Dj edging operations arc principally carried on at the present time on the Clutha and Kawarau Rivers, but dredging claims are being taken up on almost every flat and stream known to contain auriferious gravel drift. Dredging is, developing in'o a very large industry, and will be the means of gold being obtained from the ,beds of rivers and alluvial flats where there is not sufficient fall to work by hydraulic sluicing. The cost of working the ground by thete dredges is about threepence per cubic yard, or approximately the same as working ground by hydraulic elevating plants. Comparing these two systems of working, the first cost of a diedge is less than that of a hydraulic elevating plant of similar capacity, with the necessary dams and water races, and it is only in certain localities that a sufficient water supply can be obtained for hydraulic elevating, and even that supply is only sufficient to work one or two claims, whereas tke number of dredges is only limited by the extent of ground that will pay for working, provided that enough water >s available for washing purposes. In working the alluvial drifts by dredges in the beds of streams there is no likelihood of any damage being done to land held by settlers along the banks, as a dredge merely trenches up the gravel in the bed and deposit* it again in nearly the same place. Taking all the circumstanced into consideration, and beeing that r.ome of the principal rivers have been used as main channels to carry off the waste water and silt from gold workings duiing the past 39 years, your commissioners do not at the present time «cc any necessity to recommend that the Clutha, Kawarau, Dunstan, Manuherikia, and Shag Rivers be proclaimed water-courses into which tailings, debris, and waste water from mining claim? may be discharged. Your commissions s have, with de-ep regret, to state that Mr J. P. Alaitland. Commissioner of Crown Lands for Otago, has been unable, owing to carious illness, to act as one of your commissioners in dealing with the subject* contained* in this report, and consequently Mr Maitland' » name is not appended thereto.

Not all the young ladies who take up the teacherslpp of the aided <;ohool^ iv the Sounds district have their lines cast in pleasant places (( c ay~ the Marlborough Times). The Mailborough Education Board received a letter last week written at Wellington, in \\ hich the fair correspondent resigned the teachership of a school held in a household in an isolated part of the district, and stated that such was the conduct of the family that no girl with any selfrespect could iemain. On one occasion she had to rane one of the pupils, whereupon a box of pencils was thrown at her which struck another pupil on the nose and made it bleed. The mother came in and swore at the teacher, and the father supplemented her remarks by baying that it she (the teacher) had been a man he would have kicked her down. The young lady immediately packed up, and even when she wa« leaving rough words were thrown at her. Add to all this that these good people owed her £10, and it will be admitted that the girl had a pretty story to tell the board. The secretary was instructed to write to the family with regard to the- arrears ol salapv