DUNEDIN CITY AND THE TAIER BITER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 9

DUNEDIN CITY AND THE TAIER BITER.

PROJECTED OPPOSITION BY TAIERI

COUNCIL

At the meeting of tho Taieri County Council on Friday, the Engineer, in his report, submitted the following clause for the considciation of the council: —

It has been stated on gcocl tuUhotity that ths Dunedin City Corporation proposes this year to legis^te with a view to secure to the City of Dunedin the rights of the power of the Taieri River to all time. Now the rights which the corporation holds under the Mining Act are its property by law, but to hold them they must comply with the conditions under which such licenses are granted. It is presumably to override these conditions that a bill is being prepared for Parliament. I have brought this matter before ycui notice as it seem 3to me that the Taieri is the birthright of the Taieri people, and not of the City of Dunedin, and I suggest that steps be taken to guard against any concessions being granted to an outside body which it may not hold under the Mining Act and the Municipal Corporations Act.

The Engineer, in further explanation, said there was no power under the law- to allow any corporation to hc'.d the rights of a river unless it complied with the requirements of the Mining Act. which specified thit work should be commenoad within a certain time He thought the corporation wanted to hold the Taieri River until it found whether the Lee Stream would fulfil all requirements or not, and if so then the Taieri River could go. It was entirely a wrong idea of the City Council to try to hold the Taieri as an endowment. If there was any body should hold the Taieri River as an endowment it should be the Taieri County Council.

Cr Snmson said if the corporation sought to introduce legislation it would have to do so by a local bill, which would have to be advertised for a month. This would give time for opposition to the bill.

The Engineer suggested the promotion of a bill conserving the river rights to the 1 County Council.

Ultimately the engineer was instructed to consult with the council's solicitors on the point and report at next meeting.

Tlie public require again to be warned against spurious coins (says the Press). Two very flagrant cases have recently taken place in Chriatchurch. In one instance a sovereign presumably struck at an Australian mint, and bearing all the outward signs of being genuine, was found to be of lead. "In another instance a coin was passed aa a shilling, but was discovered to be of lead silvered over.

A big timber boom (says the Southland Times) is expected to take place along the South Westland railroad when completed. The line is expected to be open for traffic in May rfext year. It is astonishing how some railways in New Zealand can be pushed on. The first sod of this one was turned only th© other day.

"At present," complains the Cheviot News, " it is impossible to purchase a section in the township except through private hands, and as tho sections are mostly held for speculative purposes, their owner 3aa a rule do not care about parting with them just now. Consequently a petition is being circulated for signature asking the Land Board to put tip a block of township sections for sale by public auction."