DEPUTATIONS TO THE PRFMIER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 12

DEPUTATIONS TO THE PRFMIER.

BONANZA WATER-RACE. OMAKAU-OPHIR FOOTBRIDGE.

Before 6 o'eiodk on Wednesday morning, at Connelly's fio-te!, Ophir, while the Premier was taking a cup of coffee bsforo starting for Dunedin by the train, a deputation, consisting of Messrs J. Ewing, T. Beck, B. Flannery, W. B. Hawson. and D. M'Rae, waited upon him, and- brought a couple of local requirements under his notice. '

In ihe first place, they wanted to kuow if the Government, in the public interest, would purchase th» Bonanza water rights, coming into Ophir behind the Galloway Station, from the Manorburu. The company Twinging m this race, t it was pointed out, was in some difficulty * about fani£hing the work, and the people thought it would be a convenient time to acquire the water rights for the purposes of irrigation and mining.

The Premier asked the deputation to get the local residents to have these rights put under offer, and in the meantime he would get a report as to the cost of taking the water rights to a usable point. The deputation also asked for a footbridge across the Manuherikia to shorten the distance between the new and the old townships, more particularly in the interests of the school children, 'lhe deputation considered they had some claim on account of the Government engineers having placed the Tailway on the other side of the river. Ths Premier said that if the deputation could get the local psople to subscribe half the cost, he would ask the Minister of Public Works to recommend that the other half be granted. It was not a matter, he considered, of very great importance. Afc the same time, there was some sort of merit in the claim on behalf of the children.