Karangahake Water Supply

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 8862, 12 October 1897, Page 4

Karangahake Water Supply

A QUESTION OP SECURITY,

A deputation waited on the Ohinemuri County Council the other day to urge the provision of a water supply for Karangahake. The spokesman (Mr Hogg) said that the residents were willing to be rated sufficiently to pay a sum for interest, and to provide a sinking fund. There were 148 sections which would pay £2 per year earli, and there were also 200 houses which, paying 10s per year each, would give another £IOO, and the sum thus raised, it was considered, would he sufficient to pay for interest and sinking fund. The cost of the work was roughly estimated at £2OOO. Cr McGruer thought the best thing to do was to communicate with tbe Government, pointing out that the Goldfields towns required water supplies, and asking for information as to their position in respect to obtaining loans. He moved to this effect.

It was pointed out that the chief difficulty was in giving security, and Cr Corbett suggested that as a new Mining Bill was before Parliament, it would be just as well if a clause was inserted providing for the payment into the Warden’s Office of extra levies made for the payment of interest, etc., on public works, authorised by the inhabitants to be carried out. Cr Moore felt confident the Government would never advance on the goldfields’ title security. The Karangahake people should be prepared to do as Paeroa was doing. Cr Mitchell pointed out that the Government security in Paeroa was a freehold and leasehold allotments. Although he was not opposed to the work he was afraid that what the Karangahake people asked for could not be done. Security could not be given, or rather was not worth taking, on land the property of the Crown.

Cr Corbett remarked that the public wished to pay for the water supply, and they offered to provide for it themselves by paying annually £2 into the Warden's Office instead of only 10s. The collection of the money could not be done in a cheaper way. He considered the security offered in Karangahake far better than that offered in Paeroa. The motion was carried.

The Ifuntirville Mystery,

Referring to the above, which was briefly D’ontioned in our telegraphic news some days ago, the Advocate of Monday last has the following:—

A sensation was caused at HunterviJle to-day by the news of the discovery of the boots, stockings, and hat of the girl Hilda Northcott, The discovery was made this forenoon by a son of Constable Moon, and one ol the late coroner’s jury named Let!, who had gone out to inspect the spot where the body was discovered. On their arrival they noticed a sugar bag lying in the grass not ten yards away. Opening it they found the articles mentioned. The boots and stockings wore both quite dry, and the grass underneath the bag showed unmistakeably that the articles had lain there not more than a day or two. Moreover, the open clear state of the ground at the spot rendered it impossible for the finders of the body to have missed seeing the bag, had it been there. After the body was found some who had been on the ground with Constable Moon’s search party, consisting of over 20 in number, about three weeks ago, were confident the body was not there then, for they h;.d been within a chain of the spot, and the ground was clear of logs and there was nothing but grass on it. Settlers, also, accustomed to finding dead sheep, have stated that when a body decomposes on the ground stock will not eat near it and the grass quickly grows rank for some distance around the carcase, In the case of Hilda Northcott’s body the grass was of even height for some distance around, and had not grown rank. This new discovery lends color to a suspicion that has gained ground since the inquest that the body was placed on the spot where it was found after Constable Moon’s search party had been over the ground.