OPPER WAIKAIA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVI, Issue 994, 28 November 1883, Page 3

OPPER WAIKAIA.

It has been raining continually for three days, and in consequence the river has been very high. There is a large addition of snow on the high ranges, which will delay the commencement of work in the river until after Christmas. Floods are a great drawback to the profitable

working of the auriferous deposits here,

as, in addition to the breakages caused thereby, much time is lost through the wa^er being too high to work; so that with the large amount of labour with explosives, tools, Ac, required in many cases, it is difficult for the miners to make *4iving, and it is really too bad that they should be inequitably taxed to starvation

point. The words "starvation, point," may t'Wte on the ear, but when money that is wanted for food and clothing is exacted, is it not a step towards starvation ? It may be asked, if goldraining does not pay why do miners stick to it ? Before I answer the question, allow me to ask another: Why do people join in sweeps ? They know that if their money were equally divided and returned to them, less the commission taken, by the promoters, it would be a losing speculation. It is a prize they want ; «o in goldmining the miner is always expecting a prize, and is like the gambler who, although always losing, will hang on to the game as long as he can. I i otice in your contemporary the "Witness," of October 27th, a rather flattering report of White's Reef, Old Man '3-ange. I am afraid the report is misles ding : I hope that I am mistaken. I havj not been to the reef, but I have heard it spoken of by men for several years past who have seen it, and it was always spoken of as not beiug a reef but a lot of loose quartz. They were all agreed, however, that it paid handsomely, the only drawback being the scarcity of water to sluice it away. lam glad to see a rush to it, but disappointment always does more harm than good to the mining interest. If we had a rush of spirited and determined men to look for reefs on the Old Man Range, there is every probability that they would be successful in discovering some splendid ones, as the gold in the Poniahaka, the Upper Waikaia, and th© numerous gullies running into those rivers has evidently come from the Old Man Range. Apropos: If reefs are discovered in the Old Man Range (there is one already — Nicholson's), timber will be required to work them . I have advocated in your columns for th 9 last ten years the opening of a road from the Moiyneux valley to this bush, and

during that time many fires nave occurred which have destroyed a large area of it, , and more timber has decayed than would y^j^e made the road by the royalty obtained thereon. I will again ask : Shall this waste continue? and will offer a suggestion : As the Government will not make the road, let them offer a portion of tbe bush free to any one who will make the road. Sufficient reserves could be left for public use. November 21st, 1883.