INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2721, 29 December 1882, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the committee of the above association was held last evening, at eight o’clock. Present—Messrs A. G. Howland (president), T. O. Kelsey, E. H. Banks, M. Sandstein, H. B. Kirk, F. Jones, W. S. King, D. Eeese, and E. Ford. Apologies for non-attendance were received from Messrs W. S. Smith, T. S. Weston, and E. Buchanan. The Chairman said a reply had been received to the letter forwarded to the Government on the subject of the alleged dis- - ' covery of a diamond field in Canterbury. The letter was signed by the Under-Secre-tary, and stated that at present the vernment were not prepared to a —a bonus as suggested, but that if grounds were shown for the l ef in the existence of a diamond field in the colony they would be prepared to consider the matter. Mr Sandstein said this was just what he expected. The President could not say the same. He thought after all the information the association had supplied the Government with the letter was rather a snub. Mr Sandstein did not think the information given to the Government was sufficiently conclusive as to the existence of diamonds in the colony. Mr Kelsey said that when a bonus for the discovery of gold was offered the Government did not receive any more positive evidence as to the payable nature of the field. After some further discussion, the secretary read the letter forwarded to the Government, in which all the particulars were given that were collected on the subject by the committee of the association. The President thought the information was quite sufficient to justify them in asking the Government to offer a bonus. The matter should, at any rate, have been considered. Mr Sandstein said the association had given no actual proof that the specimens produced were diamonds. The Government were entitled to have some such evidence. There had been no proof that the stones produced before the committee by Mr Jacobsen were diamonds, and with regard to those discovered by Mr, Ford, while great value could be attached to that gentleman’s statement, yet the only evidence they had was an opinion said to have been given by Mr Smith (at Messrs Coates) and the statement of Mr Wickes. Mr Banks said probably the Government did not care to unsettle the public mind on the subject without, having undoubted evidence. Mr Eeese asked if it were correct that the Messrs Jacobsen were in direct communication with the Government ? The President believed they had forwarded some diamonds to the Government. Mr Eeese thought it was scarcely right for them to take the matter up themselves after having placed it in the hands of the association. A letter was read from Professor Bickerton, giving information as to the various processes adopted for testing diamonds. A few years ago he submitted the stones produced by Mr Jacobsen to several tests, and was of opinion that they were not diamonds. He could not say anything with regard to the stones discovered by Mr Ford, except that the analyses of geological specimens frequently submitted by that gentleman invariably justified his statements. Professor Bickerton offered, if the Association thought it worth while, to deliver a public lecture explanatory of the tests to be applied to valuable gems. After some discussion the further consideration ofjthe matter was postponed until a future meeting, a vote of thanks being passed to Professor Bickerton for his letter and his offer to lecture, which it was resolved to accept. It was resolved to send a copy of the letter from the Government toMr Jacobsen. Mr Ford said he hoped in a few weeks to be able to make a trip to the Malvern district, where he had discovered the stones which he believed to be diamonds. His subsequent experience confirmed him in his belief in the existence in the colony of these precious gems. This concluded the business of the committee meeting. The general meeting of the association which was to have been held at eight o’clock was, owing to the inclemency of the weather and the consequent small attendance, postponed until Thursday, the 11th January next.