THE INANGAHUA DISTRICT.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1405, 31 January 1873, Page 2

THE INANGAHUA DISTRICT.

« [from our own correspondent.] Reepton, Jan. 28. On Monday night a meeting of miners was held at Black's Point, to consider the wages question, which, now that the election is over, seems to be likely to attract a good deal of attention. Mr Connelly, having been voted to the chair, read the advertisement concerning the meeting, and invited resolutions on the subject. A desultory conversation then ensued, and as there was evidently no organisation formed, Mr Hart moved that a committee of twelve be appointed, with power to add to their number, for the purpose of preparing a scheme to be submitted to an adjourned meeting to be held on Saturday evening next. The resolution was seconded by Mr Carreras, who pointed cut how absolutely essential it was that the working shareholders should, in this matter, combine with the wages men who, without their assistance, would be powerless to do any good. He also referred to the rumor that certain claims were intending to increase the working hours. This he (Mr Carreras) characterised as a great mistake. ' The resolution was then put and carried. The committee was elected, and the public meeting was adjourned, to Saturday next, at the same place, but at 7 p.m. The meeting then broke up, after the usual vote of thanks to the chair. On Monday evening a few of the townspeople met together for -the purpose of considering the best means to adopt with the view of bringing the many and most urgent wants of the district before the Superintendent, who is expected to visit Reefton during the course of next week. MrMirfin, having been voted to the chair, especially pointed out the benefits that would accrue to the inhabitants in the event of the Government consenting to sell the town sections, and trusted that the Superintendent would be willing to hand over a portion of the purchase money to a fund that should be available for the purpose of road-making, &c. Mr H. G. Hankin moved — "That a committee be appointed to draft a memorial for presentation to his Honor the Superintendent, setting forth the various difficulties and disabilities uDder which we at present labor, said committee to consist of nine genttemen, with power to add to their number." The resolution was seconded by Mr Bain, who . trusted that the sub-committee would be limited in number, as a deal of work would have to be done, and he was a firm believer in the adage that " What was everybody's business was nobody's business." The resolution was carried atter a desultory conversation, in the course of which Mr Mirfin stated that the price .of land in the Nelson South- West Gold Fields was L4O per acre. Mr Pritchard thought the attention of the Superintendent should be drawn to the fact that there was a difference in the size of the sections, some of them being only 66ft deep, while others had a depth of 99ft. Mr Bain moved, and it was decided — " That a sub-com-mittee consisting of Messrs Pitt, Bain, M'Lean, Hankin, and Haselden be requested to prepare a memorial for the approval of the committee." On the motion of Mr Pritchard, the above sub-

jommitte was instructed to prepare .a leparate petition, praying the Government to withdraw the town sites from the aperation of the Gold Fields Act, and to Dffer the same for sale. Mr M'Lean then moved, Mr Niven seconded, and it was carried unanimously — "That the whole of the gentlemen present should be added to the committee ; that they should meet again on Thursday night to consider the draft of the memorials ; and that these should be finally submitted to a public meeting, to be held in the Oddfellows' Hall on Saturday next, at 8 p.m. ; and that any preliminary expenses that might be incurred should be borne by the committee." mining. The rain. that has fallen at intervals throughout the week has enabled the various machines to continue crushing. To-day the Wealth of Nations is working with ten heads. Stone is being procured both from the tunnel and from the blow on the top of the hill ; the latter is being quarried out. Contractors are working on the new race, which is to draw its water from a branch of the Inangahua. Work is being carried on as usual at the Hercules, and .at the Golden Ledge. The Keep it Dark struck the reef on Friday night in their tunnel, which is in about 19Qft. They broke through on Saturday, and found the reef to average 4ft in width. This is, as I have already stated, the next claim to the Golden Ledge, and the shareholders consider the stone to equal any other on the line. No work is being done at either the Independence or the Enterprise ; and the same must be said of the Golden Bell, which has been deserted for some time. The Energetic machine has continued crushing during the week. They were reported to have washed up, but after inquiry I am led to believe that such is not the case. The work at the claim is going on precisely as it was last week. Shiel'a Line. — The new manager, Mr Hall, has been overhauling the mine and works, but has not as yet introduced any radical changes. The Auckland men are working away in the mine at the reduced ra+e of wages, getting out stone and send-^ ing it down to the machine. The stond(* being procured from the low level tunnblT Driving is beiog continued in the North British. At the Band of Hope everything is ready for a start ; the machine, tramways, and paddocks are all completed. Shoald they have sufficient water they will commence crushing early next week. Kelly's Line. — The Westland machine still remains idle. The contractor who agreed to convey the stone from the Ingle wood to the^ machine having injured his horse was compelled to throw up the contract. The machine is merely waiting for the stone to commence. „ No work has . been done at the North Star since the claim changed hands. No work has been done at the Victoria since the crushing, but they intend commencing again next week. The Anderson machine finished crushing for the Invincible on Saturday morning; 121 tons of stone were put through. The exact result has not been ascertained, but the directors are confident that it will equal that obtained from the Prospectors' claim. The stone has > been taken equally from each level, and . the result- may therefore be taken as a 1 fair average of the stone. The machine | will, if all goes well, commence crushing : for themselves the beginning of next ' week.