WARDEN’S COURT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5475, 16 September 1929, Page 4

WARDEN’S COURT.

REDUCTION OF RENT SOUGHT.

MAORILAND CONSOLIDATED.

At the Paeroa Warden’s Court on Monday, before Mr F. W. Platts, S.M., warden of the district, Mr E. A. Porritt, on behalf of the Maoriland Consolidated Gold Mining Co., made application for a reduction of rent on the company’s property. Mr Porritt explained that the mine had been closed, and it was now a question of liquidation unless a Government grant which had been requested was secured. In that case the company would commence operations again. Before closing down all debts, wages coming first, had been paid, with the exception of the last half-year’s rent. Expenses had been very heavy, and there was no hope of meeting the rent.

The Mines Department addressed a detter to the Mining Registrar, Paeroa, in which it was stated that the inspector of mines had reported that since the beginning of the year the 1 company had had two crushings, yielding gold to the value of £7O 18s sd, and that this fact seemed to militate against the granting of the application. As the company’s operations in the past had been hopelessly unpayable, and the company was in a bad way itself financially, doubtless the warden, with the consent of the Minister, could reduce the rent; but in case of any difficulty about the point, the company could be asked to pay full rent for the first four months of the year (the part of the year during which the gold was being won) and reduced rent for the remainder of the year The department suggested that probably the best way to deal with the matter was for the company to amend its application for a reduction as from July 1, 1929. Mr Porritt said that although crushing had been carried on, the resulting cost had been more than the crushing was worth, and the company had lost money by it. He also remarked that it was the first time he had known the department to query a recommendation of the Warden’s. The warden asked that the fact of the crushing costing more than it was worth be pointed out to the Mines Department, and adjourned the application for a month.