THE VISIT OF MINISTERS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2631, 11 February 1885, Page 2

THE VISIT OF MINISTERS.

A public meeting, convened by his Worship the Mayor (H. Burger, Esq.) was held in the Town Hall last evening, for the purpose of forming a committee to devise ways and means of suitably receiving the Hon. the Premier and the Hon. the Minister of Mines, who are expected to arrive in Kumara next Saturday on their official visit to this town and district.

His Worship the Mayor presided, who, after statin" the object of the meeting, said he had received several telegrams from the Premier and Minister of Mines informing him that they would be in Kumara on Saturday evening next, and would stay here till Tuesday morning. He thought it advisable to call this meeting in order that the matters requiring most urgent and prominent attention of Ministers might the more readily be submitted to them. He understood there were other meetings being held at the Lead in reference to channel matters; but the principal topic for the townspeople and miners collectively to bring before their notice was the water question. P. Dungan, Esq., M.C.0., said he had very great pleasure in moving a resolution which had been placed iu his hands. The principal question to consider was that of water. It had been agitated over and over again; but it yet required dealing with once more. He had learned that the present Ministry were more favourable than former Ministers to do something to succour and maintain the mining interests in the colony of New Zealand. He need not lell them the number of times he had attended meetings to advocate tinclaims of the miners to cheaper water;j

the strongest recommendations had been tuade to the Government and to Parliament. It was a sore point both to miners and business people. Heie was one of the largest sluicing goldfields io the colony, turning out some thousands of ounces monthly, yet no support was given to the miners by the Government in developing or winning the gold. Nothing more need be done at present than appoint a Reception Committee. He moved—" That the Hons. the Premier and Minister of Mines, having signified their intention of visiting Kumara and the goldfields of the district, a committee be appointed by this meeting to make all necessary arrangements for their suitable reception, and to lay before them such matters as affect the welfare and interest of (he district generally." Nothing, Mr Dungan said, will now advance the interests of the miners more than the reduction of the price of water on this goldfield.

Mr Wells seconded the motion, which was put and carried unanimously. Mr John White said that there were several committees being formed at Dillman's Town and Larrikins havin« various matters to lay before Ministers ; but in the question of the reductiou of' the price of water it was generally agreed that all should act together. He therefore moved—" That the following gentlemen be appointed a committee to carry out the provisions of the foregoing resolution, viz., His Worship the Mayor and Borough Councillors, and the following gentlemen :—Messrs R. J. Seddon, P. Dungan, J. O'Hagan, T. R. Connell, J. S. Pearn, J. White, G. Voysey, A. Miller, A. Sellars, N. Paulsen, W. Wells, C. Harris, A. Giddens, W. Hobbs, Jae. Metcalfe, R. Hunter, and C. Goodwin.

Mr Palmer seconded the resolution, which was also put and carried.

This concluded the business of the public meeting, and the Reception Committee then met to make further arrangements.