MINING MEETING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 29, 12 August 1871, Page 6

MINING MEETING.

A lengthy meeting of the Morning Star Goldmining Company was held on Tuesday night at Barrett’s Hotel, Although really little actual business was transacted, the meeting assumed the form of importance from the fact that a useful discussion took place and a great amount of information of a practical and valuable nature was elicited. Mr S. Levy was in the chair. The report stated that since the last meeting the works had proceeded satisfactorily, a tender to the amount of £197 having been accepted for the purpose of carrying on the works of the company, the drive having now reached the distance of 195 feet. Only twenty-four of the £2 10s shares that had been offered to the shareholders at £2 had been taken up. The directors required £460 within two months, and as the amount received from ordinary sources amounted to £l7O, they still required £290 to pay the balance of the account for machinery for the claims at Terawibi and Baker’s Hill. To meet these claims the directors recommended that the limit of time in which to purchase the £2 10s shares at £2 by the present shareholders only should be extended to Monday, the 14th inst, and that in the event of the shares not being taken up by the present shareholders they should be offered to the public. . A shareholder inquired bow it was the working of the leader, which had been proved to contain a yield of nine or ten ounces to the ton, had been discontinued. Mr Gell replied that his object was to continue the sinking of the Bhaft, so as to be able to put in drives at whatever part proved most payable. The question of amalgamation with the other companies was brought up by Mr Dixon, and upon this

question a great amount of discussion ensued, Mr Gell stating that rather than amalgamate he would find the money required himself. As to the purchase and erection of machinery another lengthy discussion arose, two or three shareholders, who seemed to possess a good deal of knowledge of the subject, advising the company to send to the West Coast diggings for information, the Charleston workings being stated to be very similar to those at Baker’s Hill. On the motion of Mr Bennett, a committee consisting of himself, Mr Maslem, Mr Mitchell, and Mr Gell, were appointed to examine the mine and report the result to a meeting of the shareholders. A very confident opinion was expressed on all sides as to the future of the Baker’s Hill claims, Mr Bennett exhibiting a fine specimen ©f gold weighing nine grains, which had been obtained from 100 lbs of stone taken from the ground in the possession of the Try Again Company. Some rather severe animadversions were passed by one or two of the shareholders upon the conduct of the manager, whose actions, they said, were founded on the maxim, “ Words not deeds.” Some unpleasant remarks were made with reference to the workings of the rival companies, but at the termination of the meeting a general feeling was expressed that the result of the meeting was most beneficial in raising the drooping prospects of the mining interest in Wellington. A shareholder, who stated to the meeting that he was in communication with a person at Charleston, undertook to procure all the desired information with reference to the construction of the boxes for washing, and a resolution Having been passed to continue the workings as at present, the meeting broke up.