MESSRS J. AND H. SMYTH'S SAWMILL.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 91, 28 February 1885, Page 6

MESSRS J. AND H. SMYTHS SAWMILL.

Messrs J. and IT. Smyth, who have been connected with the timber trade for upwards of 25 years, and during the laeb 18 months have been oarrying on business as, sawmillers, &c, at the Mount Eden Railway Station, finding that the business has increased so greatly on their hands, have resolved to form it into a limited liability company, with a capital of £20,000, about hall of which has already been subscribed for privately. The Company will be known as the Mount Eden Sawmill Company. This local industry stands upon a little over ore acre of land, situated opposite the Kailway Station, with a frontage of 475 feet to the line, 100 feet aloDg the Mount Eden Road, and also 100 feet fronting Shaddock-street. The mill building is 110 feet long by 55 feet wide. The machinery at present comprises one travelling breakdown saw bench to take in logs 6 feet 6 by 6 feet 9, one circular travelling bench, one drag bench, one re-cutting saw, one planing-machine, all driven by two powerful engines (capable of working up to 50 horse-power), which are placed on the ground floor in the centre of the mill, where the sawdust and shavings for fueling the engines are collected almost without any labour. The timber for planing and turnery work is intended to be kept under ; cover, and snnt up to a drying-loft by an elevator, according as it is sawn. All other timber can be sent out for carting away or being stacked as required. It is calculated the Company will turn out 70,000 feet per week. This mill has some very important advantages from its position. In the first] piece the logs can be rolled from off j the trucks into the mill, or where the general stock of logs are unloaded, from whence they can be hauled up the tram to the mill by a powerful winch. The next advantage is that the timber has not to be put into water, thus saving time for seasoning. Lastly, it is in the centre of an extensive building district. The present proprietors are now more fully convinced of the necessity of having the logs brought into town instead of being cut by mills in the country, as the logs can be loaded at so much less cost, and the slabs and refuse, above what is required for fuel, utilised instead of remaining rotting in the bush. Contracts have already been Inade for the supply and delivery of a large quantity of logs dt five different stations on the line, and also at Helensville. Loading banks have been formed at Wairaouku and Waitakerei by the Railway Department at considerable expense for the advantage of the settlers, so that logs containing a few thousand feet can be loaded with almost the same facility as those containing only a few hundred feet. Altogether, the Company stand under very promising auspices, and with their plant and numerous conveniences, should do a large and profitable business, and at the same time give employment to a considorable number of hands

The annual picnic of Northcote residents will shortly take place at Motutapu. New Zealand means to have a finger in the Soudan pie. Harvesting in the far South has commenced. There are to be athletic sports at Thames on St. Patrick's Day. A visitor to Rotorua preserves carefully a sandwich which cost him three shillings. The drought is causing a scarcity of water at Invercargill. London wheat* market is dull, but prices are unchanged. One New Zealand lady offers to go to the Soudan as nurse.* A Western Australian loan of £150,000 will be placed on the market in May next. Auckland mails, dated Feburary 3rd, arrived at San Francisco on Sunday. For the Industrial Exhibition s,ooosquar© feet of space have been applied for. Otago won tne cricket match against Canterbury, with two wickets to spare. Mr H. M. Long has been appointed Secretary ot Wellington Racing Club. Baby. — A crying evil you only aggravate by putting down. The Colonial Secretary has resolved to hold an inquiry into the casos of puerperal fever in Wellington Hospital. A branch office ol the Mutual Life Association of Australisia has just been opened at Christchurch. Otago Yachting Club opened the season on Saturday afternoon, when the bay was alive with yachts and sailing boats. Piako County Council ask the Telegraph Department to have telegraph posts between Cambridge and Taupomarked as milestones* An inquisitive persou wants to know whether news transmitted through salt; water by telegraph would be fresh. Mr Maya is getting the quarantine station at Motuihi in proper trim, lest it should be required for passengers by the Doric. There is a tin-pot steamer called the Douglas, which runs between Opotiki and Tauranga, carrying produce and letters. The local "Herald" calls it "H.1.8.M.R.M.55; Douglas.", Wonder the boiler doesn't burst under such a pressure ! Hon. Mr Ballance promised, while at Tauranga, that native blocks of land amounting in all to about 80,000 acres* should be purchused at once by Government and offered without delay for settlement.

1 5-", '.].' ' 'i '.'' ' 'l , '~. rijUU- "' . , " \ " - - », «"-■_ *+r77»*-7i' vv "r %he y directfrs, *The '-Battery Comj^ny 1 iteM^&t&e number o(;shareS in the nime, and the making of tile call jn.it at this.time, wium work in ..the riitne had" been , suspended, meant, causing the shareholders to \U\ theft suras' l be r forfeited; Of his own knowledge parties had quite lately offered to take the mine on. tribute, and p*y 10 per cent, .on oil gold won yielding under l|oz to the ton, and 15 per cent on all gold over l^oz per ton. Bnt no 1 they would not gut it, and now protection was to be sought, and vhe (nine kept idle. Mr Mills said he considered it was high time the outside public knew more about the Freezing, out process being piirsued lu«ro with regard to the poor people. Those f>iosent knewsthe, process the Eureka mine had been" put through, and then bought by the Battery Company for a mere whir. They all felt thp great injustice that was being done to the tiehl by toe existing Battery Company, an f they did not intend to stand it any loader without letting the general public know more of the way things were being worfeed,. to the great injury of the field. . The resolution , was carried unanimously. No, 5. Proposed by Mr Frazer, and seconded by Mr T. Kennan, u That the chairman of this meeting be requestfd to communicate with Messis Btniiskill and Maclean with the view of inducing these gentlemen to maks themselves personally acquainted with our .requirements." Carried nem con. No. 6. Proposed by Mr Mill?, "That the committee appointed by resolution 3 he further instructed to take immediate steps towards the formation of a borough to comprise Te Aroha, Waiorongomai, and Qnartaville." Mr Mills said they were all no doubt aware of the movement som« time aijoto form Aroha, Waiorongomai, and Quartzville into a borough. An accident occurred by which the man tliey hat! employed to obtaih the necessary signatures had lost his lif* As it was required that a declaration . should be made as regards all signatures, by the party who obtained them, it would be necessary for all that work to be gone over again. Mr Mills further said that whilst Matamata Riding, with a very few householders, and which had never paid a rate, had two representatives in the County Council ; Te Aroha Biding, containing nearly half the population of the county, had but one representative. Some thought Mr J. C Firth had so much power that he would be able to prevent a commission of enquiry being held as proposed," but if they formed into a borough and could not agree as to the amount of liability to be taken over, Government provided for a commission being appointed t( decide the matter. He had heard it stated that contracts had been let by the Chairman of the Tramway Committee to his servant, who it was stated, had' made a. very decent profit out of same. He could not say of his own knowledge if the report was true or not. If it was true, it was a very serious matter indeed. No doubt a- Chairman of the. Tr.tmway Committee he ha.l had a good d< f al to do with bow the money ha I been oxp^mled with respect to the tramway The resolution was seconded by Mr Montague, and carried nem con. Mr Mills said ho hel ove.l Mr Larnach, Minister of Mines, was sliortly coiniug to the Thames, and it would be advisable some means should be adopted to lay before him our requirements.. Mr P. Fergusou stated he had already cominunipated with the Warden respecting the advisability of getting Mr Larnach to visit Te Aroha. He had received a reply to the* effect that there could be little doubt but that he would come. He had also wired to Mr Cadman,M.H.R., and seen Mr J. B. Whyte, member for the district, both of whom promised to accompany Mr Larnach. No. 7 resolution was then proposed by Mr P. Fe-gnson, riz. : " That a deputation be appointed to wait upon the Hon. Minister for Mines, on his arrival in this district, to make known to him our urgent requirements, and thaf the saiii deputation consist of Councillors Smith, Murpi») r , Chepmell, and Gould, and Messrs (ravin, Mills, Ferguson, Gibbons, »ud Gallagher." • Someone proposed that Mr J. C. Firl'.j's name be added, a proposition that was rt'eeived with strong signs of disapprobation, some of those appointed declining to act if he had anything to do with it. The resolution, as above, having been seconded by Mr Hornibrook, was carried unanimously. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman. The first meeting of Committee of enquiry was arranged to be held at Waiorongomai this (Saturday) evening j at 7 p.m. • i We may add that the meeting was very largely attended, and was a thoroughly representative one.