His Views on Battery Charges. Te Aroha, April 9.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 199, 16 April 1887, Page 4

His Views on Battery Charges. Te Aroha, April 9.

Hon. Mb, Larnacu and party arrived by s s. Despatch at Paeroa on Sunday, and drove direct to Waihi, where they visited the Union and other mine?, under the guidance of Mr J. fl. Moore. They returnei to Karangahake the same evening on the ■way to Waihi. A deputation waited upon the Minister at Owharoa re the continuation of the low level tunnel. Greonville and party are now working the mines which would chiefly be bene* fited Ho undertook io continue the tunnel on the £ for £ principle. Mr Larnach agreed to grant £200 on these conditions, which amount had been diverted to Tui track spme time back out of £400 originally promisod for the tunnel Yesterday Mr Larnach, accompanied by Mr Warden Stratford, Inspector Gordon, Meesre McLaren and Wilson, Mining Inspectors, J. H. Moore, G. Fraaer (of Fraser and Tinne), Adam Porter, Professor Brown, J. Ilott ("Te Aroha and Ohinemuri News") and others vieitei Karangahakegoldfield, includingthe Adeline and Rose mines. He inspected minutely Railey's battery and water raco and tramway now in course of being constructed. In the afternoon he rc-caived deputations at Shepherd's Hotel, Karangahake. Mr F. Cock, County Chairman, acted as spokesman. The most important matter dealt with was the tramway connection already referred to. Mr Larnach stated that Government had promised a eubeidy of £200 towards this work on the strength of a statement put forth that it was a county work for the general beutfifc of the fit-Id and the county, subsidising another £200. He now found on investigation that the county was only finding £50, and Railey Battery Company and the mine-owners interested £150, and the tramway clearly was for almost tho sole benefit of the Battery Company, whose scale of charges, ranging from £3 per ton, he characterised as monstrous, and considered the County Council to blame for over starting the work without some understanding having been first arrived at with the Battery Company re tho charges to be made. He flatly refused to give any money towards the work, under the circumstances, until a proper understanding was arrived at with the Battery Company re charges, as he considered he could not do bo in the interests of the miners. He was of opinion that the charges should not exceed a minimum of £1, and a maximum of 30?, as now the Battery Company would get the sole benefit of the miners hard work, and have a regular monopoly. This means that tho county will have to stop all contracts let re tramway forthwith, The party came toTe Aroha last night, and have now started off for Waiorongomai.

Tb Aroha, April 10. To-day the Minister of Mines, accompanied by Warden Stratford, Messrs Gordon

(Inspecting.- Engineer), ,.G. Wilson (Mining! Inspector), Prof. Brown, G. Fraser (Fraser and Tinne), J. tlott ("Te Aroha andOhinemuri News"), Ferguson, Crs. Smith and Gould (Piako County Council), , visited the ' Waiorongomai Goldfield, starting with the New Find mine, finishing with the new battery known as Ferguson's. Oh reaching the flat again, the party adjourned to Firth and Clarkes battery office, where refreshments were provided, and Mr Adams, the" manager, explained the' plans of several kinds of machinery, of which he had obtained particulars during his visit to American goldfields, and some of which his employers proposed introducing. A deputation of miners waited on the Minister, urging that some adjacent native land be acquired, and thrown open for the occupation of miners by the Government, which Mr Larnach promised to inquire into. On his return to Te Aroha, several of the townsfolk waited on him re matters of local interest. A promise was given of a subsidy of £ for £ to make a track from Te Aroha to the top of the mountain, to connect with the Upper Hill track near the Premier mine, for prospecting and general purposes. The estimated cost iB £120. He also promised to assist, as far as lay in his power, in obtaining a better title to land at Te Aroha. Mr. Larnach purposes visiting Mr J. B. Smith's farm at Waitoa to-day, where an auriferous deposit recently discovered, and he leaves the district to-morrow morning.