At Karangahake.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 199, 16 April 1887, Page 2

At Karangahake.

On Monday morning abou*; half past ninu tho Minister started i'rotn the lintel to visit the Karangahake "old field, accompanied by Warden j Stratford, Messrs Gordon, (Government Inspecting Engineer,) G. Wilson, (Inspector of Mines, To Aroha,) McLaren, (Inspector of Mines, Thames,) Professor Brown, (Auckland University,) Geo. Eraser, (Eraser and Thine,) Crs J. H. Moore, J. Walsh, and T. M. Ilnrn[)hreys ; Adam Porter, J. P. Hall, J. Liddle, J. Ilotfc (Ahoha and Ohinemuui News,) Alex. Hogg, and others. After visiting the Adeline and Rose mines, a move was made for It.uley's Battery ; the whole of the plant, water- race, dam, etc., were inspected by the Minister, (under the gui lance of tho manager, Mr llailey) who also made particular en quiries respecting the woiking of the plant, and scale of charges, etc. On the way back, the line of tramway now iv course of construction to connect the mines and the battery w.is pointed out, also the branch tramway being made by the proprietors of the Crown mine. Mr Clements pointed out the situation of his claim, the Imperial, and Cr Walsh on Mr Clement's behalf psked for a subsidy of £25 on the £ for £ principle, to provide connection with the main tram line. Mr Larnach said he could not entertain applications of this nature fiom private persons, or there would be no end to them. If, when the tramway was completed, the county made application for subsidy towards the construction of proposed bianch line imd reco amended it, the matter would be considered by Government. K.u.mg.ihake Tui Track. — Mr J. H. Moore diow Mr Larnachs attention to the condition of the hill fcr.ick leading up to and beyond the Adeline mine, an 1 u.skeri that £100 out of the £ol)i) subsidy (£.2 to <£1) for continuation of above fc ack miyht be expended in widening and repairing the portion of the tiack alioady made, the carrying out of which work would greatly benelifc existing mines. The permission sought for was granted. The township was again reached about one o'clock, and after Jinner the Minister received adeputation of the County Council, viz : Me?srs Cock (chairman), Moore, Walsh, and Humph leys, re the following matters : Mr Cock acting as spokesman : — 1 The desirability of Government acquiring some 6000 acres of native l.uui in Waitekauri district, known as Oliinemuri No -20 A., and No 20, A.1., 3000 acres each. Mr Cock stated that there wcie a number of men working on these lands, who were placed at a great disadvantage owing to its being in tho hands of natives, as they were unable to avail of the reduced rental introduced by the new Mining Act, and were also obliged to pay £1 for miner's light?, as iv the past. He had ascertained the natives were willing to sell the land. In reply to Mr Larnach the Warden said the natives would take 12s Gd per acre, and he believed ifc could be purchased for less money. Mr Larnach : Government cannot interfere with the existing regulations affecting Maoii land, oi render any relief as regards the hardships complained of until the lan 1 became Crown property, but until the natives were prepared to take considerably less money than the sum mentioned, the land being in its rough state, ho could not recommend Government to purchase ifc ; he would, however, mention tho matter to the Minister of Lands, and the County Council could negotiate, and see what were the most favourable terms upon which it could bo obtained. 2. The second matter advocated was the establishment of a Warden's Court at Paeroa. Mr Cock referred to the present great inconvenience to which miners in Ohineniuri were put, in having to go to Thames to attend the Warden's Oourt, or to obtain even a miner's right, and suggested that a Warden's Court bo established at Paeroa in connection with the R.M. Court say once a month to start with. Mr Larnach : The matter relates moro to tho department of the Minister of Justice. I will, however, speak to the Warden on tho subject, and if the mining population aro with you in tho matter, I would advise your having a petition on the subject prepared, signed, and presented lo Government, and I' will confer with the Minister of Justice on the matter. __ I may state, however, that I am qnita suro Government would

not erect any new buildings for" tho purpose. 3. £2000 Awn-d.— Mr Cock next briefly stated tho facts leading op to Government sending Ml* Fitzgerald as their auditor to settle matters between tho new County of Ohinemuvi and the Thames County, and his award of £2000 in favour of Thames; a burden which would seriously hamper tho new county, and which, though it might be quite fair with respect to the basis on which the award was made, wa3 nevertheless hard to bear. He had communicated with Sir Julius Vogel on the subject, and asked that the power, to dispose of kauri Limber be restored to the county, which was taken away from it a few years ago by the Crown Lands Board of Auckland. {Sir Julius had replied the matter was in the department of the Minister of Mines, and advised our communicating with you recognising the hardship however under which we laboured he advanced £1000 towards our paying off the Thames County. In the present condition of the county finances they would be quite unable t'j avail of the subsidies kindly promised, unless they could raise some money ; anil unfortunately owing to the great number of absentees and dead heads on the county roll the poll in favour of a- loan of £7300 had just been lost. In 1885 the Thames County Council had sold trees to the value of £4:500 from their district in one year, this it was which appeared to have attracted the attention of the Waste Lands Board. They now naked permission to dispose of kauri trees to the extent of £2000, in order to be in a position to pay off the award. Mr Larnach : With respect to the right to dispose of the kauri trees, I will look into the matter on my return to Wellington. Upon what grounds did the Government Auditor cast you in a debtor balance to the extent of £2000 ? Mr Cock : The accounts for the previous nine years had been audited by the Government Auditor, and Mr Fitzgerald said he c >uld not i»o back in tho matter at all, hut was obliged to take tiie accounts just as they stood at the date of separation, at which time the Thames County had an overdraft amounting to £0000 which had been incurred wholly and solely on account of the Big Pump at Thames, and we as a former riding were saddled with £2000 as our proportion thereof. Mr Larnach : I will see the Auditor General on the subject. It does seem to me something unfair from what you state that a new county starting from the nursery, should have to do so with a debt of £2000. Without making any promise of assistance, I will see what can be done in the matter. 4 Tr.tfiio Jjii.lgo, Kanrigahake. — Mr Cock said there was much need for a traffic bridge across the Ohinemnri river at, or near Knrangahake ; the cost of such a biidge was estimated at £800, and it was hoped Government would give a sum of monoy for the purpose. MrLunach: Are the County prepared to subsidise the work ? Mr Cock : They would perhaps giro a subsidy of one-third. Mr L ;rmioh : You may give up all idea of Government money in the matter unless the County are prepared to find a subsidy of at least £ for £. Mr Cock : Well I will undertake on. behalf of the county that they will find £ for £, Mr Larnach said the matter was one for the consideration of the Minister of Public Works, but he would make a note of it. O.AidtoProspecting. — Thenext matter spoken of was the desirability of Government giving more assistance to prospectors in tho district. Mr Cock urged the importance of aiding prospecting in every possible way. Mr Latnach : Your Auckland members were the only men in the colony who opposed the goldfields vote. Five Auckland men went in for cutting down that vote to one-half the amount placed on the Estimates, and succeeded in getting it reduced by one-fourth. Mr Cock said the county he represented had only received £50 from Government in aid of prospecting. Mr Larnach : Probably you were late in coming into the field, and I would advise you to be early in applying next time. Mr Cock : The county are prepared to give another £50 if Government will subsidise it. Mr Larnach : Well, make application to Government in the usual way, and if I find the money is available you shall have it. G. Monnstery Tramway .— MrCoclc asked that Government would assist the construction of a tramway to connect tho Monastery mine with Railey's Battery. He understood Mr Gordon when at Karangahake somo months previously promised to recommend the granting of a subsidy for the work. Mr Gordon : I did not, but you brought the matter under my notice, Mr Cock : Well then I misunderstood you. Mr Alex. Hogg, principal owner of tho mine, also spoke in support of tho application, and stated they wanted £100 to complete tho tramway, and I hoped Government would give a subsidy of £50 towards tho work. They were just on the turning point as to whether the mine would prove a profit or a loss to the o.Tiiers, who had already spent ove.r £600 on itMr Larnack said Government could not possibly give any assistance in such j a direction as that asked fo.\ If the, i granting of assistance to private mine owners wero onco started il would novoc end, there would be applications from all

directions by the thousands who wero engaged in mining. Besides, the thing in itself would be unfair towards other classes of the community. Suppose for instance a man lias taken up land and starting a farm proceeds to clear it, and this proving a \ery difficult matter, finds he needs a stump extractor, why should he not be assisted by Government to procure one ? {Such a thing would be unfair to the general body of taxpayers, and those benefit ted never thought of making a return to the State for aid where given. He had no sympathy whatever for subsidies except they were for the general good of the community, such as opening up the country for prospectors etc., and ho wished that fact to be generally known. Private individuals starting shop-keeping, or in any other branch of trade had an equal ri^ht to expect Government aid with a privateindividual engaged in mining. This might appear, perhaps, to some a hard thing for him to say, seeing that he was the head of the Mines Department, but he could not help that. 7.liailey's Tramway Connection. — Mr Cock next referred to the tramway now in course of constiuctiou to connect l\ailey\s Battery with the mines, and said ho hoped Government would grant £100 on the £ for £ principle, beyond the £200 already promised, n3 it was found the amount asked for would not be sufficient to complete the work. Mr Larnach : It was stated the tramway would cost £-100, but you think it will cost £000 ? Mr Cock : Yes, that is how the matter stands. Air Larnach : What arrangement do you piopose coming to with IJailey's Battery Company? Mr Cock: Well the charges should be fixed at a veiy much lower rate than what aie now in force. Mr Larnach : I think the charges now being levied arc monstrously high, and a great haidship on the mini-is, and I have made up my mind that not one penny of Government money shall go into that tramway until reasonable charges aie fixed. I think the County Council were wrong in commencing the woik at all until a proper anangement had been come to, and I also think the work should not be gone on with, with matteis in their piesent state, as the more work is done, the more the battery proprietors hands will be strengthened. When a subsidy was asked for, it was on the understanding that the County provided L for L ; on enquiry, however, he found the County weie only finding L5O out of L2UO,' the balance being gi\en by owneis of claims interested, and the battery company. It was too bad that the minuis should do all the he.-avl work for the benefit of a company ; and all the miner got for his labour be taken out of him in battery charges. The baitery propiietois had no light to expect tho Ccunty oi Government to subsidise the work of niak ing the tramway without a proper and reasonable airangemcnt hawng been first come to. The county should stop the woik at once, and he cou-idiMed Mr Cock should coii \ one a meet ing of the miners and others and talk the whole matter over, an ) unless the battery proprietors were prepared to come to reasonable and satibfaetoiy terms the Government would not subsi iise tho work. Ilis own idea w.is that the minimum charge at the batte y should be £1 per ton, and that tho maximum charge, no matter how rich iho oio, should not exceed thirty shillings per ton, and lie hoped the miners would not consent to pay any more. The whole matter would have to be fully gone into and discus?ed, including the ownership, charges for conveyance of quart/, and management of the tramway, when completed. He believed in any work or enterprise being well paid, but did not believe in excessive and unreasonable charges, such as beconsideied were being enforced at Karangahake, in connection with tho battery in question. Of course if Eailcy and Co., were prepared to go on and make the tramway themselves that was all light enough, but he would not assist in establishing a monopoly, such as would result from a continuance of the present scale of charges and the completion of the tramway. It was for the County to take a decided stand in this matter, and lefuso to subsidise or assist the work, until the community were satisfied, and Government would support them in the matterj; in fact, Government would be greatly guided by the resolutions that would be passed at the public meeting to bo convened. B.WaitawhetaGorge Road. — MrCock referred to the desirability of having this road constructed, and the great benefit it would prove to a large number of mines, estimated to cost £4000, and expressed the hope that the matter would receive the favourable consideration of Government. Mr Larnach promised to take a note of the matter, and suggested that the County Council communicate with him on his return te Wellington on the subject and supply full particulars, when he would see what could be done. Mr .Noble's Grievance. — Mr Kobt., Noble next addressed the Minister, stating that some twelve years ago ho took up an agricultural section in Ohinemuri (the lease of which he pioduced) upon upon it he had done a good deal of work. Sume of this land had within tho past couple of years been pegged out as residence siies, he agreeing to surrender his title to tho land to Government for £100 ; but he had never been paid this sum. Mr Larnach requested Mr Noble to forward fuH particulars of the matter through the Warden, when he would have it enquired into.

i OhintMUuri Leaseholders. — Messrs MeLoghry, Morgan, ami others, holders of agricultural leases with respect to land within Obinemuri, wishoil to know what their position was with regard to completing their titles. Mr Larnach replied I here was not, so far as ho \>as aware, anything to prevent them from completing their titles at live shillings per acre. Mr Warden Stratford here informed the Minister that ho had only just received his instructions with respect to this matter from Wellington. Monetary Assistance. —Mr Cock having referred to the impecunicus state of the county, the failure to secure the necessary number of votes to carry the proposed loan of £7300 through the number of absentees, etc., on the roll, and the heavy liabilities of the county, asked Mr Larnach to consider the position of the county, and if possible come to its relief. j Mr Larnach promised to talk the matter over with the Colonial Treasurer and see if any assistance could be given. The deputations having thanked the Minister for the paik-nt and attentive hearing they had received withdrew, and shortly afterwaids the party staited for Te Arohn, liding ova* the hill to the foot of the llotokuliu Gorge, where a well-horsed wagonette supplied by Messrs Bradley and Ferguson, and driven by the latter, conveyed them to Te Arohn, which place was reached about 7.30 pm, the party putting up at the Club Hotel. During the early part of tli3 day a succession of heavy showers made the visit to the mines and battery anything but pleasant, and the tracks exceedingly slippery, but the lattei portion of the day was tine.