MEETING AT KARANGAHAKE RE RAILEY'S BATTERY CHARGES.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 200, 23 April 1887, Page 2

MEETING AT KARANGAHAKE RE RAILEY'S BATTERY CHARGES.

On Wednesday last a meeting of miners and others interested in the above subject, was held in the Karangahake Public Hall. Mr F. Ooclc, County Chairman and convener of the meeting, was moved to the chair. Mr Cock, in opening the prceedings, said : On the occasion of the recent vi3it of the Minister of Mines those present were aware much discussion took placo w»*h "respect to the charges being levied for treatment of quarlzat Bailey's battery, and the Hon. Mr Larnach expivssed himself as being greatly dissatisfied therewith, refused to give a subsidy for the tramway connection till a more reasonable scale of charges was made, anil expressed a desire that a public meeting of the miners be called by the local body t"> discuss the matter. Mr McDonald Scott, legal manager of Railey's plant, hail been written to on the subject, but no reply had has yot been received from him. The local body could not fix a scale charges, they could only recommend the adoption of any resolutions that might be passed. The matter was one entirely between the miners and the battery proprietors. So far as existing contracts were concerned, theyjwould be gone on with and completed, after which, however, if satisfactory alterations were not made, he was afraid the work of constructing the tramway would be at a standstill. The battery owners could not he expected to treat quartz at a loss, and on the other hand the miners' interests must be protected, in order that he might have a fair return for his labour. The meeting having been declared open for discussion, the following resolution proposed by Mr Robt. Tapley, and seconded by Mr J. McCombie was carried nem con : That in view of the stand taken by the Minister of Mines, with respect to the scale of charges being levied for treating quartz at the Knrangahake Qnartz ßeduction Works, this meeting suggest to the proprietors the advisability of altering the present tariff, to tho following scale, viz. for five ton lots and under, £2 per ton ; above five a^d under ten tons £1 Jss per ton ; above ten and under twenty tons, LI 10s per tou. Large lots by special agreement.' ' Mr Alex. Hogg said the whole matter had been fully discussed during the past week, and all the pros and cons considered, the result of these deliberations being embodied in the foregoing resolution. He now begged to move that the chairman of this meeting be instructed to forward copies of tho foregoing resolution to the Minister of Mines, to the legal manager of the Quartz Redaction Works, and also the legal managers of all mining companies interested. Seconded by Mr Robert Clements, and carried nem con. Tho meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the chair.