THREATENED STOPPAGE OF THE BIG PUMP.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 264, 16 May 1888, Page 4

THREATENED STOPPAGE OF THE BIG PUMP .

Tn \. 11-., M,i\ I' 2 ih. .1 \mi.s CuCTT-. 'iCtini; on bcliah of the ()ceji l,e\tl Cio— ( oui])'in\. \isiitd the P.iu ['um]>. and i c.icl to Mr Phillip-, ulciineu m chaise, ;i Ic^al document, authoiiMny him to take chaise of tlic piunji. etc., on belmli ol )i j Joddoi OA\nei~. the lKo]> Lcacl Cio^-- ( nmpiii f \. Mi J'liillip's at once \\ ircl to Mi D. (I. MaciJonnell, fecci(t<u\ to the fiainacrc JJ(janl. a->Uin'_ r foi in--Li uc*"ion>, mv\ in leply %\ai authoi i^-cd to on as befote. No change ha- taken fWace, tJicicfoic, a^ \ctin the \\oikin^ of the pump, although je-jtoiday aftciaoon Mr f'outt- jiLiccd a man in po— c-~>on of tho plant on bch.ilf of the Deep Lc\el Cro>s Coni])an>.

Th vmi -, May 12. A man is — 1,11 1 in chaise of the Ui^ I'ump on behalf of the Deep L<j\ei Cio-.- Company, who to da\ instituted JNir Couti^ to cca-c pumping open tion = to-iii'i,ht. On the othci hand the Drainage Boaid li.ac ot'lciod thei) enyincci' to oont/inuu piu)i])inrr. Mi Coutts ha 1 - non r "\\ ircd to tlio diredoi^ for fiubhei insf i uction'-. Jt i~> difiimlt to say what a\ ill be the outcome of the matte). The j mann^ein of <-ome of the Companies afiected contend 1 hat nndei s-cction 162 of Mining Act the owner of any machine to whom contiibutions are paid foi jmmpin^ inufct ?i\e at iea^b tinee months notice to all contributoif- to di'-contmue pumpinrr. The Deep Le\ el Cio«s Comjiany, ho\ve\ cv, do iiotjccojfni^-c tliesecontubution.s, and r-onse-quently it is doubtful if the .section lefcucd lo applies to them, although <!,c facto they are owners oneo in po»scwon. A ]>anic })as taken place in .siock in all the mines, and in the majority of cases hhme.-, ate unsaleable. Coiifsidernblc alaim is felt by mineis afc the probable .stoppage ot the pump, an a large number of men would be thrown out ot ■ employment. j

Thami-s, May 14. Af'TiNf: upon instructions from the Deep Level Cross G.M.C., Mr -lames Coutts fctopped pumping opeiations nt Die Big Pump at 2.25 i his afternoon. Mr Phillips, the engineer, received u lole^ram tiom the Secretaiy ol the Dr.'iina.j;o Hoard that the Board was unable to

prevent the Cros*s taking possession. Mr CoutH was armed with authority from the Cro^ to employ men if necessary to prc\ cnt am one coming on the premises. The pinup is now shut, down. The afl'air has caupcd a good deal of oxcitcmonl.

Timirs, May 14. Considerable excitement was caused hcio on Saturday afternoon when it became known (hat (he Kig Tump had been " .shutdown " by the Deep Level Cross it.jM. Co. in consequence of the Diainage Hoaid failing to comply w itli their demand tor the pa\nieni ot the balance of the purehapenioneydueonthepnmp. Therecanlicnoquestion that if pumping is not ie->umed before the e\|>iration ot a week or tcMi day* a lar v u'O niunber ot numr-* will bo tlnown out- of employment, a^ the deep le\ol* of our ]iunei]>al mine^ will be flooded eithei with •\\alei 01 vi<\-, which will necessitate Hie di^eontinu.inceot ojierauon^. It is estimated that about 300 liup.ci^will be out of work hoin this oait.se in le^s than a week, bo that it w ill be -ecu that unle^ a settlement, ih .soon .mi\edat between tlie Diainage Hoard and the Cio-^.s Company, disastinus icsults aie eeit yin to entue >n the whole district, li is piobable thai unless joinethinu i.silone within a day oi two a monitor meeting 1 of num. is w ill h>> held to uuje ujmn l!weniment the immense importance ot the malt er to liii.s uoldtield, and (ho necessity tor aid ber'y to the Praina^c Boaul to licjuulate then liability.