THE GOLD DUTY BASIS. APPROVED.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 265, 19 May 1888, Page 5

THE GOLD DUTY BASIS. APPROVED.

Auckland, Ma> 10. Ai a mectim. 1 of duectoi-, and gentlemen i ounce. tod v uh nuiK- wit'tin thediamaue nuA oi the Thamo V-\j. I'uvj), In I I \i-4u ela\ at tho Cliamiis.l ot Comma- 1, (he {)i meiple ail\ oeated b} the M' \u of ba^'iiu thaigto in connection with diamagt «. n the gold pi outlet ion vi tho miiic-* I endited \u r b adopted. Mi -f. M.Lennox pi elided, | and tlkie v.cic al-o pietunt : -? ('. ('. McMiHin, J. JUown, W. \\ li-on. ,1. M. Ckuk, H. SpiaH, and ollkm - well known in connection with mining affair-. Tho ('bah man, after i^\i<\\ing the position, .>aid that te alt.inatnono« lefuieihcni ua^ to u^ t (''(<\eni nn'iit to eithei pay the 12 000 due to the Deep Lc\ol Cio^SjOi ie\\ a eontii'jution lor t he puipi -c an»ontx-t the \anoih eoinpameintcicted. The position w.i^ .-oii'iib, and mot calanntou- to the Tliaine-', but the Didiiidge Ikmd weie powcilc— unlf-- (lay wcie poi muted to make a le\j. L; thc\ c >uld <4cb the i eee— ai \ mean^ to (.han^e the powei then the Uo\eimm.nt would <^i\e them t lie money pio'ni^ed. y\i C. ('. McMillan thonoht a meal dt.il of the tiouble had been bioujjiion b\ the --\-tun of lex \ mci 1 t he 3. had —they lc\ led ateoidm^ to eel tain depths and aiea», instead, ;h he thought they -hould, b} the amount of gold got out of tin mine--, lie thought the delegate ought te lu>\e thing to lw> ti])on, and he would Hi'/ge-t the id<> 1 of tho iiold output a^ the one to be i ! k b i-i 1 - 01 the levy. Ifad tiie mine-^ I ecn ( hailed a -mall peicentago upon the gold (akm oiit, the money wo'ild ha\e l>ecn gut ; but a-a it wai the Waiotahi bu'lued in companion L>) the Cambiia, and it had not had a tenth patt of the gold taken iiom it. The Chairman pointed out that the ) atc< v, eie le\ itd bb v > impaitiul and competent o--e^or<, and Mi McMillan i< joined that while that might be true hi-i point wathat the Drainage Boaid should ha\e levied on the gold got from the mine-, lather than de{)th of bh^it and area, and if they had done thl ~ then c«vh wo.ild be pajing a lair "-hare of e\pen->e. Mr .Spralt did nor think that the companies would agtee to t,lic adoption of the piinciple .id\ecafed by the Hi vu, and lead a table he had pi epaied ot a-M'-^inents, founded upon the pie^enl rating, which would nvso Cl/H8 10* Mi McMillan mo\ed, ''That the Jioard be authorised to make a lev> on the \aiious companie-i to loi^e the money tv purchase the Pump, and that the !c\y should bo on the ba^is of the gold yield. Mr J. Blown moved, a-> an amendment, "That Mr Spiatt's basis be accepted." Mr Clark btrongly advocated the gold duty ba'-is as the faircofc. The motion was canied by bc\en votes to four. Delogatc.were then appointed to take part in a meeting ot the Di, linage Boaid to be held Ibis afternoon.

A MtLTiM. of the Thame-j P.aini^e Bnaid to consider the question of stoppage of the Bi^ Pump was held ab the Chamber of Commevcc at 2.30 to day. Present : Mr J. M. Lennox (Chairman),.!. MoUowan, Brodie, Spratt, Comer und Tui lie. Mc^-is J. Dickey, J. Bruwn and others wuc [iicsent as delegate^, from a meeting ot bhiucholdcrs of the mines interested. The Chairman ha\ing reviewed the c\ent leading up to the pump, ho mentioned that the Board owed the Deep Level Cioss £1,500, and this mv.st be paid by Thur.sddy, otherwise the pump would be .sold, lteierring to the resolution of the meeting of shareholders yesterday he said lie doubted if the Board had power to make assc-snicnlS) on the basis of gold pioduce under the Aefc. There wan power in the Act to levy a .supplementary rate, but he doubted if it could be made on any other basi-, than the present .scale of contribution, TIo moved thai a rate be .struck by the Board to meet the demand of the Deep Lovel Cro.ss. — Mr Brodie, in seconding the motion, urged that the basis should bo on the present scale of con tabu lion. — In answer to a question the Chaiiman slid t'uat the "special circumstance" in the Act meant the striking of a patch of rich gold, He then lead Mr Hpnill's calculation of the payments of each company under the basis. — Mr Brodie said that a levy could not bo made on the Thames Local Bodies without theii 1 consent. — Mr Brown said that at tho meeting yesterday the gold produce case was carried by about three to one. Were they ignoring the motion of yesterday's meeting ?— -Tho Chairman said that he had come to the conclusion that the

Act did not. ,i>i\c them power (o make a le\ y under any other Hum the ban* ji.\ed under (ho Act, - Tho 1 evolution was then put and can iod unanimously. - Mr Conior moved, " That every company bo a-»ke r l (o icho a cheque 0) piomiv>oiy note for the amount at once. This was cat 1 icil unanimously. — The Chaii man lwninyj said a few word.-> of com mendation ot the su^o-lion.s o\ the S'i'vk iei;atdinfx tho tiold duly basis ot future conli ilnitioti 1 -, called upon Mr Npratl to mo\e his resolution. I Mi Sprat.t then ir,ov n d his involution publi^lied eKewhere le^anliuf;- the allocation ot the j^old duty to the I'ump. Mr Comer seconded. Auflvl.mil Star, May 15.