The County and Borough Councils Conference Committee Meeting.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2502, 12 January 1877, Page 2

The County and Borough Councils Conference Committee Meeting.

A meeting of the sub-committee appointed at the conference yesterday afternoon was held at the Borough Council Chambers this forenoon. Present—His Worship the Mayor in the chair, County Councillors Brodie, Thorburn, Bagnall and Mitchell, and Borough Councillors Howe, Gibbons and Benshaw.

Cr Brodie laid before the committee the telegrams sent to Messrs Whitaker and Weston, and the replies. These were read by the Chairman. Cr Bowe said it was necessary to go to Mr Black and get information concerning the cost of pumping. V • Cr Brodie moved that they• adjourn to the Pumping Association works to get information. ; ■

This was seconded and carried and the committee proceeded to the Pumping Works, where the following information was obtained from .Mr Black, he being questioned by members of the committee :—The actual cost of pumping alone is £170 per week—that is including coals, wages, oil, «otton'waste, and ordinary repairs. Another boiler would reduce the consumption of coal, and more than pay interest on the amount expended. The cost of such a boiler would be £250, and it would cost £150 to fit it. The cost of pumping could be easily increased, but not decreased. The'£l7o per week does not include the cost of prospectors at all, and it costs the Association £50 per fortnight to keep the; party of eight men working in the north drive. The south drive lias been put in with Government moneyll The south drive is now in 313 feet, and has cost about 30s per foot. It was commenced about May Jast, and work was stopped in December, t Tenders were now being called for its continuance. If, sufficient money ,was available it would be extended to the Waio-Karaka. Nine men are employed in driving seaward, the drive being now 113 feet. long. The Government are making no arrangements for working over Golden Crown. If the County took over the winding engine it would pay its own expenses. The £170 per week includes the cost of the winding engine.

After thanking Mr Black for his information the committee returned to ,the Council Chambers.

&•; Brodie moved that this committee go to Auckland and wait on the .Resident Minister and the authorities of the Pumping Association on Monday morning, and in the mean time; the Mayor and County Chairman communicate with the former by telegram. The motion was seconded and carried. The following is a copy of the telegram:—- s

Hon. F. Whitaker, Auckland. A deputation from County and Borough Councils will wait ou you re Pump on Monday morning, and discuss details of terms. They suggest that you should have prepared draft of agreement as basis of discussion. ' Alexander : Brodie, r' County Chairman.

Cr Renshaw suggested several questions to be asked Mr Whitaker and included in the draft. Some of the most important ones were that if the company struck gold, would the money be re-paid? Would the Borough or the County have the supervision over the spending, and under whose supervision would the work be continued? ■„,

Cr Brbdie objected to this. He said tbafc the Goldfields Revenue collected within the Borough belonged to the County if they took over the Pump. Cr Uenshaw said it would be a onesided arrangement, the County not spending any of its own goldfields revenue or other revenue to keep the Pump going, and yet seeking to work it with the money collected in the Borough. The Borough would doubtless keep the pumping going if they had the Gold .Duty to do it with. Cr Brodie said that the Borough had nothing to do with it. It had been offered and given to the County, and the County would have the goldfields revenue collected within the Thames district.

After some more discussion the meeting broke up.