The Waic-Karaka Drainage Association.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2861, 16 April 1878, Page 2

The Waic-Karaka Drainage Association.

DEPUTATION TO THE MAYOE.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs J. Brown, T. L. Murray, and J. McCabe, waited on His Worship the Mayor at, the Council Chambers to-day, for the purpose of interviewing him. re the maintenance of the Waio-Karaka Pump. :--

Mr Brown said that the directors of the Waio-Karaka Drainage Association had .held a meeting, at which it was found that the pumping expenses were £250 per month for lifting the water from the present level, and did not include the cost of. any breakage, and had receired a notification from the directors of the companies forming the association-—the Fiako and Queen of Beauty — that from the heavy pumping expenses they found themselves in a precarious position. During two years the Fiako had spent £6000; made three calls; and had an overdraft of £35C3 at the Bank, which would show the unprofitable nature' of their operations. The Queen of Beauty also had not been yielding so profitably of late, and the reason they had come was to see if the Mayor did not think they were entitled to some help from the authorities , who had the spending of the goldfields revenue. The Big Pump, he might say, cost between £500 to £800 of public money per month to keep it going, and the gold duty from the Waio-Karaka i mines went to help it. In the event of ' their not getting assistance he feared that they would not be able to carry on at all, as shareholders would not pay calls when they knew that most of the money would ' be spent in raising water, and not in pros* pecting the ground. If they got; some assistance the case would be different. They would be content to get the gold duty from their respective mines for the support of the pump. The Piako had about 100 men employed—chiefly tributers, whilst the Queen of Beauty, including battery hnnds, had 80 or 100 men; so that it would be a serious calamity to the district if the pump stopped and these men were thrown but of work. The companies interested had taken advantage of the pumping of the wcttr to prospect and work their ground, while of all the companies benefited vy" the Big Pump, the Kuranui Hill was thei only one that had. done so. They would like to know if what they asked was feasible. The Mayor admitted that it was desirable to assist the pump, but said he would show the position of the Borough with respect to the Gold Duty. The latter was devoted to the maintenance of the Big Pump till February next. His opinion respecting this arrangement was pretty widely known, but whether it was right or wrong he believed that it was a binding one. Tlio Borough was also under the disadvantage that it could not rate mining property, and under the present Act they had no power over their own property—-the streets of tho Borough —as tho Warden might, if he chose, give permission to kink a shaft in the middle of a street. It must be clear to them that denuded of the Gold Duty and the power of rating, which was their legitimate means of support, that the Borough could not do much. He, however, would lay the matter before the Council, or, if they thought it would do any good, he would call a special meeting to hear what they had to say. Mr McCabe said he understood that the Borough only gave a portion of their duty to tbe Pump. The Mayor: Every farthing. Mr Murray said that up to last year some of tte batteries had paid rates. The Mayor said he did not think that argument would do much good. The law had exempted them from rating now. Mr Brown drew tho attention of the Mayor to the fa«S that their circumstances

wero the same ns that of the Big Pump. The same objection could be applied to it. The Mayor sai-l it could. Their not being able to rate mining property was a clear loss u( £1200 to tlio Borough, as they lost the subsidy on rates. Mr Murray asked if there was no surplus. Did the Borough give all its duty ? The Mayor said that the Borough's gold duty was £303 per month, and they gave every farthing of it. The companies benefited also paid, and the deficiency was made up by tbe profits from the County water race, and if that proved insufficient the County gold duty was come upon. Mr Brown asked if the agreement re the Big Pump was not vitiated by the companies neglecting to carry out what t!iey agreed to do — prospect their ground. The ' Mayor said it was not for the Borough, us one of the parties to the contract, to say that it did.

After some further desultory conversation the Mayor recommended the deputation to wait on the Council at the next meetiat;. Hits was agreed to, and the deputation, after thanking His Worship, withdrew.