THE COUNTY AND THE ALBURNIA.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3858, 11 May 1881, Page 2

THE COUNTY AND THE ALBURNIA.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sm, —Bern* one of the members referred to in Mr Bad ford's letter of the 10th inst., I think it as well to en'ighten him and the public of a few facts that he seems to be in ignorance of. Tho legal manager in writing on the, 22nd. of July, 1880, says that when they purchased the Prince Alfred battery for the sum of £300, they purchased the first right to the water; when the auctioneer stated at the time of sale, that the right to the water did not go with the battery, that all he sold was the battery, and no outside rights, as they would have to be arranged for. At the meeting of the Councilt held in August, 1880, the following letter was received : —" Gentlemen, —In response to your advertisement calling for written applications for the use of the water, from the Thames Water Kace, we, the representatives of the Queen of Beauty Co., Herald Battery, a&d Alburnia Co., beg to state that we have expended large sums of money in the erection of machinery to be driven by water power upon faith of the representatives of the Government, and your Council, that water would be available at certain prices named. Under these circumstances we fail to see that there is any reason for deporting from existing arrangements. (Signed).—-John M'Cabe, C. J. Stone, T.Macffaeiajtb." This letter I have every reason to believe was shown about Auckland, and others interested in batteries asked to sign it, and I believe I am right in stating that a meeting of those interested in batteries | was held in Auckland, at which ■ meeting it was suggested to offer the County Council 35s per sluice-head per week, or about one third of its actual value. Bat then of course the gentlemen present were ;he so called saviours of the Thames goldfield. On the 21st August, 1880, Mr Thomas Radford writes asking for sufficient water to drive the battery, but as his machinery was so defective, and the amount of water required not shown in his letter, ifc was decided to ask the actual amount of water the Alburnia Company wanted, and it is not till the 25th September that a direct application is made, of which the following is a copy:—"l am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th inst. in reply to mine of the 16th, and with reference thereto, and to Council's letter of the 9th inst., to state that the Alburnia Company agree to rent 3| sluice-heads of water at £3 per sluice-head per week for 12 months, paying for the same continuously upon the understanding that in the event of a lesser supply of water being found to be sufficient for the company's requirementsatany time during the year, the Council accept payment for such lesser supply in lieu of payment for full supply of 3£ beads.—H. N. Gabland.' Thus it will be seen that the : mine manager was not in the confidence of his directors as his name only appears once in a correspondence extending over three months. Let us compare the •'. businesslike application of the Golden. Crown with that of the Alburnia:—" I hereby make application for the use of two sluice beads of water for motive power at the rate of £3 per head per week for a period of two years, on behalf of the New Golden Crown G.M C—T. A. Dvslop." It will be seen that, the Golden Crown Co. applied for water in terms of the Council's advertisement and that the Alburnia Company, instead of doing the same, hawk a petition about to force the Council to accept a price not half of its real value. Under the circumstances, the Golden Crown has, in my opinion, a prior right.—l am Ac, Adam Poster.