TUAPEKA MINING ASSOCIATION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 235, 1 August 1872, Page 8

TUAPEKA MINING ASSOCIATION.

A public meeting was held in the schoolroom, Blue Spur, on the 19th ult., in connexion with the Mining Association. There was a good attendance, and the President of. the Mining Association took the chair. He said that the Committee of the Association at a former meeting, passed a v minute in favourof conveninga public meeting, for the purpose of being still further instructed in various matters which the Association has undertaken, and especially of matters of a local nature. He need not do more than indicate them to the meeting, as he believed the meeting would bring them up in some form.

Mr. Han an adverted to the good that was liksly to result from the labours of the Blue Spur Mining Association, and in fact, that it had already resulted in a telegram from Mr. Brown, M.H.R., asking suggestions from the Association on the new Goldfields Bill about to be submitted to Parliament.

The President urged the meeting to unite in earnest action, and trusted that every man in the district would join the Association, and give his aid in the laudable endeavour to effect reforms for the goldfields of the colony, as such reforms were absolutely necessary to make gold mining permanently profitable. He instanced the present system of Warden's Courts and survey departments as entailing a heavy drain of money from them, as well as causing delays and impediments to the prosesution of mining in this district.

The minutes of the previous meeting were then read and confirmed.

Mr. James Campbell proposed, "that the Committee of the Association draw up a petition to the Houses of Legislature, urging the* abolition of the gold duty." He said that if the Parliament represented the true interests of this colony, it would wipe off this tax at once. It was a direct tax on the mininyj industry that was enervating the colony, and would gradually extinguish mining enterprise through out the goldfielcls. The gold duty was a grievance of long standing, and its effects were the ruin of the prosperity of Otago. There was no other political grievance that was so obnoxious to the miners -as the tax on the rennit-of their labours, and he trusted in the interejsts of -the. ecu t y which he caKed his home, that the, Parliament now assembled would erase it from the statute books.- •

Mr: Sauruel White in seconding the motion, was understood to say that if the miners were true, to their own interests, they would come forward with an expression of opinion on this subject in accordance with their feelings, and if they unanimously joined throughout the colony, and earnestly demanded the abolition of the gold duty, their efforts would be crowned with success.

Mr. Morris said he feared that the Former two speakers were too sanguine. He thought the needy state of the Government necessitated revenue, and that the abandonment of a tax so easily collected- as the gold duty would never he aureid to ; beside, it v\ as folly to expect to be free of taxation altogether. He ridiculed the idea of so sweeping a resolution as the one proposed and counselled the meeting to modify it by only asking for a reduction of sixpence or a shilling an ounce.

Mr. W. D. Morrison said the needy state of the Government was not a sound reason for the imposition of this tax, as the Government of New Zealand had always been in a needy state. He said Mr. Morris . forgot that the miners paid other special' taxes amounting to a very large sum annually, and, were by no means escaping from the Weight of ordinary taxation, alons: with their fellow colonists. He would not agree to a mutilation ( f* the resolution on the grounds stated, because that would be condoning the injustice of the imposition. He hoped that when they proved the effect of this fax on the country, the Government would agree to its abolition,

Mi\ Jeffery said that Mr. Morrison did not aay how the. deficiency in > the' revenue was :to be made up ,if thel fifold-dutj was abolished, and whether' he wou.ld be in favour of -taxing any otb.ep class tq make ' good the defici-

}fr. W. D. ' Morrison said that- he was unfavourable to any. fu#he,r. taxar{m.-. 'VMwtisiv.{ espoft4iture to.

the extent of the' gold duty, and other special and direct taxes, seemed to him the most desirable way to meet its abolition. ' He wa3 surprised that any intelligent person who had lived so long in this colony, and who knew much of its institutions, and the enormous amount expended on legislation and ' administration, co aid urge the necessity for revenue to be thus grossly wasted in red tape. The" President then put the resolution to the meeting, and it was carried unanimously. The President called attention to local affairs. He repeated the old maxim of the first reforms beginning at home. Though the Association was not in its present form competent to deal with matters of private interest of the kind alluded to by the Secretary, yet he concurred in his remarks, ard suggested a meeting of shareholders. He asked the meeting if they agreed to move in the matter.

Mr. Win. Livingston moved : " That the shareholders meet here next Thursday evening, . at 7 o'clock, to discuss the subject of amalgamating water races and claims."

Mr. John Cormack seconded v the motion, as he fully concurred in .what the former speakers had said,- He fully believed the time would come when it would be impossible to work many of the claims without encroacbiug on the adjoining claims, as might be easily forseen by all, for it was impossible for parties to work at so great a depth without endangering the property of their neighbours. Mr. W. D.. Morrison fully concurred in the motion, and would give it his warmest support.

Mr. T. F. Morris moved: "That the annual subscription of members of the Association, be 25."

Seconded by Mr. W. Livingston.

Mr. John Christy moved as an amendment: "That the annual subscription be 2 r . 6d. per member." Seconded by Mr. Roach. The amendment was put and de-i-la-ed carried.

ft was agreed to hold a committee meeting on Tuesday, the 23rd iust.

A vote of thanks to the President closed the meeting. After the proceedings had terminated, a great many gentlemen joined the Association.