CHAMBER OF MINES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 203, 28 August 1896, Page 3

CHAMBER OF MINES.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of members of the Auckland Chamber, of Mines was held yesterday afternoon ab bhe Chamber, Short-land-street. There was a very large attendance. Mr Seymour Thorne George presided. Annual Repou-1. The first annual reporb Was read. This sbated :—The work performed by the Chamber bas proved of great service to all interested in mining ; and as the development of'bhe mineral resources of bhe district goes on, its usefulneaamust evergoon increasing. The increased confidence in bhe field shown by English and foreign investors has been a source of greab satisfaction bo bhe Council, as ib musb have been to every member of bhe Chamber. Thab thab confidence haa every warranb our gold reburns amply show. In the year ending March 31sb lasb, the latest period for which complete reburns are available, bhe Hauraki Peninsular produced no leas than 222,377 ounces of bullion. The reburns to hand for the past five months, bhough nob aB complete, evidence thab lasb year's high output is being more than maintained. Ib muab be remembered, too, that, to a very considerable extent, development haa been delayed pending the arrival of necessary machinery, which is now coming bo band by every steamer arriving in Auckland. It may nob be uninteresting bo note in this regard thab, during the firsb bwerifcy days of bhe presenb month, no less, bhan 22,000 bona of cargo were landed here, a very large porbion of which was mining machinery and mining necessaries, further large shipments being also expected. Once bhis mackinery is in operation the output of the Auckland goldfields will be immeasurably increased. When ib is remarked thab since September, 1895, bhe Hauraki mine has produced bullion valued approximabely ab £94,942, and bhe Waihi mine (wibh yeb bhe resulb of a crushing bo come bo hand) bullion valued at £121,155, some idea will be gained of whab may be expecbed from systematic and scientific working; and as such working becomes more general, so will bhe funcbions of bhe Chamber widen. Up to the preaenb dabe bhe membership roll contains 311 names. It is sabisfacbory to note tbab bhe membership is constanbly increasing. The list of companies now registered wibh bhe Chamber includes 169 namea. The imporbance of bhis list is becoming more widely recognised every month, nob only in New Zealand, bub in England and on bhe Conbinenb of Europe. The lisb ia sbeadily increasing. The Council has been forbunate in obbain- , ing a lease for four years, on favourable berms, of bhe commodious and convenient) premises now occupied by the Chamber, The importance of having maps and plane, aa complebeas bhey could possibly be made, in order bhab members mighb see aba glance bhe posibion of all areas granted, impressed itself ab an early sbage of the Chamber's exisbence upon the Council. .To effecb bhis meant considerable outlay, and, in view of bhe neceßsiby for keeping members bhoroughly posted up in full and reliable informabion, bhe expendiburo haa already been large; bhe outlay must necessarily continue. The Regisber and Report Booka for each Company has been found by members of bhe greatest übiliby and convenience, all information procurable relabing to each aeparate Company registered being posted up to date. These reporb books are conpbanbly referred.to by shareholders in tho various companies and by the members generally. Ib is, bherefore, greably to the inberesb of all concerned thab every assistance should be afforded to the Chamber in making these records as complete aa poaaible. The Chairman in moviDg the adoption of bhe report and balance-sheeb, congratulated bhe members on the great success which had abbended the Chamber. The formation of the Chamber waß due to Mr Horton. The Chamber was now an established facb, and ib was looked forward to in mining mafabers all over the colony and in London. The Chamber's first year's work bad been a greab success, bub ib had only been initiative. Passing on tho Chairman said bhey should havo new maps of bhe whole of bhe peninsula, and the Chamber should also . have a mining engineer of their own. ' They should give him a salary thab would put him' outside of all temptation. Speaking of the proposed mining exhibition he bhougbb immediabe sbeps should be baken bo geb a vote from the House of Representatives. He paid a high tribute of praise bo Mr G. S. Kis3ling for the manner in which he had worked for bhe Chamber, and concluded by saying bhab he (the chairman), would nob again stand for bhe office of President of the Council. Mr Uixon seconded bhe adoption of the reporb and balance-sheeb. Mr Cheat spoke in supporb of the Chamber having an engineer of their own. His reports would give confidence to English investors. The following officers were bhen elected : —President, Mr James Russell ; Vicepresident, Mr Henry Bretb; members of Council: Seymour Thorne George, Graves Aickin. C. C. McMillan, Jas. Macfarlane, J. C. Davies, John Chambers, Jas. McGowan, M. A. Clark, Col. Burbon : audibor, Mr Ebenezer Waymoubh. The following resolution was unanimously agreed bo:—"Thab bbc Auckland Chamber of Mines become incorporated under bhe Unclassified Societies Registrabion Acb, 1895, by bhe sbyle and title of «The Auckland Chamber of Mines.' "

A bonus of £50 was granted to Mr Kissling for his pasb services as Secrebary. Tho fixing of bhe Secretary's salary in future was lefb bo bhe Council of bhe Chamber.

Vobes of thanka bo the President and Vice-Preaidenb for bheir pasb services were passed and the meebing terminated.