THAMES LOW LEVELS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 85, 12 April 1899, Page 2

THAMES LOW LEVELS.

THE DISPUTE OVER DRAINAGE

CONTRIBUTIONS

At the meeting of the Thames Drainage Board to-day the question of the drainage of the. Thames field came before the members. Correspondence that had passed between a committee of the Board and the Thames Hauraki Company was read. Mr Kissling (the chairman) read a long statement, and said the present position was that the Board was under contract with the contributors to unwater their ground to 500 feet in the Big Pump shaft; if the Thames Hauraki Company cou-d do this work without sacrificing any of the interests of the company the board was willing that it should do so at a cost not exceeding the . present contributions. If the Thames Hauraki Company could not do this work, the Big Pump would have to be kept working, and the only contribution the Board could make tv the Hauraki Company was the amount that might be saved in" the cost of running the Big Pump consequent On the operation of the Hauraki Company's pump.

Under date April 12, a letter was' read from the local secretary of the Thames-Hauraki Company, pointing out. that they were entitled to the whole of the drainage contributions paid by the May Queen, Hauraki, and Cardigan mines,- and asking the Board to make provision to pay over the amount in the meantime. As the company learned they were pumping other mines, and relieving the Big Pump, they would put in additional claims. As soon as the first month's pumping expired on the 23rd April they would make up the exact cost of pumping to the present depth by their plant and submit a copy to the .Board. They anticipated tha* the company's plant would be more costly than the present Big Pump to, say, 500 feet, but it was a certainty that the deeper the company pumped the greater would be the cost. In order to.reduce the expense of •management of the Board, he would find free of charge Office furniture and also the secretarial and clerical work of the company. The ThamesHaiiraki Company was also prepared to take over the working of the Big Pump for- a few months, and run both plants at their own Cost, receiving in return frOm the Board at the rate of £4,950 per annum, and if it was found the new pump relieved the present Big Pump altogether, then the rates to be based on the cost of working, be it more or less, in accordance with the present system. t In a discussion which followed it was pointed out that the assessments of the Board for the last year was £3,956. Mr Gordon thought the question of working both pumps as proposed in Mr Harris' letter was worth considering. It wa_s eventually resolved that a committee of the Board have an interview with Mr C. A. Harris on the whole matter. LETTER FROM THE GOVERNMENT. A letter was read from the Mines Department, asking the Board to consider the question of. arranging for future pumping at the Thames low levels, and stating it would be desirable in the public interests to facilitate the commencement of pumping operations to a much larger extent than had hitherto been attempted, by meeting the Thames-Hauraki Co. in a reasonable manner. It was pointed out that power was taken in the Mining Act of last session to alter orabolish the existing Thames Drainage Board and drainage area, but before exercising that power the Government would prefer that any alteration that may be made should be with the concurrence of all the local -authorities and companies. -

It was resolved that a committee interview Mr Cadman and place the Board's views before him.

Before dispersing, it Was resolved, on the motion of Mr Gordon/that the attendance fee of town members be 10/6, and that of Thamesa members £2 _/. ■7- ; 7 . 0