MINING GROUP'S GAME.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 133, 8 June 1925, Page 3

MINING GROUP'S GAME.

PLAN TO FREEZE OUT INVESTORS.

NEW ZEALAXDER A VICTIM. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. April 22. A most curious story comes to hand from Winnipeg by to-day' 3 mail. It tells how Mr. Joseph Myers—who is a native of Wellington, New Zealand— managing director of the Bingo Gold Mines, is being accused of salting the Bingo mine. Mr. Myers, on this other hand, asserts that the mine is a good one—iv other words, requires no salting; that, to put it colloquially, this is a put-up job on the part of certain American financial interests to represent the mine as worthless in order that they may obtain it at the value of a depreciated property. The files of the Winnipeg papers dated (ith and Bth of April contain the opening proceedings before Sir Hugh John Maodonald. Mr. Myers is being prosecuted by the Crown for putting forward false assays, and Mr. Andrews, K.C., for the Crown, said: "L T nless we can prove these assays were false, and that Myers knew they were false, the Crown fails." Mr. R. A. Bonnar, K.C., for Mr. Myers, declared: "These charges are based on financial interests, and. while my learned friends are not a party to the scheme, this is a bogus prosecution for the purpose of exploiting some financial deal." The evidence of one witness (Mr. John Wanless) was objected to on the plea, that he was not competent to assert that the assay was good. Tbat could only be done by the man who bad assayed flic specimens. Evidently, however, the judge allowed the question to be put to Mr. Wanless: "Did you or did you not have anything to do with salting the mine?" when Mr. Andrews said be proposed to ask everj- witness the same question and to prove the fact of salting by the process of elimination. "I did not." witness said. "Neither did I." Mr. Wanless added, "nor did Air. Myers." Feeling ran high over the cross-ex-amination of Mr. L. Chamberlain, assistant superintendent at the mine in I'.'2-l. In it the facts were elicited that panning was done in the blacksmith's shop, some in front of the shop. Witness was asked bow much rock there was on the Bingo dump. He replied there was about 10.000 or 12,000 tons. "The truth about this mine could be found out by grinding that rock!" asked Mr. Bonnar. "Yes," replied the witness. "And Mr. Myers was trying to get a mill erected there?" Witness answered affirmatively. "And that rock is still there to tell the truth?" continued Mr. Bonnar. "And if any man offered to grind it at his own expense, what would you think?" "I think he would be a fool," was the short reply of witness. "We'll do it." announced Mr. Bonnar firmly. "Air Myers will do it to-day if permission is given him by tho prosecution. I suggest to my learned friends that we test this ease here and now by their allowing us to erect a mill and mill the rock." "That's a sporting offer," agreed Magistrate Macdonald. Mr. Graham rose to point out that they were in court for the purpose of prosecuting certain charges against Mr. Myers, and that the prosecution could not, even if they desired, give permission for tlie erection of a mill. "' I thought my learned friends wanted the truth, and I was offering them a short cut," announced Mr. Bonnar. The morning session of the Court was enlivened by clashes between the solicitors, by accusations of using the case as a means of spreading propaganda, and by a sharp rebuke of Mr. Bonnar by Magistrate Macdonald for constantly interrupting tho examination of L. Chamberlain, who occupied the witness stand. Showing four letters purporting to be signed by Myers, he swore the signature was that of Myers. Arising to crossexamine. Mr. Bonnar steadily grilled witness on the signature, and succeeded in discrediting all the evidence lie had given having any bearing on the matter. It ■was ordered to be struck out of the record.