PUMPING OPERATIONS AT TEE THAMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5498, 1 July 1879, Page 6

PUMPING OPERATIONS AT TEE THAMES.

A largely-attend ED meeting of the directora of companies interested in the resumption of the pumping operations of the big pump at the Thames, was held yesterday, at the office. of Mr. F. A. White, Shortlandstreet. Mr. C. J. Stone occupied the chair. The Chairman explained that the object of the meeting was to consider measures required for starting the big pump to the 40U-feet 1eve1.... The meeting . would, of course, be of a conversational nature, in order to elicit opinions. The Moanataiari Company had considered the matter, and Mr. Stoddart had written to the County Council and Borough Council of Thames. He received the following letters in er:/: — " County Council Chambers, Thames, 12th June, 1879. —Sir,—ln reply to yours of the 10th instant, 1 am to submit for your information the transcript of two resolutions passed by the Council:—' That this Council will offer no opposition to any company desirous of starting pumping operations at the big pump, and will give every facility to carry on the same, but without prejndico to the Council's interest in the United Pump? ing- Association securities.- That, should pumpiiag operations be resumed, thin Counoil do make arrangement!! with the Borough Council to appropriate the gold duty realised from the gold obtained within to be defined, as a contribution in aid ol: pumping until the let of.September next ensuing.—l have, &c, E. V. W. Hoiiis, clerk and treasurer, Thames County Council." " Couiiea Chambers, Thames, 12th June, 1879.—Sir, —With reference to your letter this day received, asking me about a resolution passed at a meeting of the County Council, I have the honour to inform you that-no resolution in relation to the big pump or gold duty has been brought before the Council since the stoppage of pumping operations. Unofficially, I may say the most liberal views will, 1 am sure, be given to any proposition that, may be brought before the Borough Council respecting worka 80 important to the welfare o! the district. —I hare, &e.,-F. C. Dean, Town Clerk."

The proposal'was that the companies in. tcrested should contribute to the ex- • penses of pumping proportionately, and the* following schedule has been pre-, pared and generally assented* to:— Kuttfirai, £40 ; Waiotahi, ££0 ; Cure, £10 ; Caledonian, £25; Red Qaeen, £6 10s; Moanataiari, £50; Queen of Beauty, £20 ; Goldeff Calf, £10; Inverness, £5. Total, £196 103. lo this has to be added as doubt, ful • Tookoy, £10 ; Nonpariel, £10—making a grand total of £216. . - A general conversation ensned for some time as to the nature of tbo proposal, the fact of the County Council limiting the guarantee of the gold revenue to the Ist of September Being commented upon. .' Mr. Burt aeked' whether the constitution of the Thames County Council enabled them to inaka airy arrangements beyond September. , h Mr. Lennox said they had not met to conafcler the position of the pumping securities, but to consider the beat lileans of starting; the pumps. He asked Mr. Stoddart to write to the County Council after seeing the resolutions which th'ey had ■ passed, aeking whether the report was correct, and " define the drainage area. Now, they had before them the two unsatisfactory letters iuife read by the Chairman. - : There V? no doubt the value of .the securities would be greatly increased by the pumps being kept going, and the question now was-how to keep them gomg. Ac cording %o the iichedule just read, i 216 per month was promised, by the assooiated companies, leaving only about £114 to be made , up by the County and Borough. He knew •there was a great antipathy at the Thames »to pumping only from the 400-feet level, as they desired pumping to the 600-feet level. Mr. Rows said' that was not the feeling at present. Mr. Lennox said, that all events it -would bVa great advantage to Jjhe Thames, .and to them all, to have the pumps going. Mr! Ro\VE"'said, he was" not there as an advocate for the County, but on the Ist of September, the County as holders of the aecurities, would be in a position to enforce their claims for interest, and would no doubt realise on the securities. It was impossible/or them to let their overdraft remain as it was, and they would deal with tke securities, and realise on them, for they had no other chanco to reduce their overf'draft. . . . , ' . • Mr. Peacock said, in regard to dealing with these batterieo, engines, aad machinery, that could be done as well by the County Council themselves, and if they tould realise £7000 on them as stated, thit was their consideration; but the whole question of pumping was distinct from this. The difficulty was that the County Council only spoke of gvring the,gold duty for two months. He thought arrangements should have been made for a longer time. That was the point for the meeting to look at, and tha County Council ought to look to these batteries and engines as to realising on them. . . The Chairman said the mortgages were not due until 1881, and the legal question would ■rise as to whether the County could even enforce interest until that time. Mr. Rowe said ha had no doubt the County Council would guarantee the gold duty not only for two months, bnt for twelve months, or as long as it was availMr. Clare said if the County Conncil were prepared to meet them as far as that, the difficulty could easily be overcome. If the County Council agreed to give the entire gold duty for twelve months, with a proviso, in case of the gold duty becoming greatly increased, that they conld take over the pumps and work them themselves, he believed the companies would engage to keep the pumps going, at the rate of contn. bation for which they were put down to be supplemented by the gold duty. The Chairman asked what was the probable gold duty within the drainage area. Mr. Rowe said he estimated it from £35( to £400 a-month, if the pumps were kept going to the 400-feet level. Mr. Clark said if the companies contributed £200, that would be sufficient to keep the pumps going. The Chairman asked would the CountyCouncil pump on the promise of these contriMr. Rowe replied that the Council would have nothing to do with pumping ; that was no part o£ their work. Mr. Lennox asked should not the Borough also contribute. Mr. Peacock said no doubt the Borough would deal liberally.' Ho would move "That the secretary of this meeting communicate * with the County Conncil, aeking them to extend the period during which the gold duty ahonld be deyoted to pumping operations, on the companies undertaking to contribute £300 per month." If they refnsed this, the onua would fall upon them. The only obstacle was the short time they would guarantee the gold duty. The companies would either work the pumps, or the County could work them. < The Chairman pointed ont that only £216 was ecaranteod on the list, and some of the aamea given were doubtful. Although the Tookey was put down as doubtful, he believedthe amount allocated was within their reach, for the tribntee were paying. After some further discussion, Mr. J. M. Clabk moved, "That in the opinion of tma meeting the varitua companiea interested

should sgrse to work the pump at the 400feet level,' provided the County and Borough Councils hand over the duty from gold raised witbin certain denned limits ; that the duty be guaranteed for 12 month?, any excess of duty (it 'any) 'over expenses to be handed back to the Councils j, the proportion to" be paid by each company to be tixed before 'commencing." : . ... The CaAlBMiiN aaid" the Moanataian Company tad, considered the question, and -their idea was to ask the Pumping Association and the County for permission to start the pumps, handing them over to the management of Mr. Comer, their manager, and Mr. Hinton, their engineer, piey would be. glad if any other body would take ower the management, but failing that, they would do so. ~.,^,11, Mr. Bubtt then seconded Mr. Clarke motion. * Mr. Peacock moved, as an amendment, " Tiat this meeting expresses its confidence thafethe companies interested p the drainage of 4he Grahamstown flat can undertake, line charge of the pumps, and raise a sum of £200 per month if the County and Borough Councils will supplement that sum from the gold duty by an amount sufficient to maintain the pumps.'L A good deal of discussion took place, at thetnd of which Mr. Peacock withdrew his amendment, aud'the original motion was carried. ~ __, . On the motion of Mr. _Pbacock, the Chairman and Mr. J. M. Clark were appointed a committee to wait on the County and Borough Councils of the Thames, relative to carrying the resolution into effect. The secretary was instructed to forward copies of the resolution by telegraph to the County and Borough Councils of the Thames, and the meeting then terminated.