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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9082, 16 June 1888, Page 4

By a majority the Thames Drainage Board have resolved to make application to the Government for the allocation to them of the gold duty raised on the gold produced within the drainage area to pay for carrying on the operations of the Big Pump. Of course they are quite justified in endeavouring to obtain any assistance they can from any source, whether at the expense of the Government or of the local Borough and County Council, in order to keep the mines dry within the area covered by their pumping operations ; but we are strongly inclined to believe that the Government will not feel justified in acceding to the request, unless the principle is made of general application throughout the colony. The principle of the duty itself is open to grave doubt, and probably the only thing that has saved the gold duty from extinction is that it has been given back to the local governing bodies administering tho several goldfields, in order to meet tho exceptional expenditure necessitated on goldfields. On the faith of this important source of revenue, the local administrations at the Thames have undertaken liabilities; and the consequence of the stoppage of the greater portion of the gold revenue, on which they have been relying to fulfil their obligations, will unquestionably be taken into account by the Government before acceding to the request of the Thames Drainage Board. Further than this, the virtual remission of gold duty, to the mining companies working within the drainage area at tho Thames, must necessarily be regarded as a precedent to which other mining companies, not only in the Coromandel Peninsula, but in Otago, Westland, in fact, any place where mining operations are conducted, will appeal, in demanding from the Government that their contributions of gold duty should be returned to them to facilitate in a similar way their mining operations. They may not require it for pumping, but it may be equally useful to them for water-races, or tramways, or tracks ; and should the Government be pleased to give back to the eight or ten companies working within the drainage area at the Thames, the duty on their gold produced, in order to assist them in keeping their mines dry, right reason tells us that there can bo no refusal given to any other company, whether in Auckland or Otago, preferring a similar claim to its quota of gold duty in order to facilitate its mining operations. As this is tantamount to the repeal of the gold duty, it would certainly - - much preferable to accept

the principle and make it of m* , application, by formally repeaffSj gold duty, and ceasing to collect itVo, any, rather than producing hearth °" 1 ings and jealousies by remitting K" and refusing it there, when the ultinS result must necessarily be the rem • ° of the duty to all. Our obj£' therefore, is not to those comm? ' within the drainage area b≥ mea nutted their taxes — provided S £ the Government relieve the Th Borough and County Council gJJ their liabilities incurred on the tVti! of receiving the revenue — but II objection that will be taken by eV( . one that allows himself to take broader view than of merely immediat* and private interests, the objection th what is conceded by the QovernnieS to one mining association must vo certainly not be refused to all th? mining companies in New Zealand Fo if one mining company receives Wv the gold duty it has paid, every coin pany must be given back its gold d u £ in exactly similar measure. Another matter which will cause a difficulty Iα this. The mines within the drainas area argue that they derive no benefit from the gold duty, because they require little expenditure in roads. But some of them, the Cambria, for i n stance, do derive benefit from road" made by the gold duty. There are mines without the drainage area wh'icl receive as little benefit as some within the bounds. That they do not need pumps is a fortunate accident of th'oi» position, and if the argument is valid I that those mines which do not require roads to get access to crushing machinery ought not to be required to pay gold duty, then other mines besides those within the drainage area will also be entitled to remission. The sound principle would be to repeal the duty altogether. It is quite impossible to repeal it so far as certain mines are concerned and to maintain it as respect) others.