THE HON. J. McGOWAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12241, 9 April 1903, Page 6

THE HON. J. McGOWAN.

THAMES DEPUTATIONS. MINING MATTERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWS CORRESPONDENT.] Thames, Wednesday. The Hon. J. McGowan, Minister for Mines, had a busy time this morning receiving deputations. He took his departure from here to Auckland this afternoon, en route to Wellington, "where he is due to attend a Cabinet meeting before the Easter holidays. " THAMES BORING. PROPOSALS. Amongst the public deputations received by the Minister to-day, one of the most important was that from the Thames Goldfields' Improvement Committee, regarding the proposed scheme of boring operations for testing the low levels. A deputation waited on Mr. Seddon upon the subject during that gentleman's recent visit to Auckland, and he informed the deputation that the Government were willing to subsidise the project to the extent of one-third of the cost only. This announcement from the Premier was not considered satisfactory, and as a- result the committee afterwards forwarded a second application to the Minister for Mines, requesting a reconsideration of the whole matter by the Government, and asking that a subsidy of pound for pound should be granted upon all money subscribed towards the scheme by the general public, and 10s in the pound upon all money subscribed by companies who would be benefited by any boring operations carried out in their respective properties. Mr. T. A. Dunlop (chairman of the committee) introduced the deputation, and the secretary (Mr. Bruce) read the letter above referred to. Mr. McGowan said the committee had already learned the views of the Government on the scheme, as explained recently by the Premier. His (the Premier's) reply had been the cause of the letter just read being sent to him (the speaker). This communication had been laid before the Premier, and that gentleman had decided to alter his views on the subject, so that the speaker, on behalf of the Government, was prepared to put the following proposals before the committee. The committee had had a property handed to them by Mr. Adams, and what the Government now proposed was that on account of the subscriptions made by the public, the Government would grant a subsidy of £ for £. (Hear, hear.) That was the assistance to be given to the cost of boring done by the committee for the public, while on the amounts expended on boring on other than what might be termed the committee's ground, that was on the properties owned by the companies, the Government were prepared to grant a subsidy of 10s in the £. He might say that.it was somewhat surprising that the public were willing to put their hands in their pockets and subscribe funds to a' scheme which would principally benefit other people, but this fact showed that they had confidence in the future of the field and of the deep levels. While on the point he might say that the attitude of the companies did not compare favourably with that of the public, for they all appeared to hold aloof except one company, that had approached the Government for assistance, and in that case the assistance had been given. The Government would grant a subsidy of £ for £ on public subscriptions for boring on what might be termed public property, and 10s in the £ on the expenses incurred in boring on the companies' "round. Of course there would be a limit to the expenditure, and the limit would be stated in the official reply he would send them on his return to Wellington. He hoped that the committee would decide to bore lower than 1200 ft, say to 2000 ft.

Mr. Dunlop: The committee propose to go lower than 1200 ft. Thev will go to 1500 ft and 2000 ft. THE THAMES HAURAKI PUMP. A deputation from the Thames Drainage Board then waited on the Minister, the party being introduced by Mr. 1. A. Dimlop. Mr. J. M. Lennox stated that the Thames Hauraki Company, having gone into liquidation, the Thames Drainage Board had no means of recovering the contributions due except by proceeding in the Court, and disposing of the properties. Proceedings had been taken in the Warden's Court, and a portion of the property sold, and the Board had now gone to the Supreme Court for permission to sell the rest of the property. What the Board proposed to ask the Minister was to recommend to the Government the purchase of the plant. The Government had alreadv advanced £25,000, and that amount would be lost altogether if the Government did not. advance the balance sufficient to' purchase the plant, so that they would then have entire control. It was estimated that the Government would be able to secure the plant for £5000. The Government could do the same as they did in connection with the purchase of the cyanide patent—charge such a royalty as would recoup them not only for the £5000 expended in the purchase, but for the £25,000 previously expended. . Mr. Hesketh also urged upon the Minister the course of action as set forth by the previous speaker. Messrs. Greer., Trembath, and Macky also spoke, endorsing the remarks of the previous speakers. Mr. McGowan stated that the Government hud owned a pump on the field before, and their experience had not been a happy one. If they purchased the pump at all, thev should purchase the mine. That was his idea. So that if there was a gain they would benefit to the full extent of that gain. The Government, however, had not commenced to run gold mines yet. True, they had a State coal mine, but that was not equal to mining for gold. The latter was of a more speculative character than the other. He was always ready to grant, his assistance, and if the deputation would place their views in writing he would put the proposals before the Government. He would lay such matters before his colleagues, but he could state that the Government had no idea of purchasing the Thames Hauraki pump. Mr. Green: Or of taking the judgment debts over? Mr. McGowan: Or of taking the judgments debts over. Sir. Macky said that there was no occasion for the Government to take the mine over. When the Government laid a railway for the settlers they did not purchase the'land and become farmers. Mr. McGowan: I am not going to argue the matter over with Mr. Macky. If, I did I can assure you that I would leave him standing on very thin ice. BOROUGH RECREATION GROUND. A deputation consisting of Messrs. Poulgrain, Loughlin, Wood, Burton, Radford, and Albert Bruce (town clerk) waited on the Minister and asked for assistance in the extension and formation of a recreation reserve. Mr. Poulgrain said that the Minister had at the opening of the Victoria Reserve suggested that the reserve should be continued, and the Borough Council had taken the bull by the horns, had met the representative of the Harbour Board, and their negotiations had culminated that morning in the purchase of the intake situated on the foreshore between Albert and Cochrane Streets, which was the Harbour Board's property. The work of filling in the intake would be a work of some magnitude, and they asked the Government to assist them. "if the Government would give them assistance to the extent of £2500, the Borough Council would have to find the balance out of their own funds. Mr. McGowan stated that the matter was one outside his province. Mr. Poulgrain had stated _ that the Minister for Lands had promised to assist if a recreation ground was secured,, and he would bring the matter before Mr. Duncan. He might say that there was not the slightest hope of granting £2500 . for the recreation ground, and another £500 for an intake. If they did that all the borough councils in New Zealand would be asking for the same.

THAMES SCHOOL OF MINES. During the day the Minister also attended at the School of Mines, where the members of the council had assembled at the request of the hon. gentleman, in order to discuss whether or not the council were willing to reduce its present charges for the treatment of test parcels of ore at its experimental plant, in order to make the plant more accessible to prospectors. Mr. Paul (the president) said that at the present time the plant was being used for experimental purposes, and no profitwas accruing to the Council out of it. ' The Minister remarked that when the plant was first established there .were a number of batteries on the field engaged crashing for the public, and at that time it was agreed the plant should not enter into competition with those batteries. There were not so many mills working now, and he wanted to confer with the council to see if there was any way to cheapen the school batter)", and not interfere with the education of pupils, and also benefit the industry at large. If the council could not afford the additional cost for extending the benefits of the school, he was prepared to help them. Mr. Bruce said that the Minister could rely upon the council doing a'!J it could in the matter, and with this in view it would reduce its charges to actual cost price for all prospectors' parcels. Mr. McGowan said he did not want, nor did he expect, the council to lose one penny in the treatment of such parcels, and. he would be always ready to make good any loss they might so incur. Before the meeting broke up, Mr. Paul stated that there was one other matter he would like to bring under the Minister's notice, and that was the advisability of the school issuing diplomas to its students after pursuing, say, a three years' course of subjects at the school. * The Minister, however, did not fall in with the views of Mr. Paul. He thought the issue of such a diploma would be of no use whatever.