THE TAIRUA GOLD MINING COMPANY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2199, 15 November 1875, Page 3

THE TAIRUA GOLD MINING COMPANY.

A meeting of the directors of the Tairua Gold Mining Company was held at the company's office, _on Saturday evening. A great amount of interest was evinced in the proceedings by tboso who became aware of their nature, for it was generally expected that the meeting would be a stormy one. There'were present: Mr W. B. Jackson (in the ohair), Messrs Howard, Graham, and Eurenfried. Capt, Daldy was elected director instead of "Mr W. Sully. The wages account was passed, and the finaloial position of the company was discussed. A report from the mine manager (Mr J. B. Beeche) was received, stating the amount of stuff crushed during the past fortnight was 34 tons and the gold, obtained 41ozs. It was also stated that he had discharged all hands working on the mine, and tendered his resignation as mine manager, asking to be relieved as soon as possible. A resolution was carried that Mr Beeche's resignation be not accepted.\Mr Ehrenfried then handed in a written report, which was read. It stated that, in accordance with tho frequently expressed wish of the directors, he visited the company's mine on Wednesday last and made arrangements with the manager to show him tho different workings of the mine. Ho first requested him to show tho shaft out of which he alleged the rich quartz yielding nearly 40ozs to the ton was obtained) and from which the directors were led to believe any amount of quartz which would average from soz.s to lOozs to the ton was ready to.be taken out. He I ;was astonished to find the shaft covered'up, and ascertained that it had been nailed down since the time the_ battery started, and that no one who visited tho mine on that occasion was allowed to go down the shaft. He asked Mr Beeche why he had closed the shaft, and he simply told him that the rich, gold had runout. He had. also discontinued the 50-feet level, drive, and converted it into a .powder magazine, He would ask the directors to give this matter their serious consideration,, as it. appeared to him, from that and other circumstances, that the manager must have been aware some time-before the opening pf the battery that the rich gold bad run out, and that information which it was his duty to have given the directors he kept to himself, and used it for his own benefit, and that of his friends. He also found that the state of things at the face of. the mine was misrepresented, and instead of legitimate mining, which he expected to see carried on, the manager had a lot of men on different parts of the faco fossicking,, a style of work which would not pay, and would bring the mine into contempt. He observed the style of packing quartz to the mill, and found that instead of 30a it really cost 60s per ton. He visited the water race, and found that there also they had been misled, tor instead of having sufficient, water for some months to come, he ventured to saythat although they had heavy rain last week and at the commencement of this week, : the battery would have to stop for want of water by Monday at the furthest,; He looked at the battery, and acknowledged that it deserved the contempt with which everyone who had seen.it condemned it.. It would not crush stone at all,, and was scarcely fit to put through the.clayey stuff which was being fossicked out for it at great expense to the. company. He asked the directors, taking these things into consideration, .whether Mr Beeche had withheld any information from them which he should have furnished, and whether he had worked the mine to the advantage of the shareholders generally, and if the verdict of the directors was against him, to discharge him at once as unfit for the management of the company's mine. The report spoke very favourably of the manner in which Messrs A. and D. Somerville weregetiing" on with their contract of the tramway, and of the manner in which Mr Gallagher was carrying out his contract for the transit of maohinery. The small engine shipped to Tairua harbour had not arrived, The report was discussed, and a motion carried that Mr J. B. Beeche be discharged. ■ : 's'. , In the course of discussion, Mr Ehrenfried stated his conviction that under competent management the mine would prove a good payable one. Several other matters woro left oyer for consideration at an adjourned meeting to be held on Thursday next.