Prospecting Association.

Thames Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 7368, 6 December 1892, Page 4

Prospecting Association.

Formed at Seefton.

DETAILS OF THE SCHEME.

A public meeting, convened by the Chairman of the Reefton County Council, was held at the Chambers at Keefton the other evening to consider the advisability of forming a Prospecting Association for . the' district. Though the evening was an , inoonvenieot one for many of the town's- ', -people, 'there was an attendance of about V fifty, consisting of tradesmen and joiners. Mr Free said thai whilst a great deal was often taid regarding the advantages ' of outsid© capital, it vras an iHjdjepated

fact that the prosperity of the district mainly depended upon the amount of gold raised from the mines, and bow to increase the output was the question to be dealt with. A large number of men in the district, who were able and willing to work, were out of employment, and as they were not earning wages they of course could not pay for- the necessaries of life, the consequence being that both the tradesmen and themselves suffered. How to provide work for .these men was the object of the meeting. In many parts of''the «plpny the Government were asked to provide work for the unemployed by spending money on public works, but he thought ;the miners would prefer earning a living at their own calling to being ; employed on this principle. He thought a prospecting association which would include "everybody willing to join would be of much benefit to the district. His proposal was that each one should contribute Is per week. This might seem an insignificant sum, but if everybody contributed a large sum might be raised. There were at least 300 working, miners in receipt of wages on" the field, aud from these £15 per week could be raised. He thought most of the miners would join the association and agree to pay is per week for such a worthy object. Of course there was no doubt that for reasons which it was needless to express, some of them would refuse, but as they could depend upon a large number of the business men joining, he thought they might sa'ely rely upon an income of £15 per week, which, when supplemented by the Government subsidy of £ for £, available for money spent in prospecting according to regulation?, would give a weekly income of i- 30, sufficient to employ ten prospectors. Different opinions as to how pro-pectors should be paid bad been expressed. Some surges ed giving them half wages and participation in results, whilst others suggested paying them full wages and allowing the association to receive all the benefit of results. This was a matter of detail which need not be discussed at present. He would suggest that the management of the association be entrusted to an executive of practical men, with full po«er in the choice of. fit men to be employed, and the method of remuneration. It. bad. been said that a great deal of the money spent in prospecting was money thrown away, but this was owiag to tbs pto^r 'Sisjj vst Uvz% eseploysd, ■

There were, to his own knowledge,'men in the district w,bV would work honestly and well, and he, saw «o reason why the district should not be prospected in a tHdrongh and systematic manner. He would suggest that for the present a committee be formed to canvass for members, and that the mee'ing he t*en adjourned^ and a future meeting held to discues the method of operations. Hiiherto want of funds had proved a deterrent to prospecting, but all were agreed that if an association was formed and judicious prospecting undertaken a lasting bent fit would I • conferred on the whole community. Storekeepers would have less bad debts, and everybody' would benefit, for it was a fact that where the working miners were prosperous everybody else was prosperous. After a good deal of discussion, in the course of which the utmost unanimity prevailed, it was resolved, "That in the opinion of this meeting it is highly desirable and necessary that a' Prospecting Association be, formed, and that every working miner in the district be asked to contribute one shilling per week each to furnish funds to carry out the work, and that a committee be formed from this meeting for the purpose, who shall arrange to canvass the town and secure subscriptions from the business people in aid of the object." :