JABEZ BALFOUR VISITED NEW ZEALAND IN 1909.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18960, 6 January 1930, Page 8

JABEZ BALFOUR VISITED NEW ZEALAND IN 1909.

To the Editor. ‘•c? e » r S! r ' — I . n Satu rday’s issue of the , u n ?/ e Is a . Paragraph regarding Jabez Balfour. Although the facts as related by the late General Bramwell ■Booth may be quite correct as far as the assistance rendered by the Salvation Army is concerned, I think that the incident did not happen shortly alter Balfour came out of prison. It is quite correct that Balfour died whilst on a train journey in Wales, but this was only a lew years ago. As a matter of fact, Balfour, after his release from prison, again became interested in company promotion, and as the accredited representative of a very wealthy English syndicate visited New Zealand in 1909. He was for some months in Hokitika investigating a mining proposition, under which it was proposed to develop electricity from the waters of the Toaroha River, and to use. the power so generated to work the rich alluvial ground known to exist on the Rimu Flat, near the town of Hokitika. .Unfortunately, the Government then in power refused a grant of the water rights to any company, and therefore the proposal had to be abandoned.

By the action of the Government in refusing the. grant of the water rights, this Dominion lost English capital to the extent of a quarter of a million sterling. Although the reason given for the refusal to grant the water right was that the Government did not think it right to grant to private individuals the water-power which the Government might themselves require at a later date, it was thought that the true reason was that the promoters of the company on the West Coast were getting too much out of it. I at this time was employed in a legal office in Hokitika, and the whole of the work went through my hands. I often met Balfour and his capable female secretary. He was a short,

stout man, and would be at this time about sixty-five years of age. Some six years later the same mining proposition was taken up by an American syndicate. Instead of asking the Government for water rights, they purchased straight out some old rights to water from Lake Kanieri, and with the power obtained therefrom they worked a dredge which they erected on the Rimu Flats. The returns since 1915 have averaged 700 oz a fortnight, and there is enough ground still left to keep them fully employed for many years to come. With the exception of one very small parcel of shares, all the dividends go to America. I may also say that after the power is used at the dredge it is used to light the town of Hokitika.

Whilst in Hokitika Balfour had an account with a local bank. He left New Zealand leaving a credit balance of about £8 unclaimed. This amount was gazetted in the New Zealand Government Gazette in 1920 as unclaimed, and in the advertisement it is set out that the name of the owner was Jabez Spencer Balfour.—l am, etc., NEMO.