THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, NOV. 4, 1881.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 4 November 1881, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, NOV. 4, 1881.

Th 9 elections in the Grey County will take place on the 9th instant, but the elections for all other Counties are postponed by pro* clamation until the 16th November. The Croesus Company, Lyell, have decided to at once erect a crushing plant on their mine, I Daring the past few, days excitement has Bun very high with regard to the Keep-it-H)ark. The shares bare advanced from about HSs to 335, and bare still a strong upward Hndency. The new reef in the low level is Inscribed at something prodigious, both with ■respect to size and quality, quite eolipsing, it ■s aaid, anything be/ore opened in Reef ton. mVe were informed yesterday that streaks of Bold can be 89en coursing through the stone, Hie bulk of which is estimated to yield from ■oz to 3oz per ton. It is believed that the ■rise in Keep-it-Dark shares has within the ■week past caused something like £20,000 to Jphange hands in speculation upon this one ■venture. The discovery should have the ■effect of greatly enhancing the value of the ■Nil Desperandum and adjoining leases. I Prior to the last half-yearly meeting of the ■Jnited AJpine Company, Lyell, come dissatisfaction was fflt as to the mode of ex■penditurp, a feeling being current amongst Shareholders that it was greater than it ■should have been. Careful investigation has, [however, since been made by the new direc Itors into the past accounts, and tbe result has Patfofied them that there was no ground what[ever for the complaint against their predecessors in oSce. 1 There was some inquiries yesterday for Uharos in the South Welcome, Boatnnn's, the ground of which adjoins the PTtrlcome lease, but the interests have been rithdrawn entirely from the market. Tbe enormous increase which has taken lace in the market price of mining stock uring the last week or ten days has not mnaturally given a wonderful fillip to in. pstment. The increase in the Welcome Snd Keep-it-Dnrk alone amounts in the aggrente to £ 30.000, and the accession of so much 'pnlth, unexpprterl ns it is to a great extent, as raised excitement almost to the limit of lar-ia. The turn which things have taken is prt.nin!y astonishing, and it is almost tiring > hear cf the immense sums which persons are duilv making by their scrip operations. Mr Charlea llirfln jfarerJuj pxpree«ed a wish to Qur reportt-r not to report, the whole o r his remarks at the lafp Crqshincton meeting, the r^Hfcon given being that '• What suits up thpre (Criuhingtoit), might not puffc • » 8 ' here." In compliance with that request we omit the r<pon aJtngcrhor, a- werfo not think it wotjlf] «« E |,it "B t either nvl, J M t ) 10 m( , m tjme the r.-.tfpavcrs of Cnj-hing'on will no

doubt be able to appreciate the delicate con« s'deration which the candidate evinces for them, and will not fail to reward his candor ' in n proper manner on the polling day. Thfa i idea of blowing hot at Crush ing ton, just to ' " suit " the people there, and blowing cold here just to "suit" himself may not have much to recommend it on the score of pro , prii-ty, but a silk purse wa3 never yet made out of a sow's ear. It is well, however, that the people of Crushington should know the sort tf candidates they have to deal with. Prompted, as it would seem by some chronic grievance-monger, the Gtreyroouth Star of a recent date devotes nearly half a column to censure of the directors of the Inangnhuo Low Level Tunnel Company, in connection with the recieion of the last contMflt.for driving. The whole matter has been grossly misrepresented* and we are surprised that any newspaper should so far commit itself upon a mere ex parti statement. , The bare facts are that a contract *o drive 250 ft was let to M'Hugh and party, who completed to within 7lft of the distance, when the air in the tunnel became so bad that candles would not burn at tbe face. The contractors then erected a fan and placed in several hundred feet of canvass pip : ng, but owing: to tbe distance of the face it was found that the air could not be focct d in by hand to do more than two ihifts in twentyfour hours, and the matter was then reported to the directors. Mr Gardner, the Irspector of the work, was sent up, and found the air so bad that he could not get within 100 ft of the face, but upon a second visit, work having been discontinued in the interval, he managed to reach the face and found that the driving was easier than it had been for some time previously. Mr Gardner then reported to i the directors, when the contractors were ( called in, who offered either to complete their ] contract by working two shifts in the twenty* four hours, which was all the air would per* mifc until a proper air-blast and 500 ft of zinc piping was put in the drive, or would ie- , linquisb thtir contrast for the remaining 7lft, but would demand wages for the time occupied in erecting the ventilator. In this position, the directors being unwilling to have ' any work done by wages, very properly de- ' cided to determine tbe existing contract, and ' to let a fresh one for 250 ft, and include in it tbe work of erecting the ventilator. To sup< 1 pose that the original contractors should erect a permanent ventilator, and nothing lees' could answer, is an absurdity, and had there been any provision to that effect in the speei« fications, the contract price would have been ( increased in proportion. These are the full , facts of the transaction, and if they furnish a peg to hang a complaint upon we shall ad" ■ mire the ingenuity which suggests it. It is j the admitted prerogative of tbe British tax- , payer to growl, and the privilege descends equally to the British call-payer, who, as represented in Greymouth, growls very often, very loud, and sometimes very unreasonably. ( as in the instance in point. Call paying ha? ' almost ceased to be regarded as a luxury in ' Beeftou, but when people here do thoroughly ' tire of it, and see room for. complaint^ we : j^fflWnoraerTnTn^^ompSoyDu^^wouTf^^^^'' fer to pay two calls rather than one, it can < hardly be expected that they should keep a jealous eye upon the expenditure. Doesn't the Grey Star " think so nider." ; , ; Welcomes and Keep«it -Darks might go up •' to £20, the Low Level Tunnel might strike a , reef as big as Mount Cook, and as rich as a Christmas pudding, but none of these events could create half as much interest as excites the female mind just now over tha coming Heather Bell Ball. What are tbe . masculine allurements of share quotations and County elections in the prospect of such an occasion? Why, they do not cast even a shade upon the broad ray of feminine sun- , shine which spreads between now and the i festive evening. Let us hope that .all tbe ' tenders will be accepted on that occasion, and that the contracts will be carried out strictly in accordance with the specifications in such cases made and provided, and that tbe dividends thereafter may be regular and numerous.— Go on with the music T)ie Mines Department have agreed to pay half the cost of a diamond drill for use on the Otago Goldfields. In the event of suitable term? being - offered, two-thirds of the capital required ] ' for the construction of the Canterbury and 1 Westland Grand Trunk Railway anl Col- < onisation Company, Limited, can be raised ', in London by means of debentures secured I by means of th? land conceded on the \ Company's line and tbe uncalled capital. c A Wellington correspondent of the Christs church Press says : — Sir A.. Gordon landed f at 9am, and I hear that a meeting of the Executive Council was hurriedly con?ened . for 11 a:m., the result of which has not transpired. It was instantly followed by a long s meeting of the Cabinet, regarding which a reticence is observed. It is currently re- ! ported, however, that Sir A. Gordon is ex- 2 ceediently wrath at the steps taken, and that S his relations with Ministers are greatly ' strained ' in consequence. The Government, b however, seem fully determined to prees on their policy, and tho sympathy of the public a here unquestionably is unanimously wilh tr them> Even some of their bitterest op- w ponents have expressed to me their cordial approval and hearty support of the last pro- \? ceeding on the part of the Government. , There is an absolute cbnseneus of opinion that tbe Government have adopted a thoroughly right and proper course in taking up the resolute and inflinching attitude now assumed, *" and that forbearance has been carried to its Sl utmost limit. n