Miners’ Address to Superintendent.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 170, 11 February 1873, Page 7

Miners’ Address to Superintendent.

We have been requested to publish the following copy of an address recently presented to his Honor the Superintendent :

i This address, submitted for your Honor’s grai c . io ns acceptance by the Otago Miners’ Association, embodies many important subjects that have come under the discussion of tlie Miners’ Conference held last year at Tuapeka ; and to which the Executive of the Otago Miners’ Association take the liberty to append suggestions which, m a course of practical experience, have forced themselves upon their observation. 1. Ye beg to call your Honor’s attention to j the way in which the Waste Laud Board has of 1 late been dealing with the lands of the Crown. We view with alarm the alienation of large tracts of country by private indivi iuals, whose only apparent aim is to bring within their grasp the largest possible amount of auriferous land. The evils resulting from such a proceeding are too obvious to require any further comment. With regard to the sale of proved auriferous land for mining purposes, wc beg to remark that amide and sufficient provision is made in the Gold Fields Act IBGG, by vesting in the Governor the power to grant areas of any extent. We beo to tha b all land offered for sale, whether previously held by lease or occupation, be advertised in the local paper of the district in which it is situated. We especially refer to the sale of 10,000 acres at Tapanui, the Marewhcuua block, and other valuable lands, and we trust that your ! Honor will use your utmost endeavours to pre ! vent such wholesale alienation of land.

I 2. We have observed that in a large percentage ! j of Wardens’ Court cases the primary cause of dispute could be traced to a want of sufficient publicity in application. We beg. therefore, to suggest that the Government provide a notice board, to be erected in a place which the resi- i dents may point out; aho, that Wardens have : power to order applicants for any undertaking of magnitude to obtain the written consent of nemh-! homing parties. In support of the above we! beg to mention the miners on Upper Shotover, I Macctown, and Cardrona, have erected notice boards at their own expense. 3. In many parts of Otago, miners are far re- ! moved from depdts of supplies, which fact, to-! gether with the physical nature of the country, j renders it absolutely necessary that they keep a horse to pack their supplies as they may be required. In several instances such horses depas-1 hire on neighbouring runs, and are impounded l

1 by "tile runholders, by which actioil the owners of the horses are put to a considerable loss of j time as well as money ; and we would therefore ■ beg that ymtr Honor's Government will try to devise some means by which snob hardships in iy be averted, and to make it legal for any miner to depasture at least one horse on any run. We beg to point out the especial provision made for such cases in the Mining Bill 1872, New South Wales, and which is to the following effect • (Part 1, section 14).—When any gold-held shall have been proclaimed upon any Grown lands then under lease or license for p istoi'al purposes, the Governor may suspend such lease or license so far as may be necessary for the accommodation of the horses, cattle, and sheep required for the subsistence and convenience of any persons homing miners’ rights, licenses, or leases, and otherwise for effectually working the said ’goldheld ; and shall thereupon return or remit to the lessee or licensee such portion of the rent of such lands as may be reasonable and just. 4. We beg to point out a few subjects in the Kales and Regulations of 1872 which require immediate attention (a) In the interpretation clause, the word tailrace” bears three different definitions, viz,, tailrace for discharge of tailings, tail-race for drainage, and for tru'd saving purposes. ° I In the application-forms no distinction is made as for which of these purposes a tail-race is required. These forms simply contain the words for mining purposes.” It is evidently desirable that as the Rules and Regulations are altered, application-:onns and certificates sbou-d be worded in accordance with them, or a fruitful source of litigation is opened at once. (b) It would also be desirable that the Warden make a memo, on the back of cer- ; tilicates of the statement in application- I form, on, the strength of which such cer- ■ tificate is granted. 5. We beg to bring under your Honor’s notice I the advantage that would ensue to the country | it contracts for public works were advertised in ; local papers. To advertise contracts in the Go- ' i vernment Gazette only is to a very great extent i useless ; for that medium of information does I not circulate amongst miners and others who I would be willing to tender for work to lie done. 1 Only speculators and large contractors revert to i the Government Gazette. It would also be ad- 1 visahle if the Government carried out the policy j of part land and pare cash payments fas in Brotr. : deu contracts) in small contracts. It would give 1 people who are desirous of settling on the soil a : capital opportunity, and thus secure the best and most reliable workmen—for we hold that i the formation of a road could not be in better I hands than in those of men who will eventually 1 use it themselves. ' * I

I 0. \\e are pleased to observe that the Govern | meat of the Colony holds out every inducemenl Ito the introduction of new industries. Mu | couraged thereby, we would suggest that | bonuses be offered for the best mining machinery j° f all descriptions, especially for raising water tc i the greatest height from such rivers as the Moly- | neux, Kawarau, & c . ; for the most simple and inj expensive draining machinerv applicable for raining operations. That the introduction of novel machinery for above purpose, as well as of expensive rock drills, be subsidised by the Government at a percentage on their ori dual cost Mining in New Zealand is entering a new phase! ami until confidence- which has been shaken by j late fi hi res—is restored, its further development will he retarded, if only from the fact of capital being held back for a time. Any assistance, therefore, the Government can give should be liberally afforded ; and if a few instances of success have once called the attention of speculators to the large fields for combined capital and labor that exist in Otago, a somewhat similar rcsult will follow as we now witness in. New South vV ales.

I /. W e beg to suggest that the Professors of I t ‘ le ih'iieihn University make periodical tours through the Gold-fields, to make themselves ac- , qualified with the physical and geological fea- : turns of each district ; and that these gentlemen i during such tour deliver lectures founded on the | Practical experience collected by them iu each i respective locality, as wadi as on the general principles of geology, chemistry, and mathe--1 unities—tlie admission to such lectures to he free j of charge, so as to make them universally useful. I We believe that the benefit resulting from such a course would be well worth the cost it will chi'tail upon the country. The miners generally I be most happy to render any assistance iu | their power to i lie gentlemen visiting their districts upon such a, raiss’ou. S. We respectfully beg to express a want of • confidence in the new Waste Land Hoard The Waste Lauds Act, Oct.. 1872. which came j mto force iu the beginning of the current year, deals with mining to such an ex'ent that the j administration of it requires men who possess a ’ practical knowledge of the (odd-fields, and we : feel assured that the liberal provisions of the : j above Act will be nullified if administered by] I men who have no sympathy for the mining into- | | rest. We therefore would recommend the ap-‘ j pointment of at least one Hold-fields representative to sit as a member of the Waste Land Hoard. 0. The low price given for gold hv the hanks has been a standing grievance of the miners, which to remedy we bog tosu rgest the es’ablishment of an Assay Ofiioe, not merely for scientific experiment, but on a large scale, so as to make it available for commercial purposes.