DUNSTAN MINERS’ ASSOCIATION.

Dunstan Times, Issue 577, 9 May 1873, Page 2

DUNSTAN MINERS’ ASSOCIATION.

—o— COMMUNICATED. A special meeting of the Committee of the Miners’ Association was held on Saturday evening las*, when all the members were present. The minutes cf’the'preVioua meeting Were read and confirmed. The Chairman said that the meeting was callfed principally, to take some steps to lay before the Waste Lauds Board their objections to the sale of land to Mr. Feraud being ratified. After some discussion, the’Secretary said that it would, most likely, meet thepurposo better, if attention'was drawn to their 0 b jeetions before the sale, and therefore hj would propose' the following resolution— That Mr. T. L. Shepherd be asked to draw the attention of the Waste Lands Board a there-hearing of Feraud’s application, to the Association’s former objections to that and other portions of the Leaning Rock District being sold, asset forth in the evidence taken by them, and attached to the petition that was sent down last May, also, to the evidence that,' was taken by Mr Warden Carew and to his report thereon, and they trust that, as the Superintendent and the Goldfields’ Secretary have both seen the position of those Sections, that any further opposition will be unnecessary to secure the cancellation of the sale. Seconded by Mr. Poole, and carried. In reference to a notice appearing in tlio Provincial Government Gazette cancelling the Agricultural Lease of certain Sections in the Leaning Rock district held by James Holt, and notifying that the land is now open for application under the Agricultural Lease system. Resolved, That the attention of the Goldfields’ Secretary be drawn to the recommendation of the Goldfields’ Committee of| last Session of the Provincial Council to stop further Leasing in that portion of the district.. Mr. M’Lellan asked that the Committee take into their consideration that the Alexandra Steam Dredge Company had a claim surveyed, which, he understood would be applied for, which extended from the mouth of the Earnscleugh to the Wai Keri Keri, a distance of about four miles. A general discussion ensued on the subject. All agreed that such a claim as that was unprecedented and would very likely never be granted even without opposition. Mr. Sims would like to know how sluicers would be affected by the granting of dredging claims of any large size. The sluicers have had before a little experience of the banks of the Molyneux being locked to a great extent by the dredges, and in the era commencing, would like to see some provisionmadeagainstsuch an occurrence. Mr. Alexander said he was opposed to any such claims as the one referred to being granted, but he would like to meet expenditure of capital on dredging machinery on fair grounds. To machinery must they look for any further success in dredging the Molyneux : the days of manual labor were done, and he also agreed with Mr. Sims that sluicing interests be considered ; he proposed, That this Association protests against any such river claims being granted or leased as is now being surveyed by the Alexandra Steam Dredging Company, as it includes about four or five miles of the Molyneux river ; but they would desire to encourage the investment of capital in this branch of mining, and would recommend that extended claims be granted in the following manner:—One hundred feet along the river for every man the dredge would employ, and a like area for every 250 1, of capital invested ; that dredgers be required to register the number of feet of water they can work in, and that protection for any claim be not gran’ed unless it exceff such depth or on account of the breakage of machinery ; that dredging claims shall not interfere with sluicing operations on the banks ; and that Mr. T. L. Shepherd, M.H.R., be asked, in his capacity as one of the framers of the now Gold-mining Bill, to introduce a clause in the Bill or in the Regulations to the above effect.. Mr. Poole could agree with Mr. Alexander, that capital ought to command areas in proportion ; but he considered the Molyneux river was an exceptional case, and that, instead of bringing specified objections to this particular case, their protesting against any leases being granted on the river would be the better course. For himself, he was opposed to one foot of the Molyneux being leased. It was almost like leasing the highways. Other dredges had expended capital, and were content with ordinary claims. He would move, as an amendment, That this Association consider it will be detrimental to other mining interests that leases should be granted for the bed of the Molyneux, and therefore protest against any application for leases being entertained, but do not object to claims the maximum size of twelve hundred feet being granted. The amendment was seconded by Mr. Sims, and carried. Messrs. Hastie, M‘Leiland, and several others expressed their opinion that twelve hundred feet was a sufficiently large claim. The Secretary drew attention to the fact that the time had long gone by when they should have given an expression of opinion regarding a Minister of Mines, and also their contributing towards the expense of a central executive ; but, it being late, it was resolved that the subject bo left over till the next general meeting, to be held first week in June.