CENTRAL MINING ASSOCIATION MANIFESTO.

Dunstan Times, Issue 741, 30 June 1876, Page 3

CENTRAL MINING ASSOCIATION MANIFESTO.

—o To the Honorable the Premier, Wellington. Sir,—Encouraged by your kind recognition in June, 1874, of the representations made to you by the Otago Mining Conference of that year, the Central Minsng Association of Otago ventures to draw your attention of the position of the gold-mining interest at the present time as affected by the proposed Constitutional changes, and by the actual, and long-experienced, hardships of oppressive taxation and disputed water rights. The Association is actuated by che hope that you will be able to assure its members that the proposals to be submitted to Parliament will be beneficial to the goldminers and to the Colony in which they are willing to settle—if allowed to do so on the same footing of equality as is afforded to colonists among all other interests.

1. We the more readily intrude upon you at the present time, because the action of the Government during the last session of the late Parliament directly challenged our criticism, insomuch that it was stated lepeatedly by members of the Government and their supporters that the perpetuation of mining taxation would be beneficial in the future, because it would be returned to the districts in which it was collected, together with a liberal subsidy for local expenditure. The process by which the Government propose to define special Goldfields districts, in which a contnbution of special class taxation would be sufficiently beneficial to its contributors to justify its perpetuity-in the absence of any explanation from a member of the Government—is, we confess, beyond our comprehension. In Otago, no district capable of definition could, we venture to think, be proclaimed a Goldfields District in which the mining interest would be financially the paramount interest; unless, indeed, such district was of such limited area «s to be on that account alone impracticable. At the same time the mining population in any such district w'ould, in magnitude, bo out of all proportion to the agriculturists, and pastoral tenants and freeholders. We venture to assure you that, so far from the miners wishing to evade local taxation for necessary works, they are willing to pay such equitable rate as may be agreed to by any local Government, existing or which may be called into existence, in which they are fairly represented, provided that it is not specially collected from them as a class for the suppositious benefit of the population of all classes in, and tocomeinto duringthenext few years, their district, county, or province. As the miner has less title in the soil than the agriculturist or freeholder, it appear unfair to throw upon him an undue proportion of taxation, levied for the improvement in value of private freeholds, and the general public estate, shortly to be alienated to others who may have done nothing to render the country of value. It, therefore, appears to the Central Association that the injustice of the special mining taxation at present collected, which they have so long urged upon your Government, being tacitly admitted by the sole plea now raised—that, whatever special taxation may have been in the past, it will now be beneficial because subsidised ; and that this plea is the hope, conclusively shown to be unsound, that your Government can no longer refuse to agree to the abolition of the Gold Duty, and the reduction of such items of Goldfields Revenue as are found to be most oppressive. What the miners demur to is special treatment, tending to keep them apart as roving Ishmaelites, who it is policy and equity alike to rob for the benefit of others whose avocations, being more general, are more strongly represented in the Legislature and public opinion of the Colony.

2. The conlliotion of class interests accruing from the disputed riparian rights of the Colony are too well known to you to render it necessary for us to recapitulate the evils, and the loss in value and security of mining property, consequent thereupon, The decision in the Maerewhenua case (Borton and M‘Master v. Howe and others) as also in the case heard in Dunedin before Mr Justice Johnstone (Glassford v. Reid and others) will be fresh in your memory. The Association wish, however, to state on opinion arrived at after careful enquiry and observation that no solvent of the difficulty is to be found in the individual effort of any one Goldfields member, however intelligent. They would most respectfully state their opinion that no satisfactory legislation can be arrived at unless based upon accurate knowledge duly obtained as to the real position of the water rights in the Colony in all their bearings as between class and class, and that progressive legislation should emanate from the Government of the Colony only. We venture, therefore, to recommend that in accordance with the recommendation of the Provincial Council of Otago, 1874, a Commission should be appointed, including the most export legal officers in the Government service, and one at least of the most experienced Wardens on the Goldfields, in order to place the only data, upon which successful legislation can be based, in the hands of your Government. 3. The Association regrets that the efforts made by your Government to amend the extremely faulty Goldfields legislation in force have proved so singularly unsuccessful. They would also ask to bo allowed to point out that the reason appears to be that all amended legislation proposed has pro

cceded from irresponsible sources, and upon a foundation of theory, supplemented, it is true, by spasmodic practical advice of a desultory, and unfortunately too often of a conflicting nature. Wo cannot refrain from expressing our belief that n District Judge and two experienced Goldfields Wardens, if allowed time and opportunity, cauld satisfy you that a new Goldfields Act is a desirable thing, and indeed a most pressing necessity. We also believe that the same gentlemen could frame such an Act as would give very general satisfaction, and be certain to work smoothly, and, on the whole, equitably. We have to ask you to excuse the freedom which we have used in approaching questions which wo are aware are of great difficulty. We have been influenced by the belief that you are sincerely anxious to be placed in possession of practical views, stripped of fulsome pretence, or theoretic delusion. We have the honor to be, Yours faithfully, J. Ewing (President), pro Central Mining Association of Otago. Naseby, June 20, 1876.