PRE-SESSIONAL MEETING

Evening Star, Issue 21752, 21 June 1934, Page 14

PRE-SESSIONAL MEETING

EXPANSION LEAGUE AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IMPORTANT MATTERS DISCUSSED The executive of the Otago Expansion League met local members of Parliament in the Otago Motor Club’s rooms on Tuesdav night. Two major matters —the difficulties under which gold mining labours in Otago and the construction of the Haast Pass road — were discussed. Presenting the case for the miners Mr J. L. Stewart Wright, of Cromwell, said that there were two disabilities. In the first instance there was not a more heavily taxed class in the community than the mining class, and the other drawback was one peculiar to the Otago mining district created by section 169 (y) of the Mining Act, 1926. By the Gold Duty Abolition and Mining Property Eating Act of 1890 the export duty on gold in the South Island was replaced by a system of rating mining property, and rents were charged on a sliding scale commencing at 2s 6d per acre for the first year, 5s per acre for the second, and 7s 6d per acre for the third and subsequent years, and this for land which in many instances was leased to farmers at rentals of a few pence per acre per annum. A further export duty of fid per oz on gold was imposed by the Mining Act of 1926, but, fortunately for Otago, exclusive of gold produced by alluvial or dredge mining ; but Otago, with the promised resuscitation of quartz mining at Bendigo, a field which when fully developed would probably outrival Waihi, would now experience this imposition. Lastly, there was the duty of 12s 6d per oz imposed in February, ]933. Miners therefore had to meet the rent of their claim, an assessment for county rates, and a duty of 12s fid per oz, all of which did not help 1 1 attract foreign capital; yet in Australia it was found that the bonuses paid by the various States ranging up to £1 per oz had served to attract foreign capital for the development of the industry. Mr Wright said he was afraid that section 169 (y) of the Mining Act, 1926, had crept into the Act when the Otago members of Parliament were asleep. It was surely significant that the section was peculiar only to Otago. It was: “In any of the following cases:—(iii.) If the application is for a license for a claim of any description or for an ordinary prospecting license within the Otago mining district the warden shall'not grant any such license except with the consent in writing of the Minister, and subject to such terms and conditions as the Minister thinks fit.” Mr Wright said he would like to quote from a statement made in 1899 by Mr Warden Hawkins, which was particularly applicable in this, connection —viz., Mr Hawkins said “ he could not but express his strong sense of the unconstitutional nature ot this legislation and his surprise that the mining interests remained quiescent while their representatives passed such measures. The Legislature had set up a court of justice for the special purpose of dealing with all mining disputes and granting of mining privileges. This court had its power and _ procedure well defined. Every provision was made for the greatest publicity in its conduct of business. No raining privilege could be granted without an elaborate system of marking out its limits on the ground and of notification to the public and to persons individually interested. Every _ application was considered in open court—-the miner’s own court; the warden’s decision was given in open court', and was open to appeal to a higher court of justice. One would have thought that with a system of this kind a judicial tribunal so organised would be sufficient for all its purposes. But the Legislature, having set up this special judicial authority, deliberately annulled the power of the judge ot the court, and transferred the authority over the grant of all special claims over thirty acres to the Minister of Mines, who was not responsible to any court of justice, and in whose power it was, without ever hearing the parties, to refuse his permission to the judge to grant such claims, and so’ withdraw the matter altogether from the warden’s jurisdiction.” Mr Wright described how matters in connection with the development of the Cromwell Flat had been held up by the necessity of reference to the Minister and the delays that had resulted as a course of this action. Moreover, the conditions being endorsed on the licenses by the Minister were particularly irksome and injurious to the industry. HAAST PASS ROAD. Mr H, M. Mackay presented the case for the construction of the Haast Pass road. Although the proposition has been on the league’s platform for eighteen years, he said he made no vain repetition regarding the wonderful possibilities, but protested against the attitude taken that it was" purely a tourist route.) The northern part of the island was connected east to west by the Top House road and the Otira road, and in addition there was the Otira railway connection. Then the Lewis Pass road was coming along. With all those connections in the north the league submitted that it had a very strong case in forcing the issue for an east to west connection through the Haast Pass. When he was Minister of Public Works Mr W. B. Taverner had made a commencement on the road; in fact, he was responsible for putting a road to Hawea and Makarora (thirty miles) over the most difficult portion of the route, opening up -the fertile and settled Makarora Valley. The Makarora road, through sheer neglect, had been closed over twelve mouths, although £73,000 had been spent on it. Along the Makarora Valley there were five or six miles where motor coaches could be driven. From this point to the top of the Haast Saddle (1,700 ft) was a matter of a mere five_ or six miles of very easy road making. From the Haast Saddle down there were two or three miles of excellent track, almost wide enough to take a road vehicle. From there on to the Burke River there

were about seven or eight miles of the most difficult part of the road, but which would not be nearly so difficult as portions of the Hawea-Makarora road. From the Burke River onwards to the Haast Pass Post Office was twenty-eight miles, practically all easy road making along river flats. There is ample gravel available, plenty of limber for bridgemaking; in fact, over the Wills River there was a bridge which had, been standing for over thirty years. Altogether,. there were forty-seven- miles of road to connect up, over half of which was plain sailing, with about fifteen miles of reading which would be hard going, but would not present any engineering difficulties. Mr P. Nolan, of Okuru, addressed the meeting and spoke of the difficulties under which the settlers on the West Coast laboured—difficulties which could be removed to. a great extent by the completion of the Haast Pass road, which would give the settlers an outlet for their produce. The members of Parliament present, Messrs.A. E. Ansell and F. Jones, expressed their sympathy with the settlers and pledged themselves to support the construction of the road. MOTOR CLUB DESIRES. The representatives of the Motor Club presented the important question of third party insurance, and also pressed for more effective examination and regulation of brakes and the need for amending legislation dealing with the offence of the conversion of motor cars. Mr J. L. Passmore presented an important question concerning the amenities of Dunedin suburbs in connection with the opposition raised to the route of , the high tension power lino from Waitaki Hydro to Halfway Bush. A convincing case was made out for the proposed alteration of the route and regret expressed that the electric power section of the Public Works Department should show so determined a resolution to carry out the scheme, which would cause grave concern to householders in the Woodhaugh and Wr.kari districts. A more economical route was suggested. and the members of Parliament undertook to lend their support in the matter.