GOLD DREDGING

Evening Star, Issue 22144, 26 September 1935, Page 18

GOLD DREDGING

LARGE SCALE OPERATIONS FACILITATED STREAM RESTRICTION REMOVED [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 25. Gold dredging on a large scale 'will be facilitated by the provisions of the Mining Amendment Act, introduced by Govenor-General’s message in the House to-day. The existing legislation states that no claim is to extend along, or comprise, more than one mile of the course of a stream, except that in the case of the dredging claim this limit may, with the consent of the Minister of Alines, be extended to a length of not more that 16 miles, provided that the total area of the claim does not exceed 600 acres. Elsewhere it is provided that special dredging claims may be granted up to 1,000 acres in an area where no stream is involved.

The Minister said that while it appeared clear from the department’s records that the limitation of one mile was originally intended to apply to comparatively large rivers, nevertheless the wording was such that it applied to any stream irrespective of its size. It was almost impossible for any dredging claim of an area from 600 to 1,000 acres to be pegged out, particularly on the West Coast, without including the courses _of small streams of over one mile in length. Literal interpretation of the statute might, therefore, in many cases defeat the intention to enlarge areas which might be taken up as dredging claims, such enlargement being necessary to justify the very heavy expense of providing large up-to-date dredges. It therefore proposed to bring the maximum’ area of a dredging claim on a river course into a line with the maximum area for other dredging claims. Provision is made that notice t.f appeals from decisions of the Warden’s Court is to bo given by an appellant within seven days after the decision appealed from lias been given. The Warden’s Court is to fix the amount of security. In cases where decisions have been given after the passing of the Bill, and where proceedings wore commenced before November 7, 193-1, notice of appeal and the lodging of security are to take placi within 14 days of the passing of the Bill. Another clause provides that a body corporate is to be entitled to exercise the authority to cut timber conferred on the holder of a miner’s right under the Alining Amendment Act, 1934. In explaining this provision, the Alinister of Mines, Mr Macmillan said the Forestry Department recently took action against Blackwatcr Mines Limited to recover a largo sum in respect of royalties on timber used by the company in connection with its mining operations. Thp department won its case in the Warden’s Court, but the Court of Appeal reversed the decision. The main basis for the verdict was the right vested in the holder of a miner’s right under the Mining Act, 1926. He added that a review of the mining policy during the past 70 years disclosed that never at any time was it intended that powerful companies should be able to avail themselves of the privileges of the holder of a miner’s right to the extent of using many thousand feet of timber without the payment of royalties. There was no intention to affect the existing rights of individual miners, partnerships, • oxsyndicates.