THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 740, 15 October 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1870.

The Mining Conference concluded its labora at Hokitika on Wednesday, and its Report i 3 now before us. The alterations in the Gold Fields regulations that are recommended are numerous and important, and, if adopted by the County Chairman will no doubt be satisfactory to the miners. The delegates to whom has been entrusted the revision of the regulations have evidently recognised the necessity of accommodating them to the altered condition of the gold fields. They have recommendedseveral important reductions in fees, and a more liberal sca)e of privileges to ttve miners, it is noticeable that; almost every innovation on the old rules which the fertile genius of Mr Hoos originated has been cast aside by the Conference — a remarkable proof that , the miners had good canse to complain of the new regulations which were under the consideration of the Conference, It \ affords also auattier proof of the improI priety o? leaving such large vmuoattolled powers in the hands' of one man. The report is concise and businesslike, but does not of itself indicate the real amount of work done by the Conference. We are indebted to the courtesy of a member of the Conference for a copy of J;he regulations altered by the delegates, a resume of • which will be interesting to our mining readers. It is as well to mention that the Conference, in deference to the wish of Mr Hoos, took the new regulations as the basis of their operations, and went through them clause by clause. The first suggestion was a practical one — thai the whole of the regulations should- be numbered in consecutive order, as being more simple and leas likely to lead to confusion than the present plan of dividing them into I sections, each with its special regulations. j We propose to go through the whole of those which have bejn altered, and explain the nature of the alterations. In the Interpretation Clause a few technical amendments have been made ; prospecting and tunnel claims are added to the exceptions to ordinary claims, and spur claims are struck out. River claims are to be confined to beds of rivers which are marked as rivew on the authorised maps of the district : the words " creeks, gullies, or water courses" are strrck out. Tunnel claims are defined. A mandatory alteration is made in the regulations a,ffect\n'j;2)rospecting areas in alluvial ground, and the dimensions of the areas are reduced from 600 yards square to 200. The Warden under this rule shall instead of " may" grant the prospecting areas, and protection for it is extended from one to four days ; the time for re-registering the areas is also extended from three to six months. Alterations are made with regard to prospecting areas for quartz reefs ; the area is not to exceed 200 yards square, atid must not be within one mile of any quartz workings on the line of reef; protection for such area to remain in force until quartz workings approach within the prescribed distance, or the ground be abandoned for four days, or until gold be struck. An addition is made to the effect that the Warden shall grant to any party not exceeding four an area in the same proportionate extent, viz., 200 yards square per man. An entirely new clause

is inserted \mder the head of prospecting claims in alluvial ground to the effect that any person discovering new deposits in a lost lead shall be entitled to a double claim, according to the depth of sinking ; if beyond one mile from existing working, a treble area ; and exceeding three miles, a quadruple area, but no such increased claim shall be given to more than six persons comprising any party ; such area to be protected until gold be struck. The last ten lines of tho present regulations respecting the marking of claims are struck out. Some important amendments are made with regard to the size of claims: to sub-section A. is added the provision that any claim once worked under the condition of an "ordinary claim" may still be held, although afterwards worked by a tunnel. " River claims " (sub-sec-tion B.) are to be the width of the river if such be less than 100 feet, but not more than that will be allowed, except by permission of the Warden, and the length shall be 50 feet, measured along the course of the stream, for each holder of a miner's right employed thereon. " Tunnel claims" (sub-section C.) if the tunnel exceed 600 feet may be 90 feet square. Extended claims shall be of any form, bnt not to exceed in length twice their breadth. With regard to old and abandoned ground & new clause is inserted empowering each holder of a miner's right to hold double the area of an ordinary claim, provided the ground has been abandoned for the space of three months. Special claims of any area, under arbitrary restrictions and conditions, are provided for in a new clause (imported really from the Gold Fields Act) to be given for the purposes of carrying ou mining operations under cirenmstances of great difficulty, or involving the expenditure of considerable sums of money, or for encouragement of enterprise in prospecting, or as a reward for the discovery of new workings. Sliepherding, formerly forbidden, is to be allowed, if the clam re fully represented from the hours of 10 a.m. until noon by a sufficient number of holders of miners j rights being present on the ground. Provided that on any claim being bottomed the whole of the adjoining claims shall forthwith be worked. The rule with regard to walls in tunnel claims is amended so as to compel a wall of 12 feet on each side of the claim to be left ; and the following addition is made to the original clause — said walls or area in lieu thereof shall be open for use by parties taking up ground in rear of tunnel claims as a means of access, provided that any tunnel made through such walls or area shall be open to the use of other claimholders on payment of the cost of construction of such tunnel at current wages. Work may be suspended on quartz claims whilst procuring machinery for any time not exceeding six months— formerly the Warden determined the time. 27ie number of men to be employed on a mining lease is reduced from four to three as the minimum to the acre. Instead of leaseholders being compelled, as formerly, to place on the ground machinery equal to one-third of the capital proposed to be expended, it is now proposed to limit the amount to ,£3OO. Greater facility is given for obtaining sites for tailings, the area of which shall l.ot be less than a quarter of an acre, nor more than onethird of the area of applicants claim. "With respect to head races, the time for posting notice of application is reduced from fourteen to seven days. Sluice heads to be 40 superficial inches instead of 20, and three miners to be allowed one head. Races interfering with public roads must be repaired or damages prevented upon requisition of the Road Board, or other authorised custodian of the road. A new clause provides for at least two sluice heads of water being allowed to flow in the natural course of a creek or river for general use of miners working therein. With regard to sites for business purposes, a new provision is inserted enabling miners to takesuch sites undectheinniners' right, on the condition that they must take out a bnsiness license, or give up possession to any person having a business license, upon receiving due notice. Registration of all rights and privileges and of all mortgages, lions, and bills of sale on claims, except for wages, is made compulsory within seven days of the execution of such instruments, the fee for registration to be half-a-crown. In the old regulation with respect to the representation of labor by machinery and permanent works, the Conference have included in the term " machinery," races, dams, whims, whips, or horses, and an outlay of .£l5O (instead of £250) shall represent one workingman. The fees for mining surveys are reduced from £10 to £5 for leases not exceeding five acres, and the charge for a greater area is to be £1 per acre. A new clause provides that in all cases of compensation the amount shall be decided by the Warden or Wardens and Assessors. Considering that the regulations are two hundred and two in number, the work of the Conference may be imagined, and it is only right to say that the delegates appear to have bestowed great care upon their work, and that their recommendations are of a practical and intelligent character. Of course, at present their conclusions are only in the position of recommendations to the Governor's delegate, but it is to be hoped that the unanimous report of the Conference will have its due weight, and that the proposals it contains will be adopted. To-day we publish the gist of some reports which have recently been made by the Nelson District Surveyors for the purpose of enabling the Government to determine whether the roads to the Upper Inangahua and Murray Creek districts shall be constructed over the Grey Saddle or up the valley of the Inangahua. This simply means whether shall Greytnonth or Westport be che port from which this promising young district shall in future take its supplies. Recently orders were issued that all legal business connected with the Murray Creek district shall be transacted in the Warden and Magistrate's Courts at Westport. instead of at the Ahaura, as formerly, and in order, as i much as possible, to mitigate the evil effects of this order, Mr Warden Giles has arranged bo hold a monthly Court at Christy's — at the junction of the Inangahua and Buller Rivers — which is said to be one day's journey nearer the recently discovered reefs than tlie Ahaura. This may be so, but we should imagine it will much depend upon the condition of the roads and tracks, and whether the expenditure is all on one side or other of the saddle. But the idea with the Government and the Westport people is not so much to study the convenience of the miners as to divert the traffic from Greymouth and the Ahaura. This

matter has been agitated in Westport. for some time past, and has been very plainly stated to have but one object — the securing the trade of the Upper Grey District for Westport ; and we have good reason for believing that Mr Warden Giles only took the steps he did in deference to the wishes of the residents in that town. This may now be looked upon as a trifling matter by some of the residents in Greymouth, but it can only be those who have not given it a thought, who are not impressed with the important bearings which it has upon the future prosperity not only of the port, but also of the whole of the Grey Valley. Those who are best acquainted with the Little Grey District and the district over the Saddle, where the rich discoveries were recently made, speak confidently of the setting in of a very large rush there this summer ; and the taking of the road up the Bnller and luungahua means not only the landing at Westport of all the passengers who may be attracted from other Colonies or neighboring Provinces to these gold fields, but also the ignoring of Greymouth as the depot from which all their supplies should be drawn. This is matter of so much importance to the mercantile community that immediate steps should.be taken to induce the Nelson Government to open up a road through the Little Grey District, which would prove of double value, because it would run through, and open-up an immense tract of known and proved auriferous country. Surely as much money cau be obtained out of the .£9OOO voted for roads in the Grey Valley to carry the road across the Saddle. Let the Government at least place the two districts on an equal footing with regard to roads, so that the merchants can compete on equal terms for the trade of aa important district. Let them make as many roads as their votes will allow on the Buller side ; but the resideuts both in this town and district ought to be watchful, and take sharp measures to prevent the expenditure of the votes for the Grey Valley roads in bolstering up Westport. This is only another instance of the evils resulting from the failure of the Annexation Movement, for had it been successful, without doubt, a main line of road would have been made up the Grey Valley. However, it is no use crying now : the people must continue to look after their own interests, and active measures ought at once to be taken to prevent the diversion of the trade legitimately belonging to this port to TVestport. If the Government should positively refuse to make the road, the residents in town and country ought to put their hands in their pockets and make it themselves.