MINING NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1101, 7 February 1872, Page 2

MINING NEWS.

: MINING RULES. \ [TO THE EDITOR.] . Sir— Our mining rules are bad ; their administration is bad; and as a consequence the prosperity of a community dependent on the proper management and efficient working of our Gold Fields are also bad. This state of things is in a r great measure owing to the ignorance of our law-makers and law-administrators of the real value and extent of the golden | resources of the Province. This ignorance plainly shows itself in the difficulty we have in obtaining increased grants in proportion to the time, labor and money required for any enterprise held under the miners' right, as though the largest number of men must be kept on. the smallest area: possible, and the working expenses of a supposed impoverished Gold Field must be kept up a little longer -by petty law suits, caused by imposing restrictions and proviso's on the majority of works requiring a certificate of registration!: .^Under the present rules there is but one holding (thejordinary block claim) held under the miners 1 right, but requires' a certificate of registration, and as these certificates at the expiration . of twelve mpnths are subject to fresh conditions will at once show ' how insecure the title of any company would be when on. the application of some' bily-tbngued applicant who has been standing afar off waiting to see if their works prove a success, and if so, induce" the Wardeu in his discretion to believe he would be doing a public good by imposing a. few more, restrictions on their holding, and thereby give the applicant an opportunity of profiting by their labor. . ; ; . It is evident before the miners will feel justified 1 in attempting works of any magnitude towards the further development of our Gold Fields we mu3<; by some means let our rulers know we must have a better administration of better laws, and I know of no more effective way than- to foUow the example of the people of older Gold Fields, .by advocating the appointment of a Gold. Fields Commission, . to. visit and report on the extent, permanency, and requirements of the Gold Fields. ."■■■■;•'.•: : ;By this simple means our rulers and the public would >be made aware of the inexhaustible wealth now lying in our hills, ita extraction only waiting for good, simple, and effective laws, laws that will at one and the same time give security arid' encouragement to holders of miners' rights to commence hydraulic works preparatory to the one great system of alluvial mining which is eventually to be the great reducer of our hills. . .; ; ; ? ( When, as fruits of the good administration of good laws, we see the hydraulic; hb3e hourly washing down from the mountain sides its hundreds of: tons of golden sands, and -at the same time doing the work of a thousand .'prospectors by daily bareing acres of rock, thereby exposing to view golden, reefs and leaders,: which otherwise would have laid hidden for' ages. Then, and not /until then, can we say the prosperity of the people and the thorough development of the Nelson Gold Fields will have commenced. *• I am, &c, Samt.. B. Hafford, Miner. - Half-Ounce, Feb. 3, 1872.