The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1931. A VIGOROUS DEFENCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1931. A VIGOROUS DEFENCE.

A. vigorous defence of the gold-mining interestvS of the districts was entered: at the meeting of the Westland County Council on Tuesday. Led by Messrs Murdoch, Jeffries and others familier with mining conditions in the County, some strong remarks were passed against the Mines Department. The matter cropped up under different headings. There was first a complaint at the growing increase of fees for mining rights. What once, cost the miner 9s to hold) his working area, now cost £6 15s, part of which was a fee for the signature of an official at headquarters. This impost had and was deterring mining by the individual, and was preventing men from taking up speculative propositions, which if worked, might easily be responsible for further important developments. The principal burden of complaint by the members of the Council, however, was against the Undersecretary of Mines who it was alleged had given information to the newspapers derogatory to tile future of the industry on the West Coast. It was published, it appears, that in the opinion of the official the chances of a mining revival had passed. Mr Jeffries was able to combat this statement with particulars of a mining revival in the district, and was able to give numbers of the parties at work in various localities. The views were varied,' very freely that the head of the Mines Department had gone out of his way to injure future mining prospects, as his opinion could be quoted where mining ventures were launched. This was considered a serious injury to the district, and as the official statement is quite contrary to the facts of the position in Westland, the County Council proposes to have the matter probed further, and. bring the official face to face with the situation in Westland, where there is evidence, in all the auriferous localities that more and more nttorttion is being turned to mining. The County Council js taking up a very proper attitude in this matter. If the statements which have appeared in the press as representing the views of the official head of the Minos Department, were to go unchallenged, a very serious injury would be done to the reputation of the district as regards future mining. It is very proper that the situation should he cleared up and the official given an opportunity to make his real

meaning clear. The facts to-day indicate that miming is again coming into favour. There are more men in the industry than there were six montns ago, and some fairly large propositions are being undertaken showing the faith and the enterprise: of those engaged. It should be in the interests of the Mines Department to see mining expand, and every dkstrict should be entitled to sympathetic consideration from that quarter. A very good service is therefore being done the district and the industry by the action of the Westland County Council in this matter.