MINING REVENUE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4535, 5 March 1923, Page 2

MINING REVENUE.

DEPARTMENT’S ATTITUDE. SHIFTING RESPONSIBILITY. At Thursday’s meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council the following letter was received from the Mines Department:— Tlie Minister of- Mines duly received your letter of December 12, in regard to the above-mentioned matter, and 1 am now directed to inform you in reply that the whole of the facts have again been submitted to the Solicitor-General, who agrees with a previous opinion given by the Crown Solicitor, Wellington, the effect of which has already been conveyed to you. He also points out that the question at issue now is one for the parties actually interested, i.e., the 'acai bodies and the present owners of the freehold, who, in his opinion, should be left to fight their own battles. He sees no valid reason why the Mines Department should contribute towards the, cost of the, proceedings, as the legal position of the Crown seems to be undoubted. The Minister has carefully considered tlie views of the Solicitor-Gen-eral. and he directs me to advise that the local bodies and the owners of the land should be left to settle the question themselves. I may add that, the total amount of Goldfields revenue withheld by receivers on the order of the Warden in respect of mining privileges granted on land for which a freehold title has been acquired is £l6 Is 3d, which would, when the legal question is settled authoritatively by the Supreme Court, be payable to your Council. The Chairman : If we take action it, will mean spending about £lOO to get £l6. Cr. Morgan said the council should make an application for the £l6, and. not trouble about legal proceedings. They had the opinion of the Crown .Law- Officers that they were entitled to it. The council should not give way at all. He moved accoidingly.

The motion was seconded by the chairman and carried.