THE PRICE OF WATER AND THE GOLD DUTY.

Kumara Times, Issue 2488, 10 June 1884, Page 2

THE PRICE OF WATER AND THE GOLD DUTY.

The following petitions have been prepared for presentation to Parliament and are uow in course of signature by the miners, praying for a reduction in the price of water for sluicing purposes, and for the abolition of the gold duty: THE PRICE OP WATER. To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, in Parliament assembled— The petition of the miners and residents of the Kumara Goldfield humbly sheweth—1. That the present charges made by the Government for water used for sluicing purposes on this goldfield are very excessive, and disproportionate to the yield of gold obtained from the claims, and if not modified will prove most disastrous to the general welfare and prosperity of this district, and will tend to drive away the population, and otherwise impoverish the place, as the following reasons exemplify. 2. That owing to the many difficulties and heavy expenses (other than charges made for water) in connection with working claims in this district, we respectfully submit that it is absolutely necessary that a reduction be made in the price of water, so as to give the miners a fair return for expenditure of capital and labour,

3. That in consequence oE the gaugeboxes used for measuring water from the Government race into the miners’ flumes having recently been reduced in dimensions, so as to discharge about one-sixth less water than we were accustomed to receive, has rendered onr. claims much less productive, inasmuch as we cannot now wash away so large a quantity of auriferous ground as we could under the old measurement.

4. We do not see any tangible reason why the Kumara miners have to pay £3 per head per week for water, whilst miners of other districts—to wit, Waimea and Nelson Creek, who purchase water from races constructed by the Government—only pay £2 per head per week; and especially as the cost of construction of the Kumara portion of Waimea-Kumara race, does not amount to one-third the cost of construction of the race supplying the districts alluded to. Moreover, the Kumara race paid P er c3t) t- on the capital invested, whilst the other races alluded to have not paid more than per cent. We would also respectfully remind you that during the past six or seven years the large sum of £28,000 has been received by the Government in revenue from the Kumara race, and that now, with increased facilities for storing water and other improvements, the revenue will be treble what it has been hitherto. In view of these facts we think we are justly entitled to a reduction in the price of water. 5. During the past year the miners using the sludge-channel have sustained heavy losses (entailing hardship in many cases) through scarcity of water supply, and by the sludge-channel becoming frequently choked with tailings. This, we contend, has not been the fault of the miners, but the result of culpable bad management ; and has lessened our ability to bear the present high charges for water. 6. Already several claims have had to be abandoned, the yield of gold not being sufficient to meet the heavy charges for water and other expenses combined. The owners of these claims, after having spent all their capital, and perhaps two years’ labour have had to leave the district penniless, and seek employment elsewhere, while at the same time under enlightened management and with a fair and equitable price for water, these claims would have given payable returns. To give an idea of the amount of gold each claim must produce to be payable, we will point out that a party of six men using six heads of water would have to pay for twenty-four hours use of same the sum of £l2, and we estimate that other expenses, such as cost of machinery, constructing tail-races and fluming, and general wear and tear would amount to a similar sum. 7. We further wish to bring under the notice, of your’ Honourable House that last year we petitioned the Honourable the Minister of Mines for an inquiry into the working and management of the Kumara Water-race and Sludge-channel, and for a reduction in the price of water ; and the Commissioners appointed to hold inquiry—after hearing evidence and giving the matter fullest consideration—strongly recommended a reduction in the price of water, in proof of which we submit Commissioners’ report:— “ The price charged for the Government water is the subject which at present seems to be of the greatest interest to the miners. They allege that the present price is onerous, and that the general rate of wages in the field is not adequate for such an expense. They further say that the cost of the water has been virtually increased by a reduction of the quantity. This has been caused by a rectification of the inaccurate method of gauging prescribed by the mining rules. The miners say they expected always to receive the same quantity of water they had been accustomed to, bnt the correction of the gauge has deprived them of from one-seventh to one-eighth of their whole quantity, and they have consequently to buy more. “It has been sought to show by putting in gold receipts and other memoranda that the general profits of the claims will not bear the present price of water. But these are calculations which require great care, and we do not feel that we have sufficient data to eoab’e us to guard agaiust all fallacies or to present exact statistics to the Government.

“ But looking at the matter from the miners’ point of view, and for the present ignoring the Government’s account of profit and loss, we think there is a good deal to be said for the view of the case put forward by the miners. It is probable that many of the claims cannot work remuneratively with water at its present price. Then the reduction tion of the gauge makes a material difference to the claim-holders by de-

priving them of a certain quantity of water which they had been accustomed to get. We cannot, however, adopt their view of this matter, or recommend that the former gauge be restored. There is no good reason why an inaccuracy should be continued, unless a legal right has been acquired to the excess of water. If nothing of this sort stands in the way, a head of water ought to mean a head as defined in the Mines Act. But at the same time, when the price of water is nnder discussion, the diminution in quantity is a fair enough argument on the part of those who have suffered it. “It is farther to be borne in mind that the failure to a great extent of the sludge-channel to do the work that was expected of it, causes a very substantial drawback to the gains of the miners who use it. Every stoppage of the channel, every postponement of a working shift, every reduction of the hours for sluicing, and every fresh restriction or duty imposed by the conditions means so much more time spent in getting a given quantity of gold, i.e., so much deduction to be made from its value. These will seem serious considerations to those who know anything of the long and hard labour which in most cases the miners have undergone in opening out their claims, the heavy liabilities they necessarily incur before they can get their first washing, and the discouragement of haviing to work off this ‘ dead horse, 5 as it is significantly called.

“ For all these reasons we cannot help wishing that the miners should have the water at the cheapest possible rate that the accounts of receipts and expenditure will enable the Government to fix. We are quite sure that this is also the wish of the Government. But we are also quite aware that when accounts are balanced, it may prove impossible, so long as the sludge-channel remains in the hands of the Government, for such reductions in the price of water to be made as will obviate future complaints.” In conclusion, we wish to state that the average earnings of the miners in Kumara, as stated by the goldfields report, is not a correct estimate, inasmuch as it only deducts charges made for water, which is only giving about one-half the amount of liability on the gross earnings. Finally, we humbly submit that any reduction made in the price of water should not be less than one third the present rates. And your petitioners, will ever pray, &c. THE GOLD DUTY. To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of thhe House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled.— The petition of the Gold-miners of Kumara and surrounding districts humbly sheweth—1. That there is tax in New Zealand upon gold in its natural state as it cometh out of the ground of two shillings per ounce. 2. That we regard the tax as an unjust one, for many reasons ; and we respectfully suqmit the following as some of them : (a.) Before the miner can put a pick or shovel in the ground to extract gold, he has to pay one pound sterling (£1) for a miner’s right, this being a special tax which has to' be paid annually, whether he obtain gold or not. (b.) If he find gold and have a claim, the extent of ground which ho occupies—say for a few .years—is but a minimum—loo feet square—as compared with the quantity of land he might purchase better suited for agricultural purposes, with the same outlay.

(c.) In most cases the ground occupied for gold-mining is not suited for agricultural or pastoral purposes. This particularly refers to the ground occupied for mining on the West Coast, the surface being absolutely worthless and could not under any circumstances, be turned to such profitable account otherwise.

(d.) Besides the annual fee for miner’s rights, there are numerous other charges and fees: we pay for registration of claims, protection of claims, for head-races, for tail-races, for dam construction and maintenance, heavy charges to Government for water and use of sludge-channel, the nature of the ground wo work ..ho rerva-rmy heavy machinery necessary, and which is only brought on to our claims at considerable cost; all those charges and expenses being paid in addition to a heavy genera] taxation, k. eluding even a tax upon our huts. (e.) Besides the first outlay, rue working of a ground-sluicing claim incurs a largo expenditure of capita; and from twelve to twenty months’ labour before any returns whatever are obtained. 3. Wo respectfully submit that these charges and expenses amount to and

absorb fully cent, per cent, of the entire product of each claim ; therefore we think it harsh and unjust that a special tax of two shillings (2s) per ounce should be imposed on the gold as a first cost. 4. There is a large area of auriferous ground in this district besides that now being worked which would pay and support a considerable population if this gold tax were removed. There would also be fewer drawbacks to capitalists who are disposed to employ labour to extract the gold ; and which would extend and develop the industry of gold-mining generally. Your petitioners therefore pray that your honourable House will relieve the miners of this special, direct, and unjust tax. And your petitioners will ever pray.

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