The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1886.

Kumara Times, Issue 3048, 10 August 1886, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1886.

THE MINING BILL. We last night received from the Hon. J. A. Bonar, M.L.C., the following message :—“ The Mining Bill, reducing miners’ rights and business licenses, was passed in the Council to-day.” The following are the main features of the Bill as presented to the House by the Hon. Mr Larnach, Minister of Mines, on the 21st June: This Bill re-enacts all the Acts relating to mining on Crown lands, Native lands, public reserves, and endowments and includes the provisions of the Acts for the Resumption of Land for Mining Purposes, and for the Regulation of Mines. Coal and mining for coal is excluded fiom this bill, a separate bill being provided for such matters. “The Mines Act, 1877,” with its several amending Acts, is repealed, as also is “The Gold-raining Districts \ 1 O J? Act, lo i o. lii preparing a general mining law for the whole colony the provisions of the Gold-mining Districts Act appeared on the whole moie adapted to the universal ehcuinstance:; of miners in d e co.ony than those of “The Mines Act, 1877.” By this consolidation Bill the administration of the whole mining interest is centred in the locality of the mine under the direct administration of the Warden on the spot, without the necessity of any reference to the Governor or advei rising in the Gazette, Holders of residence sites aie made subject to rates; and also nil persons in illegal occupa 1 imi of Crown lands are equally made so liable, without, however having any validity given to their occupation, although facilities are opened to them lo acquire a license for sneh occupation. Claims are divided into throe Casses—namely, (1) Quartz reefs; (2) shallow illuvial deposits; and (3) deep alluvial deposits. General regulations may be made in re..,,:.cl ..f ed el,ones of claims or particular classes only, • Uiinnsis f i hofil kind for mining for on ■. -one yiars aie granted by the Waiden, and are the. same in effect as f’ri's In a ri r.foi (■ granted 1 1 v the Go- ' 1 " M -ooe A iR, 10, I, :,u no, >V..> e '.‘•ad dy • ■ i • i a i. n-, i. Ascep' i eg a a- in area end conditions if i.enuio, 1 1 1 ei:; is no difference between a license In mine for gold or for an.v oilier iiuiuuai. it ] >: o|>u.,e.l by ;lns Bid lo reduce .be n-.iieiV. limn 8 om £ I to ss; and, m a ' r-”bn.;inv He IMI M.' ! .firrach said- ; ; myself cannot sec why a miner should ■ v. n G; culled upon to pay anything ■ . ka m foiimvina ill this o. > b' '.l o ' 1 ai : i la ■ .a, a at Clio pi o:.n'. 'tun i'.-r ids leasehold ono bound

per acre, while, as honourable members know, oilier industries pay less than 5s per acre, and in many instances less than 6d per acre for large tracts of country. Therefore I think that, if a miner is asked to pay 10s per acre for ihe privilege of mining on what is generally desert or barren country, he pays not only a very large rental, but more than sufficient; and the Bill only asks that this reduction shall be over a period of three years: that is to say, for the first three years of his lease the miner will pay 10s per acre, for the iiuxt two years 15s per acre, after which the rate will be £l. That wil : give him five years at a reduced rental, to test the value of bis ground ; and if, at the end of that time, the ground has proved to he valuable, he can perils ps better afford than under present circumstances to pay £1 per acre. It also gives him an opportunity, if the ground proves indifferent during the five years, to give up his lease.” For the relief of miners on Native lands provision in made by which, with the consent of the local bodies interested, the Governor may pay out of the goldfields revenue of the district the difference in the price for miners’ rights therein. For the relief of workmen in mines a provision is made whereby the owner of a mine may take out a consolidated miner’s right, to lepresent the maximum number of men required by regulations to man any particular claim, and, this being done, all workmen in such claim, whatever their number, are acquitted of the necessity of taking out separate miners’ rights in respect of their working in such claim. Claims are required to be marked out on the ground as soon as they are taken up, and notice thereof sent at once to the Warden, who will cause the claim at once to he registered if there is no objection, after which occupation is required to maintain title. Prospecting licenses over Crown lands and private lands within and outside districts are authorised ; as also for examination of Native lauds with the consent of the Native owners thereof. Part 111. comprises the provisions relating to the inspection and safety of mines and miners. These provisions may be considered as quite new ; they are more elaborate than any heretofore existing, and will commend themselves to favourable notice as being calculated to minimise the danger of accidents. Provision is specially made for the future certificating of all persons in charge of the underground workings in mines. Part IV. relates to the Wardens’ Courts. Their jurisdiction under this Bill has been extended to include cases of debt arising in mining matters, so as to admit of wages being recovered in such Courts. Appeal is granted to the Supreme Court direct; hut provision is made whereby the Governor may appoint a District Court Judge to exercise the powers of the Supreme Court. Part V. relates to the making of regulations and general matters. Great reliance is placed upon this Part, as it is indispensable that there should be ample power to make regulations to meet different circumstances in different localities. The power to make general or partial i emulations as to matter or place will facilitate the working of the Act and render its administration throughout the colony easy and beneficial. Sir Robert Stout was able to attend in bis place in the House yesterday, or just (the Argus notes) in about time to close the session, which is expected to be done in two or three days. The adjourned meeting of the Hospital Trustees for the consideration of applications for the disposal of properties suitable for a residence for the Surgeon-Superin-tendent to the Hospital was held in the Town Hall last evening ; present all the members, viz., Messrs Burger (Chairman), Maloney, Ziegler, 3[orris, Payne, and V\ uoldridgc. Several other offers in addition to those already reported wore sent | in; but, after due consideration the 1 Trustees decided that as all the houses ) offered for sale would require to have a j considerable outlay made upon them, ! they would build a suitable residence on t the Hospital Reserve ; and Messrs Morris, j Burger, and Maloney were constituted a a sub-committee to draw up plans and i specifications for building such residence, ' vml to lay the same before the Board at 1 its next monthly meeting. A donation of j £3 from Messrs Moynihan, Brosnan, and ! others was received with thanks. 1 T.-nd-vs ro remivod by the Manager i ■ H t.bo K umara water-race for the erection "t eleven oh line ol finming at Upper Larj Jm .Manager's Cilice, Tut street. Tenders ! '-lost at noon on Saturda.’. lit!’, in.se.

Mr F. W. Martin, Resident Engineer, Greymouth, reached Reefton last Wednesday evening, in company with Mr Robinson, one of the engineers and representatives of the Midland Railway Company. The latter gentleman proceeded overland by coach to Nelson on the following morning. Mr Martin remained, and next day made a visit of inspection to the bridge works in progress under Messrs Cochrane and Co., at the Left-hand Branch. Letters of Naturalisation under “The Aliens Act, 1880,” have been issued in favour of the following persons residing at Hokitika : —John Scheest, farmer; Herman Schultz, tinsmith ; John Hoffman and Frederick Felix, labourers ; also of Andrew Jorgensen, miner, Lyell. “Augur,” in the Australasian, after a cursory review of the Melbourne Cup weights, says :—“I fully expect to see the winner come from one of those under 6st. 101 b., and at some future time I will endeavour to select it in half a dozen. The Dillman Town quadrille assembly will meet at the Empire Rooms to-morrow evening, at eight o’clock. The season for killing hares in the North Canterbury district is extended from 31st July to 31st August. It is understood that the new gaol at Greymouth is out of the hands of the contractors, Messrs Arnott and Seabrook, and that the building has been taken over by the Government. The work of once more floating the Wallabi has been commenced. The steamer Kahu, a new screw steamer intended for active service on the New Zealand coast, arrived at Melbourne on July 4bh from Shields. She is a smart-looking craft (says the Melbourne Argus), and on the voyage out has given proof of being a good sea-boat. She has been built to the order of Mr G. Richardson, Napier, New Zealand, by H. S. Edwards and Sons, of Howden-on-Tyne, and her dimensions are as follow: Length, 115 ft. ; beam, 19ft. ; and depth of hold Oft. The Kahu is built of steel, and the boilers and decks are also of steel. This makes her extremely buoyant, and she will be able to carry 200 tons of cargo, deadweight and measurement, on a Oft. draught of water. She is thus well adapted for bar, harbour, or river work. The following letter has been forwarded to the Evening Post for publication : “Kimberley Gold Diggings. Dear Harry—l am on the diggings at last, and am likely to stop here, for I shall not leave till I have made ray fortune, which lam not likely to do. There is a party of three of ns, and we are making from £5 to £6 a week; but we can get very little water, and the climate is frightful. The blacks steal everything we have got, nearly, and to crown all, we are frightened for our lives, as the place is reeking with venomous reptiles.” Pettengell, who defeated Laurie in the boxing match at Wanganui, has arranged to meet Jack Lee, of the same town, in a boxing match to a finish, for £SO a side, on Friday next. Ex-King Thebaw’s famous hairy family, which he long kept jealously at Mandalay, are going to Europe for exhibition. The family have been renowned in Burmese history for many years, and the present members, a mother and son, form the fourth generation known. The mother— Maphon—is sixty-three, quite blind, and usually sits motionless on a platform, occasionally fanning herself, and speaking in a low, sweet, voice. She was seen and described by Colonel Yule when on a mission to the Court of Ava, in 1855. Save her hands and feet, she is covered with long, soft hair, like her son Mo-po-sin, who is covered even to the drums of his cars, the hair in some places being five inches long. Mo-po-sin is of medium height, with pale brown skin, and is fairly friendly, having been partly educated, and married to a maid of honour. Neither he nor his mother have either canine teeth or grinders. Goon Resolutions. —At the commencement of every new year hundreds and thousands of onr young men—and old as well—form resolutions for their guidance for the coming year. Many keep them, while others break them. To such we wish to give a word of advice. In order to sustain your determination of leading a better life in the future you should use Hop Bitters. The judicious use of Hop Bittei’s strengthens, cleanses, and purifies the stomach, bowels, blood, liver, nerves, and kidneys, and is just what you want to build up and invigorate yourself.—Greenbush, U.S.A., Dem. Read.