THE MINING CONFERENCE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 198, 13 December 1872, Page 3

THE MINING CONFERENCE.

■* - (From tjhe ' Daily Times.')- • At 3 o'clock p.m. on Monday last, at ~at->4he -Commercial Assembly Booms, Lawrence, there met nine delegates from thte various mining districts of Otago. The names of the gentlemen, and the localities represented by them, are as follows Mr. W. D. Morrison, Tuapeka Mr. D. Anderson, Teviot ; Mr. James Alexander, Dunstan ; Mr. James Crombie, Cromw ell; Mr. William Gray, Table Hill ; Mr. J. FiP»*is, Waitahuna ; Mr. Thomas' Allen, Caidrona ; Mr.Jtt. Shaw, Switzers ; and Mr. J. A. Milier Arrow. Mr. Miller was ekcted chairman. - The Standing Orders of the Arrow Mining Association were adopted: A rough sketch of the subjects* to be discussed was submitted and approved of.

Several notices of motion were given, and/the Conference adjourned till 10 a.m. the following morning. Tuesday, 3ra Dbcesibeh. The < "onlerence met at lU o'clock. • The Chairman stated that the Goldfields Act was now to be brought under ! th> consideration- of. the Conference,: audi he would read the clauses seriatim. • lht> first clause that elicteil discussion was that referring to miners' rights! It was resolved 10 r« eoimmnd the General Government to issue miners' rights for the, whole Colon and for periods of from one to five ye; rc. M» . r moved—" That the business license lie reduced fiom £5 to £2 10s."

Mr. Ferris, in seconding tlie motion, said tliat the business license was a tax unfairly collected, as the labouring iiiiner hail f>y it to. cmitribute as much as the wealthy* storekeeper doing an extensive business. The mot'on was carried.: 1 „ '1 he! miner's right, as .an element of title, formed the next subjrct for consideration. It was finally resolved, after; a le.ngthy discussion, io bold it over for u week.-

The Conference then adjourned till two o'clock; On meeting again.it was resolved to recommend that clause 7 of the Goidtields 'Act should read that the workmen should'hav< a lien upon the employer instead of upon the claim. Tiie Conference recorded its opinion that sub-clause 9 of clause XL shoud be struck out. The con sideration of clauses XIV., XV., and XVI., was postponed. On the motion of Mr. Alexander, seconded by Mr. Morrison, it was carried that sub-clause 7 of clause XXV. should be struck out. iSub-ciausus 8 and 9of clause XXV. formed the subject of sn animated debate which lasted till the Conference rose shortly before 5. : At half-past seven the Conference, again sat. when the following resolutions were passed: That the Government (in Ejranting* agricultural leases should retain the p .•perty of all streams.' That the word- < "or may be" ought to b* struck out of sub-section 9 of section XXV. That suo-clause 10 ot the same clause be expunged, and the following substituted That no license issued by the Government shall be deemed to confer a titie to the last two heads m a creek—provided the same is required for domestic p irposes—but if once granted is not to be withdrawn for mining " t or agricultural purposes." That clauses-88 to 91 of the Gold Mining Act, 1872, be substituted for clause 27 :of the Goldfields Act, expunging all reference to Mining Inspectors. [Mr. Samuel Cawdwell, delegate appointed by the Waipori Association took his .place.] On the motion of Mr. Alexander, seconded by Mr. Morrison, it was resolved to ask the Government to charge 2s 6d per head per annum for water. The Conference' then adjourned till the following morning. . - Wednesday, December 4th.

•. At ,6.30 p":m.-. the sittings of the Confer-ence-were resumed. The ffirst subjoct considered -'Was a notice ofuiotion relative to the fertfiation of a Provindiafi^£»ners ? Association: The delegate from the Upper Shotover "Mr. -.Edgar, arrived; 1 and was 'introduced. Mr. Gray moved—"That in tlie opinion of thtv4?onterence, the gold duty should lie immediately abolished ; and that every . 'legitiiridte influence be employed to secure,iihat desirable consummation." 1 Mr. Alexander seconded the motion, andjinade several observations of similar purport to the previous speaker. - ■ Morrison said that one, ! -perhaps our most eminent, statesman had said the tax is indefensible. They were therefore . Justified to be commended for demanding its; repeal, that, the tax be swept away without delay. The duty of the Conference is to ask the.; immediate abolition of . fcliiftr.tax, the most jjiiquifcoua # the mind of Li- • -

Mr. Crombie said a tax on metals : was

unknown in nature, and ruinous practically. Nations which had enlightened had long ago abandoned' Vucli "foolish taxes. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. Morrison moved : —"_That the Government Mr. 'Boldt the expense he hasbeen subject ~ to." ' A casfe of the kind might occur any day. A fellow miiier might by accidentally getting outside the boundaries of a goldfield be liable to fine and impriso&iiient. ;If in this instance the f Ward'en was right, .the law was wrong find otight to be altered. ! iU The motion was seconded by Mr. Cawdwell and caried. The meeting then, at 11 p.m., adjourned.