THE NEW GOLDFIELDS BILL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 230, 1 August 1873, Page 3

THE NEW GOLDFIELDS BILL.

(From the.' Arrow Observer.') The Executive of the Otago Miners' Association have forwarded the following suggestions to the Goldfields Committee of the House off Representatives for tneir consideration, with a view to their incorporation in the "proposed consolidated Goldfields Bill: INTERPRETATION. The word "claim" should also include water race, as is ruled by both District Court and Supreme Court. The words "water race, " or "race," should be defined as head race, tail race for sluicing and gold saving purposes, and drainage tail race. : For each of these divisions special application forms and certificates of registration should be provided. Application forms should contain questions as to exact locality, length, etc., off existing neighboring rights, oh holders of which a copy of the application ' form should be served. _ Warden should have power to add questions in writing to those in printed forms. WATER RIGHTS. These rights are beyond doubt the most -valuable of mining properties, and therefore require special protection: Miners, though they may object to increased taxation, would not complain of a reasonable charge for water .say 5s per head. The charge of £1 for each certficate is an unfair charge, and will beyond doubt, retard mining operations. Many rights now in existence scarcely furnish their owners with more than one or two heads, while there are numerous parties who have water sources registered, which yield them less than one head, and even this quantity but for a limited period. On these parties a universal charge would press heavy ily, and for this reason it is objectionable. ' With regard to the two heads of water which are reserved to' run. down a creek, -if required, we would suggest, that the prior right to one head of water be vested in the Crown, and when wanted and taken away from licensed water ' rights holders the i Government should compensate them. ; Under this "head ; some provision ' shoiild also; be made for-water supply for towns.; Many goldfields townships consist entirely' of wooden buildings and the danger from fire is therefore imminent. :

The Government subsidy provisions should be made to provide water supply fop towns. The money thus invested could not fail- to pay a fair percentage and contribute, to a very great extent to the health of. the inhabitants. ....

The right of any water should be granted for any period not exceeding 15 years, and it should be left to the option of the applicant to pay in advance the fees for any number of years not exceeding fifteen. ..,-.:• A clause should also be inserted under this head, making it compulsory for drivers: of cattle and sheep to give the owners of the water races notice of their intention to drive cattle or sheep across their race, in such places where there exists no bridges. TAT.LINGS. This subject is one of the greatest importance to the mining community, and .should therefore be dealt with by the Act. Under the present system, all mining operations are conducted illegally, and may be either interfered with, or stopped altogether. It is one one.of those subjects that give rise to endless litigation. We would recommend the Government to settle this vexing question in a indefinite manner.

Parties intending to stack tailings must apply .for site. If -more than one acre is required, the application must be advertised in three consecutive issues of a circulating in the district. The Warden of any district to have power to deal with objections.

■i We would also recommend that all rivers m the Colony should be declared main tailraces, for the purpose of carrying off the debris from mining claims; but restrictions should _be provided regulating the size, etc., of tailings, in accordance with the power of the stream ; and no stones or other obstructions should be allowed to be deposited in the bed of any river which would obstruct the flow of any river.-^ PROSPECTING. The Warden of. any gold-mining district should have jpower to grant prospecting SPECIAL CLAIMS. We wish to call the attention of the Goldfields Commitee to the fact, that this wise provision will come into more frequent requisition as labor and machmeryjs reduced in price, and access to the various' goldfields made easy by tracks, facilitating the transportation of timber and other cumbersome mining appliances. \ _The prosperity of the mining industry of -New Zealand depends on the large tracts of auriferous deposits, which being surrounded with great physical difficulties, "have hitherto defeated the efforts of the ■ unassisted miner.

The development of these deposits requires capital, as well as labor ; but the capitalist requires security, and this is furnished him by the provisions of this clause.

As miners we take this opportunity, to express our astonishment, that the benefits of this provision are not more generally recognised. We may here also state, that we entirely endorse the proposed alteration made m the Goldmining Lease Regulation of-.the new Act, but would suggest; that only £1 per acre be charged instead of £2 10s. QUARTZ REEFS. Quartz reefing, which may be said to be only in its infancy, should also be provided for in the new Act. We beg to quote from

t]le _ ?epprt of the Miners' Conference at Tuapeka, 1872, the following:—' - ' "In the case of quartz .reefs or lodes, the right should be given. to the holder to follow sucn veins in all their dips, variations, and angles, to any depth, although they may enter the land adjoining."

LOCAL LEGISLATION. ' " We again avail ourselves of the Report of the Miners' Conference, 1872: The opinion of. this Conference is that the miners are the best judges themselves of the rules and regulations by which they should be bound in the prosecution of their avocation, and they would ask the" Government to appoint a Board of miners for the Province of.Otago, to be elected by the miners from certain districts; which may be either' defined by the miners, or by order -of the Governor in Council. That the Governor appomt from among the elected body a chairman?!* That power be given to the said Board to make-rules and regulations in conformity with the Goldfields Act/which on receiving the sanction and approval of the Governor in Council, may become the rules and regulations under any particular district" or province of the goldfields. The mode of election, the time for which members should be elected, and the denning of the districts, may :be safely left m the hands of the Government." We would further recommend, that the members be paid at "a fixed rate by.the Government. We believe that by the, establishment of paid iMnung Boards (one for every Province which contains goldfields), a vast amount of money would be saved to the country, and ; better legislation provided for - the miner. PRIORITY OF RIGHT. Priority of right is a rule, which has lon^ been recognised as a fair and just one on -the' goldfields; and is 'the "basis of all mining law.' & Tt is almost indispensable, and if introduced m the new Act would simplify mining legislation •to a great extent. We beg again to refer to Report of Miners' Conference, 1.872. MINING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. The time has arrived that the attention of the Government should be called to this subject. We • are aware that it is out of your province to deal definitely with the matter, but having put ourselves in communication with you, we could not close without bringing this subject under your notice and soliciting your co-opqration, should a measure of this kind be introdueed.in the Assembly. On behalf of Otago Miners' Association. John A. Miller,. President.,