PUBLIC MEETING AT TE AROHA.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 155, 22 May 1886, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING AT TE AROHA.

On Wednesday evening last a meeting of the Te Arohn Improvement Committee and the public \r«s held at tLe Hot Springs Hotel, to discuss tho desirability of seeking to have the laws relating to minim? amended-, seeing that ft Mining Laws Consolidation Bill, was about to be introduced by Hon Mr Larnach. The first business done was to elect a chairman of the Improvement Committee for the ensuing year. Mr Mills the foremer chairman mia unanimously re-elected ; and Mr Dobson as secretary. The first qnostion discussed was that of miners' rights, some present expressed tho opinion that the present sum charged for a miner's rights, vir. £1 waa fair, for persons taking up ground, but considered that men simply working m the mines, and having no interest in them, should not be compelled to take out a miner's right at all ; but nil were of opinion that one miners right shouW suffice for the whole colony. The law as concerning registration of ground was discussed at length, some were of opinion that a man should be compelled to register his ground within a day or two of pegging out, to insure a title thereto, others objected, on tho ground that such a law would not give prospectors, often working at a distance from a Warden's Court a fair chance ; and would enable others to find out where anything good was going on, by just watching tho Warden's Office. Mr E. Quinn instanced a case which: occurred at Waitekauri, where after a party had taken up some grouhd, and worked it for some months, and were breaking out very rich stone, shares being saleable at a very high sum, a party came forward and wanted to claim the ground, on the plea that they had pegged it out some three years previously although they had never worked it, and by an error on the part of the Mining Inspector the name had been left uncancelled on the books ; they however failed to establish their claim. The necessity of having some more satisfactory means of transporting quartz from the Tui claims to the flat, was also discussed at much length, and a variety of suggestions Were thrown out ; all however agreeing that some effort should at once bo pfit forth for tile attainment of so desirable an object. Ultimately the following resolutions were carried. 1. "That a miner's right entitle the holder to mine on all goldfields- on Crown lands within the colony." 2. " That the charge for miner's rights be reduced from £1 to 55." 3. "That Government be. requested to undertake the survey of all leases required for mining purposes on goldfields tree of charge."