MINING MATTERS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 384, 13 July 1889, Page 5

MINING MATTERS.

The members from the mining districts as I have before abated are very active this session though they deal almost) entirely with local mattcis. The Goldfields Committee are also busy with various matters. One of these is the consideration of a series of resolutions emanating from a recent meeting of delegates to the association in Otago. It is worth the attention of Auckland mining peoplo that in Otago the miners have organised associations by means of which they are enabled to represent their grievances directly to Government. The resolutions passed by them at their recent meeting have been forwarded to the Goldfields Committee by the Government. These resolutions are rather important. To begin with, they recommend that the gold duty be abolished, and the loss of re yenu© thus arising be made up* by rendering land held for mining purposes subject to county or other local government rates on the following scale :— Ordinary claims (to be registered and treated as acre claims) to be assessed at £20 perannum. Land occupied by water-races, drains and other easements to be rated at same valuation. They also propose that the rates from occupation licenses on goldfields bo made county revenue. They likewise suggest that the Govornmenb should receive and forward parcels of gold up to 50oz weight to the Australian mines for assay or sale, charging all expenses to the sender. Experience in the South has proved that in many instances miners have received 5s per ounce less than the actual value for their parcels. Apart from the gold duty, the last recommendation is that the rates of licensed holdings bo made uniform at 10s per acre per annum,