BRITISH COAL COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1919, Page 2

BRITISH COAL COMMISSION.

WOEpBBS AND TBEIK HABIXATIONS, DUCAL. LANaANI) EOYALTIES. ; London, May 8. At the Coal Commission, the agent of the Duke of 'Hamilton gave evidence as to the' origin of the titles of all the ducal lands which were Crown grants, the earliest by Robert Bruce in 1315. There were enormous numbers of other charters, and altogether the titles numbered hundreds. Mr Smillie asked the chairman to appoint counsel to investigate the title, deeds and, if this was impossible, to produce them for examination by the Commission. . The question was raised whether the Act entitled the Commission to investigate the titles or merely to consider the incidence of the royalties. The chairman promised a private discussion on the matter. The agent contradicted Mr Smillie's statements as ta the income of the late and present duke. Mr Smillie asserted that miners on the Hamilton estate -worked for forty years practically on the verge of starvation, living under horrible conditions. The agent admitted that there were some very indifferent houses, some of them 300 years old, just outside Hamilton Palace- He could not say if four, Bve or six persons lived in each apartment. The Duke of Northumberland gave evidence that he had mineral rights over 24,450 acres. The royalties yielded a net average income for six years of £55,391. The gross income last year wag £82,450, on which the duties and dues amounted to £58,560, including £42,153 super-tax. The property had been acauired by grants, purchases and settlements. The first purchase dated back to 1309. The Duke of Northumberland added that he would be opposed to nationalisation, because it was the first step towards a deadlier and more drastic move, namely, the nationalisation of the land and all sources »f production and' industry. He admitted he would claim all the coal on his property, even if science made it possible to mine to a depth of twenty thousand feet.' He thought it was a bad thing to give a million miners control of the coal, but an excellent thing for one man to own 944000 acres and the mineral rights. The Marquis of Londonderry gave evidence that he owned 5800 acres of the Durham coal fields. His average income from rovalties was £9608. His war levies totalled £5726. He acquired all the properties bv purchase. He waß opposed to nationalisation and believed in private property. Amid applause he declared himself an individualist.—Aus.ft.Z. Cable Assn,