THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2017, 22 June 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1875.

It is probable that during the next session of the Assembly some amendment will be made in the G-oldmining Districts Act, more ■ particularly those clauses under which persons can now take up for occupation under licensed holding thirty acres of ground.. The area ; thus allowed is admittedly too much, especially in new fields; and as the districts surrounding the Thames are all more or less auriferous, and as there is no telling how soon they may be acquired for goldmining purposes; it is right that some alteration be made so that the mistakes of the past may not be perpetrated in the future. Any amendment of the Act, however, should be properly considered, and if possible dis-i cussed by the people most interested; by the miners who have had experience oi the working of the .Act as it stands. It would not bo politic to commence tinkering at a useful : Act on the score that it has permitted abuses in one direction only. If it is to be meddled with, it must be in such a way as to render ifc

more applicable to all.,.eir cum stances. The principal Consideration, therefore, is to obtain a modification of the Act in so far as to meet the requirements of new fields, without unnecessarily interfering with its operation as regards old ground which has been thoroughly prospected, and found to be workable only in large areas. As regards old workings—the Thames and Corornandel fields, for instance—we believe that the clauses of the Act which proride for the amalgamation of mining areas are., necessary..and .expedient,, and conduce to economical working. When surface leaders, generally of a rich character pn this Peninsula, have.been worked put, it is found necessary to sink, and this lean only be done by means of combination. For this very reason we have always advocated the amalgamation of mining claims, in order to reduce the working expenses—the means employed to get the gold—to a minimum. But the facilities thus afforded by the Goldmining Districts Act have been taken advantage of in" some instances, until claims have assumed the proportions of small townships without any commensurate outlay of capital. It has been remarked, indeed, in many cases, that thelarger the area acquired the less work is done, and amalgamation —instead of resulting in systematic working has been conspicuous for systematic non-working, and evasion of the Act. And here it is thatjthe Mining Inspector's interference is required. The principle of protection to mines in a settled district like the. Thames, with enormous crushing power sometimes inactive, is mischievous in its effects, unless under very exceptional, circumstances, which ought to be fully explained before protection is granted, with leave, for disinterested parties to show cause why protection should not be granted. In these respects. a little more stringency, might be enforced with advantage; and we should then hear few complaints that companies are allowed to hold large areas .of ground by merely paying the annual license fees, while there would be less speculation in bogus scrip which acquires a value only through its representing interests adjacent to honestly-worked mines. 7 With ■ regard, ho new fields, or newly discovered districts in proclaimed fields, some additional provisions are necessary, the preient arrangement un|er jwhich = a new find can be taken up in thirty-acre blocks being wrong in principle, and injurious in its effects. We say that under these circumstanceß the maximum area capable of being taken up in one licensed holding or claim onainew rush should not exceed ten acres—less perhaps—it is immaterial whether -it-be five, seven or ten. But prospectors discovering a new 'arid payable line, of reef, at least three miles from any known reef at the time being worked upon, should receive extra consideration to they extent^ of twice the ordinary allowance of ground, but subject in some respects to the nature and situation of the find, and its proximity to existing centres of mining; because the means of communication and facilities for getting machinery on the ground exercisean important influence on. the developement of quartz reefs, and should be considered iv granting prospecting, areas. It must be remembered that the discovery of a quartz reef,.or a line of reef, does not give an immediate return like a new rush on an alluvial; field. No matter how rich the reef may be, capital is required to provide machineryAbelore the "auriferous riches; of. the lode can be 'got at. ; A quartz ■reef, too, is of more importance a rich alluvial patch. The influence of the one is permanent m. character; the other is" ephemeral. V^TherefoVe the of a quartz reef should be treated with the same consideration, as the fortunate finder of, possibly, a mere patch of exceeding richness of,alluvial, gold, and receive as his reward a right exceeding thafc granted to ordinary miners. In the above we have ; ; sketched tfhat we conceive to be required in the amendment of the Goldmining Districts -Act. There are other points which might be touched upon, but we leave it for the present. We think it is a matter that might well be publicly discussed : "In the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom." If it be left to the Government to institute amendments, without any representations from here, it is possible that the very clauses where reform is needed; may be left untouched. Perhaps pur Provincial Councilors wi'l take the initiative in this matter. Some time ago they enlarged at a public meeting- oh the ambiguity of the Act, and talked learnedly on the meaning of " may " and " shall." ■That was when the Tairua was first proclaimed. If they desire to prevent what they then considered abuses from cropping up again, now is their, opportunity. It is in their power.as rulers or leaders of the- people; to • confer together, and to represent to the Government the particular provisions of the Goldmining Districts Act, which they: beliove to require revision. The occasion requires it of them; i and the people expect it: the ostensible representative of the district not being accessible to his constituents, i