WESTLAND MINING BOARD.

West Coast Times, Issue 176, 12 April 1866, Page 7

WESTLAND MINING BOARD.

A .meeting of .'the Committee appointed tor the purpose of taking the preliminary steps nepessary, for the formation of a Mining Board, was held at the Kaniiiri on the 10th ultimo. The names of the gentlemen present were, Mr Gordon in the \£hair ; Messrs Hankins, Brown, Hamilton, /Douthwaith, Townsend, and Smith. Mr Hamilton proposed, and Mr ToMnsend seconded, that Messrs Hankins and Gordon draw up the requisite memorial and submit it to the approval of the Committtee. Carried. Mr Douthwaith remarked that, in order to obtain the requisite number of signataatures, it would be imperative to appoint some person or persons to canvass forthem. Tim would entail a considerable expense, and he should like to be Informed how that was to be met. Mr Hankins, in reply, stated that due provision had been made for such an outlay in a resolution that waß submitted and carried at a former meeting. It was that that meeting pledged itself to liquidate any legitimate expense that might be incurred, v for the purpose, but proposed, in order that it should be distributed as equally as possible, that every miner signing it should subscribe Is. The speaker believed that the miners would contribute this mite cheerfully when the object to be attained — sjwas considered. He therefore moved that 'Messrs. Brown, Smith, Townsend, Douth- / waith, Gordon, and the mover, go in pairs round the district and canvass for signatures. This was carried unanimously, and the meeting adjourned. On the 13th inst., another Committee meeting was convened for the purpose of inspecting the memorial drawn up by Messrs. Hankins and Gordon, and as it was approved of, it was proposed by Mr Townsend, and seconded by Mr Brown, that Mr Hankins receive £2 for the trouble of engrossing it. Carried. Mr Hamilton proposed, and Mr Douthwaith seconded, that any expense those gentlemen who had collected the signatures had incurred in so doing, should be defrayed out of the money collected, and Vthe balance (if any) be paid into the Hospital fund. Carried. Moved by Mr Townsend, and seconded by Mr Hankins, that a deputation of four be appointed, consisting of Messrs Hamilton, Brown, Hankins, and Gordon, to wait on Mr Sale, present the memorial, and remiesf, his co-operation in forwarding it to tqfe Superintendent. A vote of thanks fo the chair terminated the proceedings. The following is a copy of the memorial :—: — To His Honor tho Superintendent of the Province of Canterbury, Colony of New Zealand. Your memorialists, Miners of tho Kaniori Goldfield, Westland, Humbly beg that your Honor will, in accordance with tho Goldflelds Act, September 6th, 1862, cause this goMfleld to bo proclaimed a district for tho. establishment of a Mining Board, tho present regulations being totally inadequato to tho requirements of this gold field : fenvttie following reasons : — That tho mining interests of this district being of paramount importance, and its future prosperity depending in a great measure upon tho encouragement given for developing its resources, necessitates local legislation to obtiain that result. ' That some of the ground cannot bo worked without the aid of powerful steam machinery, involving I a- ' large outlay of capital; while other .portions of it (at the samo depth) can bo worked without such aid. That the regulations make no provision for . wet and difficult workings, the area of ground per man up to a depth of (50) fifty feet only, being taken into consideration, while the sinking in this district has now attained a depth of (98) ninety-eight feot. That the introduction of steam machinery • and water-power on this field will establish its permanency for a number of years, there being at present six steam engines in courso of erection, of an aggregate power of (100) one hundred horse, at a coat of £10,000. And from experience gained in other gold mining countries, the establishment of suoh institutions are requisite for providing and amending bye laws to suit tho various descriptions of mining. Trusting that your Honor, from tho roasoni advanced, will give tho matter your earliest (ionßidoratiou. . / ' And your memorialists will over pray. [Hero follow 400 Bignattum] DEPUTATION TO MR SALE FROM KAKIEBI. • A deputation, consisting of the following gentlemen,— Messrs Gordon, Hankins, r Brown, and Hamilton, waited upon Mr Sale for the purpose of obtaining his cooperation in the establishment of a Mining Board. The deputation having been introduced by Mr Prosser, M.L.C., Mr Hankins presented a memorial addressed to his Honor the Superintendent, setting forth the necessity for such an institution. ' Mr Sale, having perused the petition, called the attention of the deputation to one of the clauses, which he considered incorrect, wherein it stated the provision . was made for wet and difficult workings, and quoted, in support of his assertion, Be.c. 13 of the Bye-Laws, which he considered provided for extended claims. Mr Hankins said that if such was the ' proper interpretation of the' Bye-Law he L felt assured that the miners really did not understand \t, and he was doubtful wiles' ther the Wardens even read it in such f a way ; for opportunities had been afforded to many miners on the Commissioner's Flat who would certainly have availed themselves of securing an extended claim (seeinglhat it was necessary to employ steam \\ power to develope it), had they known that such was the meaning of the regulations. ' Mr Sale, in reply, said that it would, in his opinion, be very wrong to. grant extended areas in ground that had' really not been thoroughly teated* Mr Hankins, said if such was the case it would be an impossibility to grant an extension of ground to any company who might . be speculative enough to prospect the large t flats about Kanieri, simply because on the very first intimation being given that a party-, waa endeavouring to sink a shaft they • . would be surrounded almost immediately and pegged off to the usual, are?, of 45 feet square.. ■ r Mr Sale certainly thought that section l 3 made ample provision for all that was needed, and no matter whether a Mining Board was formed or not the regulations j would Btill form a basis to work from. Mr Gordon said that what he wished to call the attention of the Commissioner to was that the regulations made no distinction as to the area of ground held without reference fo the depth. A man holding a / beach, claim, where he had nothing but a shovel and dish to employ, reaped the same, t^yantoges as too roan who ha.cj to employ

steam machinery, and he considered "that the regulations required amending. A sliding settle should be adopted, providing areas of ground proportionate in size of the extent of mean's cifiplbyed'- in 'working them., ■'". /'■ ' " ..1 . ' •. . ,if\ Mr Sale waa of opinion of of the kind was necessary:-* <.Af • >„■ Mr Hamilton urged, irrespective ,of the section of the regulations quoted" by^ Mr Sale, it was absolutely necessary thafcthe regulations should be amended if only to provide for ' drainage laws. It was very hard for some to supply machinery for the purpose of draining arid working their ground profitably, and others in adjoining claims deriving an benefit without exbdnsb; j; ll " Mr Sale cer'faiiily admitted the necessity of some law,' whereby parties deriving benefit should be made to contribute an equal share of the expense incurred for the benefit conferred. He asked the deputation what they considered the extent of the district ; as he considered, in the event of the petition being granted, that for the advantageous working of such Boards, it was essentially" necessary tbat members should always be at hand. ' ( In reply, Mr Gordon said that the Committee had not left the matter relating to the district entirely in the hands of the Government ; , but considered that it should include Tucker's Flat, Three-mile, Woodstock, and within a radius of four miles from Hokitika. Mr Sale having promised to forward the memorial, the gentlemen of the deputation thanked him for his courteous reception, and withdrew.