GOLDFIELDS AND MINES COMMITTEE (REPORTS, OF). (Mr. POLAND, Chairman.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1906 Session II, I-04

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Session 11. 1906. NEW ZEALAND

GOLDFIELDS AND MINES COMMITTEE (REPORTS, OF). (Mr. POLAND, Chairman.)

Presented to the House of Representatives, and ordered to be printed.

ORDER OF REFERENCE. ■ Extract from the Journals of the House of Bepresentatives. Friday, the 24th Day of August, 1906. Ordered, " That a Goldfields and Mines Committee, consisting of ten members, be appointed, to whom shall be referred all matters relating to mining a,nd all Bills relating to mines ; with power to call for persons and papers ; three to form a quorum : the Committee to consist Mr. Bennet, Mr. Colvin, Mr. W. Fraser, Mr. Herries, Mr. R. McKenzie, Mr. Macpherson, Mr. Poland, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Smith, and the mover."—(Hon. Mr. McGowan.)

EEPOETS. No. 20. Petition of Alexander Mackay, Miner, of Paeroa, Ohinemuri. Petitioner represents that in the years 1866, 1867, and 1868 he was the discoverer of goldfields at Waihi, Karangahake, and Owha'roa, and that he floated the original company the operations of which ultimately led to the opening-up of the Ohinemuri district. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report upon the petition of Alexander Mackay that they have no recommendation to make. 14th September, 1906. No. 39.—Petition of S. J. Laughun and 778 Others. Petitioners pray that steps may be taken to put a stop to the silting-up of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers now taking place through the inflow of tailings and mining debris from the claims of certain mining companies, &c. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report upon the petition of S. J. Laughlin and others that they recommend that the said petition be referred to the Government for consideration. 14th September, 1906. Coal-mines Act 1903 Amendment Bill. (Mr. Colvin.) The Goldfields and Mines Committee, to whom was referred the Coal-mines Act Amendment Bill, having taken evidence on the said Bill and carefully considered the same, have the honour to report that they recommend that the Bill, be allowed to proceed as printed, and that the evidence attached be printed. (Vide also Appendix 1.-4 a.) 26th September, 1906,

No. 39. —Petition of S. J. Lauqhlin and 778 Others. Petitioners pray that steps may be taken to put a stop to the silting-up of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers now taking place through the inflow of tailings and mining debris from the claims of certain mining companies, &c. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report upon the petition of S. J. Laughlin and others that they recommend that the said petition be referred to the Government for consideration. 14th September, 1906.

Coal-mines Act 1903 Amendment Bill. (Mr. Colvin.) The Goldfields and Mines Committee, to whom was referred the Coal-mines Act Amendment Bill, having taken evidence on the said Bill and carefully considered the same, have the honour to report that they recommend that the Bill, be allowed to proceed as printed, and that the evidence attached be printed. (Vide also Appendix 1.-4 a.) 26th September, 1906,

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No. 299.—Petition of James Hosie, Miner, Karangahake. Petitioner seeks to obtain from jour honourable House a reward for the discovery—which he alleges was made by him —of gold at Waihi, Karangahake, and Puru. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of James Hosie that they have no recommendation to make. 28th September, 1906.

Mining Act Amendment Bill. The Goldfields and Mines Committee, having carefully considered the provisions of the Mining Act Amendment Bill, referred to them by your honourable House, have the honour to report that they recommend that the said Bill lie allowed to proceed as printed. 4th October, 1906. Coal-mines Act Amendment Bill. (Hon. Mr. McGowan.) The Goldfields and Mines Committee, to whom was referred the Coal-mines Act Amendment Bill, have the honour to report that, having carefully considered the provisions of the said Bill, they recommend that it be allowed to proceed subject to the amendments shown in a copy of the Bill hereto attached. 4th October, 1906. No. 402.—-Petition of Henare Meihana and 6 Others. Petitioners pray that the sum of £200, set apart, and now in the hands of the Public Trustee, to provide for the cost of any prospective damage that may be done to a reserve on the banks of the Hokitika River, may be paid to them. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of Henare Meihana and others that they recommend that it be referred to the Government for consideration. 11th October, 1906. * No. 200.—Petition of Robert Harvie. Petitioner represents that, after having made diligent and careful search as to the existence of possible claims to certain land, he took up a mining claim under the Mining Act, and that for some eleven months he worked the said claim. He then discovered that, through the failure of the surveyors, the Warden's Office, and the Survey Office to afford to him reliable information, a siderable portion of his claim was freehold property. Subsequently this portion of his claim was declared forfeited for non-working, he at the time lying sick in a hospital. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of Robert Harvie that they recommend that it be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. 11th October, 1906. No. 395.—Petition of James Brown. Petitioner represents that he purchased a mining claim and certain mining privileges at Gimmerburn for the sum of £1,050, and that he has since expended considerable sums on the plant, the value of which has been seriously depreciated by the sale by Government of lands originally set apart as a mining reserve, which freehold lands obstruct the outflow of tailings, debris, and waste water from his claim. He prays for compensation. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of James Brown that they recommend that it be referred to the Government for immediate and favourable consideration. 11th October, 1906. No. 663.—Petition of B. Flannery and Others. Petitioners pray that the fifty men put on the work of extending what at one time was the Alexandra Bonanza Company's water-race, but is now the property of the Government, should be employed in extending the said race to Ophir. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report unon the petition of B. Flannery and others that they recommend that the said petition be referred to the Government for inquiry and consideration. 25th October, 1906. Nos. 660 and 661.—Petitions of Pahati Harawira and Others, and Haora Tareranui and Others. Petitioners represent that by a deed dated February, 1875, they ceded to the Crown the right to mine over all their lands in the County of Ohinemuri according to boundaries set forth in the said deed ; that they retained for themselves certain other lands extending to the westward of the said boundaries us far as the Waihou River ; that they continue to occupy the said lands, and their cultivations are on the flat lands adjacent to the river-banks; that when they ceded the lands for

Coal-mines Act Amendment Bill. (Hon. Mr. McGowan.) The Goldfields and Mines Committee, to whom was referred the Coal-mines Act Amendment Bill, have the honour to report that, having carefully considered the provisions of the said Bill, they recommend that it be allowed to proceed subject to the amendments shown in a copy of the Bill hereto attached. 4th October, 1906.

No. 402.—-Petition of Henare Meihana and 6 Others. Petitioners pray that the sum of £200, set apart, and now in the hands of the Public Trustee, to provide for the cost of any prospective damage that may be done to a reserve on the banks of the Hokitika River, may be paid to them. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of Henare Meihana and others that they recommend that it be referred to the Government for consideration. 11th October, 1906. '

No. 200.—Petition of Robert Harvie. Petitioner represents that, after having made diligent and careful search as to the existence of possible claims to certain land, he took up a mining claim under the Mining Act, and that for some eleven months he worked the said claim. He then discovered that, through the failure of the surveyors, the Warden's Office, and the Survey Office to afford to him reliable information, a siderable portion of his claim was freehold property. Subsequently this portion of his claim was declared forfeited for non-working, he at the time lying sick in a hospital. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of Robert Harvie that they recommend that it be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. 11th October, 1906.

No. 395. —Petition of James Brown. Petitioner represents that he purchased a mining claim and certain mining privileges at Gimmerburn for the sum of £1,050, and that he has since expended considerable sums on the plant, the value of which has been seriously depreciated by the sale by Government of lands originally set apart as a mining reserve, which freehold lands obstruct the outflow of tailings, debris, and waste water from his claim. He prays for compensation. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report on the petition of James Brown that they recommend that it be referred to the Government for immediate and favourable consideration. 11th October, 1906.

No. 663.—Petition of B. Flannery and Others. Petitioners pray that the fifty men put on the work of extending what at one time was the Alexandra Bonanza Company's water-race, but is now the property of the Government, should be employed in extending the said race to Ophir. The Goldfields and Mines Committee have the honour to report upon the petition of B. Flannery and others that they recommend that the said petition be referred to the Government for inquiry and consideration. 25th October, 1906.

Nos, 660 and 661.—Petitions of Parati Harawira and Others, and Haora Tareranui and Others. Petitioners represent that by a deed dated February, 1875, they ceded to the Crown the right to mine over all their lands in the County of Ohinemuri according to boundaries set forth in the said deed ; that they retained for themselves certain other lands extending to the westward of the said boundaries us far as the Waihou River; that they continue to occupy the said lands, and their cultivations are on the flat lands adjacent to the river-banks; that when they ceded the lands for

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mining purposes the waters of the Ohinemuri were pure; that in consequence of the Proclamation in 1895 of the Ohinemuri and Waihou Rivers the river-water became contaminated and so polluted as to be unfit for use by man or beast; that a sum of £1,160 was expended in the removal of nuisances and injuries, and providing for a supply of water pure and clean, thus admitting the riparian rights of petitioners to the Ohinemuri River where it passes through their lands; that at the present time about 40,000 tons of quartz are crushed every month at the various reducingmills of the district, the tailings, &c, being deposited in the Ohinemuri River, and that in consequence the river—diminished in depth and width —is incapable of carrying the same volume of storm-water as in former times, resulting in their cultivations being flooded; that a very slight covering of water will destroy growing crops oi potatoes, and petitioners have lost the whole of their crops through such floods ; that the sludge and sand deposited being infertile and injurious to the soil, their lands have become depreciated in value; that formerly the Ohinemuri River was a good fishing-place for eels and whitebait, and fish constituted an important part of their sustenance, now the cyanide-deposits have destroyed the river as a fishing-ground ; that by the Treaty of Waitangi the fisheries of the Natives were specially reserved; that petitioners have no wish to hamper the mining industry, but the present situation fills them with dismay. They pray for relief. The Goldfields and Minos Committee have the honour to report on the petitions of Parati Harawira and others and Haora Tareranui and others that they recommend that they be referred to the Government for consideration. 25th October, 1906. Approximate Oost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,400 oopies), £ 2.

Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9o6.

Price 3d.]