CHAMBER OF MINES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 225, 28 September 1897, Page 3

CHAMBER OF MINES.

K£ Monel B»rU, A. Kidd S. T. SUDt NEW MEMBERS.

ml fnllowino- new members were The foJS R _ F harsonj s . ffn S o^J^BanksandA.Hanna. b FOREIGN COMPANIES. nt. following report of the Finance and T Thf Committee was read:-" Foreign Ul LieSplying information to sharef&^ TlSoPUßittee having fully conho} H 'the representations made to the rt on the subject has to report, °OUSt it forwarded the following 1 iXns to the representations of ! UC companies with the accompanying foreign camp f these wfire sent _ rSf a stroul feeling has been \ressed against further legislation 3. eIK w replies have been received. 4 S? S o!lv tCof these entirely dissent J ha\teVoPOsals. 5 . That the other 18 fr°r 0 receded lead the Committee to £ 35"is in th? p°r °- - he SSber to greatly assist the mining Swithout legislation by. devising l iL to meet the desired end, R ?u rill rppeive the co-operation of the StipS eitreco mm endsthatthii 31 be done. All companies engaged •King within the colony whose head outside the colony and £, shareholders residing in the £y° shall cause a monthly report „ he' written by the mine manager 'otherpersons in charge of the mine, and i reports shall contain an account of S Vorl done in the mine for the month Si the date of such report. 2. lie Berofmen employed in and upon the •p 3 A full statement reporting any fpw development of value or importance f The number of feet driven in all Lives tunnels, crosscuts or shafts. 5. The Wess made in the erection J m^hinery, tramways, water races, !r other works in connection with the line A copy of such report shall be St'inthe office or place of business of a? Company in New Zealand, any Si be open for inspection oy X shareholders of such Company 1 weeks after the date of said report. Werv cablegram sent by the agent of such Kany to the head office of the Commnv conveying information of any new feovery or any change or alteration in the value of the mine shall within twelve hours after such cable has been sent, be open for inspection by any shareholder m the colony. The Chairman said the replies showed there was a very strong feeling against ajiy further legislation as being calculated to prevent capitalists from coming to these goldhekls. All the other letters were on similar lines. They were willing to assist, but strongly objected to being compelled to give information. These gentlemen would meet the Council as far as possible, but there were certain points that the English companies objected to being compelled by law to furnish. The report was adopted and then referred to a special meeting of the Council in Committee for further consideration. THE NEW MINING BILL. This Bill together with a number of suggested amendments received by the Chamber was referred to the Goldfields Committee to consider and report. BULWARKS FOR SCOWS. Captain Gibbs wrote drawing the attention of the Council to the fact that the Customs Department had served notices ustathe owners of scows that they must iare bulwarks three feet high fitted all round each vessel. The writer pointed out that this would prevent scows from carrying mining machinery to the goldfields and also put an end to the carriage of logs. The Chairman said there was no objections to moveable bulwarks for the prolection of the men. Mr Chambers said if the bulwarks were permanent fixtures it would simply mean that boilers could not be sent to the Thames. The general opinion of those present ttas that the Chamber must object to permanent bulwarks on scows, but the matter was ultimately left in the hands of the president and vice-president to ascertain whether or not the Customs Department would insist upon the bulwarks being of a permanent character. GOLD DUTY. A letter was read from the Ohinemuri County Council enclosing the following resolution, "That in the opinion of this Council the gold duty should be estimated at the rate of one penny per carat of fine gold." A discussion followed upon this matter, the general opinion of members being in sympathy with the resolution. The Council determined to communicate with the other County Councils interested and then approach the Government upon the subject. Atf IMPORTANT SUGGESTION, Mr John Chambers pointed out that at !ie present time so far as the construction wd component parts of the various reefs on the goldfields were concerned they tow no more about such matters than they did ten years ago. He thought the wvernmentshould be.asked to appoint a wst-class analytical chemist, whose wty it .should be to carefully analyse aw report as to the construction «the various reefs in the mines on the flauraki Peninsula. Mr Chambers gave notice that at the next meeting he would move in the direction.indicated.

THE MINING BILL. r^[ Henry Gordon, who arrived later on :« the meeting, brought up again the ! matter of the Mining Bill proposed to be mought in by the Minister for Mines.' He ««a there were several matters- that reaped the careful attention of the Council, various clauses that existed in the present *® were regulations in the proposed «"f and, therefore, subject to alteration « any time. As Mr.Gordon is about to leave for San francisco and could not therefore attend S^^^g of the Council, the memwas asked Mr Gordon if he would write wwß for consideration by the Council the JJ*"* he referred to, and his own opinion Jjon the Bill. This Mr Gordon agreed to