THE MINING BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 253, 24 October 1919, Page 9

THE MINING BILL.

■ — ALTERATION- BY COMMITTEE. (Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Mining Amendment Bill was returned to the House of -Representatives to-day from the' Gold-fields and Mines Committee with a number of amendments. The committee struck out clauses in the bill vesting water race licenses in the Crown on their forfeiture or abandonment and giving 'the Crown the right to refuse the renewal ot a license. It also struck out provision for the iseue of alluvial mine managers' certificates, and amended the clause relating to the compulsory use of axial water fed rock drills by substituting October let, 1920 for January Ist, 1921, as the day on which the provision will operate. In the section dealing with blast ; ng operations the committee struck out a provision that blasting should not take place in any mine at interval- of less than twenty-four hours, except with the express authority of the mine manager. and substituted a sub-clause prohibiting blasting except at -meal times or at the close of a working shift, save with the express authority of the manager ol another person in charge of the mine It is stipulated that such authority .shall only be given for special reasons, in eluding the removal of obstructions oi dangerous overhanging ground, to enabh the erection of timber, or for dealing with charges that missed fire. A number of amendments are als< made respecting provisions for testinj mining apparatus and safety appliance: