FREE MINING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 150, 27 June 1931, Page 10

FREE MINING.

DEVELOPMENT AT THAMES. PETITION TO PARLIAMENT. LOCKING-UP OF AREA. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Iteporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. « Some 84 Thames residents petitioned Parliament to-day, requesting the Government to take action to ensure that 1200 acres adjacent to the town, situated between Kuranui Gully and Hape Creek, shall be more diligently mined by holders of privileges or that the present area'be thrown open for free mining. Petitioners state the the present privilege holders have no available capital to prosecute extensive or deep mining, but that large areas are being held on the off-chance that they might prove a factor in a sale and in the hope that someone else will make a strike. Not more than 15 men are engaged on the whole area, and there has been practically no gold yield. The petitioners contend that although the original holders of privileges may be justly entitled to exact a tribute percentage, "the present holders have done nothing to entitle them to continuously lock up the' area against free mining. The petitioners ask that the law be amended to enable the area to be declared open for free mining with claims not exceeding 10 acres, and subject to depth limitation, in order to leave the area open for deep level operations.