LOWBURN MISSUS' ASSOCIATION.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXVII, Issue 1363, 4 June 1895, Page 5

LOWBURN MISSUS' ASSOCIATION.

A committee meeting of the Lowburn Britticli Confederate Miners Association was held on Saturday, June l3fc. The business consisted of consideration of two propositions from the Alexandra branch that had been submitted to the vote of the branches under rule 3 of the confederation. The propositions were as follows : (1) "That in the opinion of the Alexandra Association, the Mining Act should be altered to the effect that the consent of the Minister of Mines shall be no longer required for the granting of special claims, and that the mode of dealing with applications for special claims and granting of same by the Warden be placed on the same footing as licensed holdings." The secretary stated (hat no reasons had been given in support of the proposal. He also stated having forwarded copy of proposition to all the branches. The proposition was negatived unanimously ; great surprise being expressed that a proposition doing away with the safeguard to the public estate against undue influences, should emanate from a branch of the Confederate Miners' Association, contrary to tho implied opinion, by the delegates at the late mining conference, that the granting of large areas of auriferous land should pas 3 through an elective mining board, and also receive tho consent of the Minister of Mines. (2) "That, whereas, large areas of auriferous country in Central Otago are unworked for want of water, tho time has arrived when the Government should take the matter in hand and get a competent mining engineer along with a practical miner to make an exhaustive report on the several goldfields of Otago and tho best way of providing water supply and the storage ot the same for mining purposes, with the costs of oach work reported upon, and that the Government he urged to place yearly upon the estimates a sum for the carryitig out. of such work." A copy of this resolution was also to be forwarded to the members for the

different districts, urging them to press the matter strongly upon the Government. This proposition was affirmed unanimously and adopted by the Low burn brunch, and after disposing of some minor matters, the meeting closed.