Mining Amendment Bill.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 2210, 29 August 1910, Page 5

Mining Amendment Bill.

~, 'JMife ',. following are soiue of the of local interest in the Mining ~Bill which is now before the House %f and will probably be passed this session : it is provided, inter alia, that prospecting warrants and licenses may, with the consent of the trustees, be granted in respect of any endowment or public restive. In the case of an application for a dredging claim comprising portion of . a stream which has been previously held as a dredging claim and abandoned, or in the case of an application for a dredging claim where the ground to be dredged is of shallow depth, the Warden may, subject to the approval of the Minister, grant a claim of any shape, but not exceeding eight miles in length, or 400 acres in area. Wheie gold is associated with metals or other minerals, a special claim may be granted, and the holder shall be entitled to all metals or minerals within the boundaries of the claim and to mine for or remove them. A Warden may order that the land comprised in any claim whether granted before or after the passing of the Act, shall be surveyed within three months. In addition to the duty payable under " The Gold Duty Act, 1i) 08," there shall be payable on the export of all gold, whether produced in the North or the South Island, a duty of 3d pev oz, troy weight, of gold of the fineness of 20 carat and upwards, and so in proportion on every ounce of a less degree of fineness than 20 carats. This duty shall be paid into the Public Trustees account and shall be placed to the credit of an account to be called the gold miners' relief fund, for the relief of families of miners who iiire.kille'* or injured while so working, Any money paid out of the gold miners' relief fund in respect of the death or injury of any miner shall not be deducted from any compensation S payable under the Workers' Compensati/n«Act, 1 ( J08, in respect of the Accident except with the consent of - the Minister. Every mine shall be under the personal supervision of a mine manager. If there is default in this regard for more than three days, the owner shall Ix; liable to a line not exceeding £SO. Where the number of persons employed in a mine does not exceed 12, the manager need not hold a certificate, either of first or second class. A water-race licenso shall not he capable of being transferred in cases where the transferee would be entitled to the use of more than 20 heads of water from one watercourse.