GOLD ROBBERIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 644, 22 October 1909, Page 7

GOLD ROBBERIES.

ACTION BY EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION J ; .■SUGGEs'TED.LEaiSLATIOX. ■■'■'' J ' t ■ .In,reference to,the queslion of dealing with gold!robberies; the New Mriiid ':Employers' Federation' has forwarded this' followiiig letter ' to tho, Minister for Mines, tho lion. R. M'Kenzie:—.'',: ••' •*,<:■,*'. -V.-'-':.. ". - : ■■■,:,■' '-■ -• * ~...- "sir,— , ;■•;!;;.;,.■;■.. . 4 :■•;■■....-.:;:.■ ;■.■>;■: \"\ havo, the honour, by'direction of my ' ■• .'"Parliamentary Conimit'.ee," and on behalf of >'• ' the'gold'milio'-bwucrs of"'tho l Do'min\6u,-'-to : -'f '" ' bring: under, your, notice . the', urgent •need' :• .-'.that exists'for:aa ainendment of the Jlin- .'. ing ,Aet. to. provide legislation, to/indro effectively .■deal: with persons .charged witli ' Viewing.gold. My cqmiuitice.is assured that' y n ' gold robbery. is very, rife' in the Dominion, ■ \, -".jntl thatmany thousands of ponnds'worth" ■ tt ■ia stolen annually.'- As .the' law: stands at' r '.present,, it is next to impassible to prove' a charge of gold-stealing, as.tha prese'eu- . ' tor,'in order to secure a conviction, must !, , prove that the gold came.from a particular 0 mine, and is .illegally ju ,the posseasion of . t ..the person, charged,with its theft. Under a ' the?e' oircums'.ancea it -M respectfully ■ sub(j mitted that an alteration in tho law •is b ' , necessary whereby, a: person- 'who,'is'or has^: „ been in possession of gold aiid : who is sus-' r -. pected of having stolen ■ it,: should be: re- ' . quired to,- provo that • he came by it hon- > estly. I am further instructed to respect-■ fully submit for your consideration the ■ -enclosed proposal for the amendment' of tho; . Act as the only, means by vfln'ch. the difli- -■. '- culty can bo effectively dealt. : with., I also , . 0 enclose the copy of a' iuemovnuduin ' sup-, 7 plied 'to my'committee setting forth some strong reasons why special legislation should belpassed to deal' with gold-stealing. Tho matter is of such great lmportsuco to'the', •industry that my'.committee-feels sure it - f. ifil| have ypiir. careful, consideration, and ; (j ■• that you will take prompt'steps to deal•■■• & with it. ■■■•' ■• ■ ■ '. ,:,-.. '':■;. ■■.;••-,, ... -. 1. • , '•■ ' ',■'..:. "Yours ■ respectfully, ; :'■"■' '•.;. . ■/;;;. :\ '"AVJlliam Pryor,' . .- '■■;". '■;'.■■ ;; '■.- ' •,'■; ■■■ The memorandum referred to.is as follows:~ r Gold is of such :a ; nature that it, is im'pos- >" siblo to identify it as.the product of any particular mine. Therefore, unless-a thief., is caught red-handed, or admits' his guilt,' it is practically impossible toobtaina conviction. * A great deal of gold-stealing is known to A have taken place oil the West Coast,' and yet . for nearly twenty years' only one conviction.: has taken place, and in that case the accused pleaded guilty.,-' ■ : : ..',' : . \'. ■: . Many instances are, known ofiTmen selling ■ gold,who had no means of coming by it hou- .-.' ostly, but as no one could identify, the gold, it s was, impossible to'prosecute,-... .■■- .. ' : . 1 :Th'e only persons, likely, to be adversely'af- • fected by the alteration in tbu law' are thieves, f as at the present time no'one has the right ' to gold , except'."a producer or a regis-. t tered gold-buyer., ". I.'.'. ':,'•'■' , • . .'.," : ; , If "a gold-buyer were charged ;with stealing gold, and it was honestly eomo by,.he could turu..up'liis register showing 'details .of his purchase,'and a producer 'would never have . any .difficulty: in' snowing, that he was a-pro--3 diicer, arid the class of gold he "was petting.'; The clause'proposed to be" : insertca in tho Mining'. Act-Amendment Bill, is as follows:—. "Auy:person charged w;th .theft,of gold shall bodeemed to have stolen ..the sanie if the Court y is satisfied that siich: person; has been in poso session-of gold within one year prior to n ination bsing laid charging . him • with theft it thereof, unless the , person, accused proves thai ■ such gold came, lawfully. , .into! his possession, and in any information or indictment it shallnot be necessary to allege, or. bri the hearing or .trial,, to. prove "the ownershiji of the golo|.". r. '■ . " ■;•'' ~'."■■. "~ '' i: '' '.'• ' ; - ' '