THE TOP-VALLEY GOLDFIELDS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 135, 11 June 1900, Page 4

THE TOP-VALLEY GOLDFIELDS.

MEETING OF MINERB. [COMMUNICATED.") A numerously attended meeting of miners and nlaim-holders, working or owning mining interests m Topgalley and neighbourhood, was held at Mr Moßae's store on Tuesday evening last, About twenty-six miners etc, were present, and eleven more accounted for. On the motion of Mr J. J. AddisoD, Mr B. Grey, Managing Director of the Jubilee Gold Mining Company, was voted to the chair. , The Chairman explained that tne meeting was called to see if some means could not be taken to remedy " the present dreadful state of their road, which was, m fact, impasßable." Mr Addison deserved their thanks for convening the meeting. He aekSd Mr Addiaon, and also Mr Ward, to address the meeting. Mr Addison said that, so tar as he oould learn, there was a euin N)f £2200, or thereabouts, allocated to road the North Bank sections— that is, the small farms and smaij grazing sections lately taken up on North Bank, and out of this sura there " was to be spent," m roading up to Mr Bruadbridga's gate a sum of £315. But, bo far, £5 or £10 of this sum only had gone m filling m a email gully with ti«tree. They wanted most urgently a road to get their machinery and supplies into these diggings. A lot of money had al- " ready been Bpent m prospecting and opening up this goldfield, and a lot more was going to be epent, and as the lccal body having (most unfortunately for them, the miners) jurisdiction over this portion of the gold district would do nothing for them, he considered they should at once approach the Hon. the Minister of Mines and ask him through our member to help them. There were several mining claims and rents and miner's rights fees that this riding of the road district was justly entitled to. These had been accumulating for nearly three years, but the unfortunate miner got no benefit from them. Mr J. P. Ward being asked to speak, mentioned the fact that his people were very largely interested m mining properties there, including the Omdurtnan and Lord Kitchener claims. Some time ago the Omdurman Company asked Mr 0. H. Mills, M.H.R., for his aid m obtaining a grant of £200 to make a road from the Jubilee battery to a timber reserve held by the company beyond Jackson's Creek. Mr Mills suggested asking for £500 for the road from the Wairau right m ; and this amount was applied for. It was granted, with the usual provision that the local body (the Wairau Road Board) would recommend the work as a necessary one. But, he believed, the Board replied to the Department that the work was not m the interests of the ratepayers. This was strictly correct;, for the miners were not ratepayers. Why ? Because the Board failed to do its duty. Under the Gold Duty Abolition Act, 1890, it was mandatory for the local body having jurisdiction over a gold-mining area to prepare on or before January 31st each year a roll of all mining privileges within its jurisdiction, for the purpose of assessing the same. Thus the owners of privileges became ratepayers and have a vote. Such a roll was not made out, Referenoe was made to Mr Bell's status on the Board. One person remarked that 50 or 60 persons were disfranchised. Mr Addi on spoke of correspondence he had had with the Secretary of the Board, and the Minister of Mines. He was informed that, though the holder of a miner's right, he could not vote at the last Road Board election because he was not on the Local Bodies' Valuation Roll, Mr Addison proposed "That the Hon. the Minister of Mines be asked, through Mr O. H. Mills, M.H.R , to grant sufficient money to road Top Valley from its junction with the Wairau. River to Jackson's Creek," This proposal was carried by acclamation. Mr J. Pt Ward was unanimously appointed Secretary of "The North Bank Miners' Committee, 1 ' and Messrs J. J. Addinson, E. Grey, and W. Iremonger the Committee. The following petition was then drafted :— " Top Valley, Maryborough, Mining District. sth Juno, 1900. To the Honorable J. McGowan, Minister of Mines, Wellington.— Bir, — We, the undermentioned claim owners, miners, and residents m Top Valley and its immediate neighbourhood, respectfully ask that you would' bo pleased to give instructions through the Public Works Department that a dray road from the junction of Top Valley Creek with the Wairau river, np said Top Valley Creek, as far as "Jackson's Creek" be made rh speedily as possible, as at present neither machineiy can be carted m to the Valley nor firewood down it for the numerous dredges about to etart work. Nor can the ordinary necessaries of life be got m the Valley ; save at very great inconvenience." Here follows the names of £9 miners and others, taken m the room, representing 15 dredging claims, 14 quartz claims, eight ordinary quartz claims, four ordinary alluvial claims, three sluicing claims, and five water claims, with several others to sign. It was also unanimously resolved that Mr O. H. Mills, M.E.R., be asked to take over the petition to Wellington and urge it. The question of forming a Mine™' Union for thia mining district was deferred, pending the receipt of certain information by the hon, secretary from the Thames Miners' Union. The committee were instructed to watch the interests of the mining community m respect to the North Bank estate, about passing over to the Crown. A unanimous opinion was expressed that, if certain steps were not taken by the Wairau Road Board to obtain this portion of Marlborough its legitimate share of public moneys voted annually for roads and tracks on goldfielde. so that the auriferous baok.

»cks could be opened up by tracks, is enabling prospectors to get i< = b back country during next sum- ( jr, thtn stops be taken to form a parate Road Board en bracing the ttlers and miners along the whole the North Bank.