MINE MANAGERS' CERTIFICATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 3

MINE MANAGERS' CERTIFICATES.

. TO -THE EDITOR, Sir,—ln my letter of the 12th instant, 1, pointed out that the present mine managers*, examinations require ! much theoretical, but little practical knowledge of., mining. - 7ln!||||i proof of this, I may mention the case of one of the first certificates won under the present regulations, whose holder being a professional gentleman, was easily enabled to. pass' the written examination. :As the "gentleman, was not a practical miner, the ! Miners Uniont '* of his district brought the matter I before the S??S House Oast - year, with the .result that the Mines Department was told to examine more carefully into a candidate's practical attain* roent./This case plainly shows the intention . - or 4 the ■department; to -place theory, above practice. The " Miniature Encyclopaedia," definition' of i a mine manager which « I quoted -in my letter, and which definition, I think, the Mines Department had in its mind when the examination idea was started, is takes from an American authority.n- It will be in- m structive to contrast [the American manatee - with his New Zealand confrere. . . An American manager,' who has sometime? to manage a mining concession of thousands of acres, must know how to find his latitude and longitude accurately in order to locatg •' his position, must be a practical mechanical engineer, to be able to design and superintend,the, erection of the milling plant and ' other machinery, must know how to open, a mine properly, must be able to layoff and have constructed whatever lines of railway ' he deems'; necessary 'for the -, advantageous" working of the property, and in fact must ba a " miniature." encyclopaedia. The salary attatched to a post of this sort will he front £2000 to ■'; £5000, a sum equal to the whole amount paid 'as mine managers' salaries omthe Thames at the present time. ■ - The duties of a mine manager on th» Thames are eminently of a practical natureHe spends the whole day at the mine examining the workings, and if there be not a greafa S number of .!.men employed, iis often working himself cutting timber or sharpening tools. The area of his mine is Jut 20 acres, and he is governed by board of ; directors, from.-,'; \ whom he receives frequent visits. A legal manager keeps the books of the company, and all the mine manager has to do besides .smpervising. the. mine ."is to make-out.a pay, sheet, and send away a weekly report. - i-br a mine of this class, 1 'contend that i a practical miner of local experience is wanted, and; 1 I venture to say that there are miners on this field who come under this description, be* whose education been so neglected L thai - \ a long -and severe course of study woohl be required before they could fairly.-pass; the examination. ' ■■"'',:...."' The Otago School of Mines, whose pupils we learn on the authority of the Minister »o£ Mines each cost the country £100 issues a certificate for competency in varioua professional subjects, which certificate iau recognised by the New Zealand Government as equivalent to a mine manager's. • The majority of s these Otago certificated! SS gentlemen are now employed in differentpor.4 rions of Australia; but no mention is made-of any of them managing, mines or fiilingthoseK7 positions in New Zealand for which theic examination has fitted them. .. .

■ I take it, then-, sir, that they, found itrrfco their advantage to ■ leave the country ;, whera their certificate was gained, and in doing -s» they acted sensibly, for there is no opening an', , New Zealand for men whose attainments • are.' so varied and so* valuable. As withtheOtagot' School of Mines, so will It surely ; be, with other Schools of Mines; the, students, when) once possessed of their certificates, will to a. ■ large percentage clear out; to Australia**!* elsewhere,'where -they can obtain v morexe3-. munerative employment. ; For this they«can-« ' not.be blamed.; J they have every right to advance themselves in life/ and deserve greaft.' credit for the energy and industry thevrausb employ before they can possess I certificates*' But if the result of the training necessary to obtain a certificate is ; . that it induces omrf young men to leave the country/then I submit/sir, it demonstrates emphatically how unnecessary that class iof examination is .foe . the purpose it was instituted for. Finally, I be» to I summarise-the following objections to ' the existing '< mine managers examination:— ; 1. It is founded ,on : the wrong principle that because many mine managers in America ... and elsewhere are professional * , men, that, therefore, New' Zealand mine managers should be equally accomplished. v 2. That the examination places more value on theoretical than practical knowledge/is conducted by a Board which does not con* tain one practical quartz miner, and is, - therefore, ' a . failure ;in testing r a candidate's fitness to manage men and their lives. • 3. That in no part of England, America, Australia, or .'Africa, is a system? of Government examinations for metalliferous- mine managers in vogue, and mining in -the,«s countries is infinitely greater than here. 4._ That the idea of mine managers' exam? nations has] sprung from the Mines Department, and is an attempt at self-aggrandise-merit by that institution at the expense of the mining community.—-I am, &c, Thames, .May 29,1891. J.JDrktes.