THE MINING INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 5

THE MINING INDUSTRY.

WEALTH OF AUCKLAND : 7 province. , "-' PROVISION roil MINERS. - ■ ;§J;: : :;;:;;;,;v;5;,V,;^ [by" Tjrt*:OßAi*ff.-— sPtcuXj <:qrbwoxi>v.st. } Waijii, Thursday, Sir iJossi'H ..Ward touched briefly upon the mining industry in an address at Waikinoythis afternoon. He said that it had ' now attained a position only second to) two others, which had to be joined together to give them first place. Ildteraag to the fact thai last year's gold returns were less by about £250,000 than the previous year, lie said that was due, not to the fact that our ore or alluvial products were ; diminishing, but to the'fact that a great many of the dredges in the - country which formerly produced considerable gold had ceased to be payable, and had stopped "operations, There . was no inrlin«if.ir«i of tlin value of the miciuc-indus-

try falling off. On the contrary, he believed that hot only for the present, but for years to come, this country would continue -to. add to its gold production", and so to the ..wealth of the Dominion as a whole. He had always felt that the great mining industry .should be assisted in every way possible :to .'.make, ''more.-.progress. and .increase in value. ■. , Sir Joseph went on ;i to pay a tribute to the very valuable work done by. the late Premier, Mr. Seddon, who ■ had never failed, to keep..the interests of the mining (.industry in the; forefront. He made reference to the recent trouble in which the coal miners at Behniston were " : involved hi connection with -a decision of the Arbitration Court-. :.■■• Next session the flaw in the clause of the Act that had caused this trouble (the bank-to-bank - /would be dealt : .with'-so, as to. give effect to -what, was intended originally. ....... i ' Speaking at Waihi in tho evening Sir ! Joseph said that though the gold exports for 1907 showed a decrease as compared with 1906 the .results for January, 1908, showed an increase of more than double the amount for January, 1907. Again, though there was this decrease for the I -whole Dominion/last year the Auckland province showed an increase of over £80,000. I All ■ our v gold mining areas were not Waihis or Karangahakes, because the .permanency of those fields did not exist in certain other portions. The Government must make' provision for miners who /would be '-affected- by .the working out of mines by making lands available for them on -which - they could end their- days in peace and happiness. (Applause.) This matter was' well in hand on -' the part, ofthe Government, and it was- a system that ought to be carried out in the- north- : ern province. . "