MINING OF GOLD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21875, 10 August 1934, Page 13

MINING OF GOLD

AMENDING BILL REVISION OF PRESENT LAW MAKING SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS PROSPECTING AND DREDGING [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON. Timrsday The revision, amendment, clarification and consolidation of the existing laws relating to goldmining in New Zealand are proposed in the Mining Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives bv Governor-General's Message to-day and read a first time and second time pro forma, and referred to the Mines Committee. The bill is a most comprehensive measure designed primarily to remove anomalies in the present law and to facilitate the development ot the industry in the Dominion.

There has been no provision in the existing law empowering entry on lands for geological or geophysical surveys, although such powers have existed for ordinary land surveys and engineering surveys. The bill gives the necessary power to any authorised person to carry out such work. Compensation is also provided for the owner for damage done. Protecting State Interests

It has been found in practice that when geological or geophysical surveys are being made, the surveyors are followed by people, who immediately peg out all the ground being surveyed and apply to the Warden's Court for mining rights. As the undertaking of such surveys costs the Government a great deal, a clause has been designed to give the State the opportunity of protecting its interests by requiring the consent of the Minister to the granting of mining rights over land which has involved survey expenses. Under the existing law, the maximum area which may be taken up under a prospecting licence is 100 acres. It has been found that this area is unduly small, particularly in view of mining developments by firms with substantial capital. There is nothing in the present law to prevent individuals from pegging-out a large number of contiguous 100-acre blocks, but the applicants in such cases are put to unnecessary ex|x;nsc. Thus a clause in the bill provides for an increase in the maximum area for an ordinary prospecting licence to 1000 acres. In future, a substantial deposit will be required from a licensee to ensure the fulfilment of his licence conditions Transfers of Licences Another clause stipulates that transfers of licences mu&t not be made without the written consent of the Minister. As practically all the gold-bearing rivers in New Zealand have been dredged once or twice, and as the capital cost of a modern dredge capable of recovering gold which has been missed by dredges in the past is so heavy, it is proposed that the maximum length of a dredging claim on a, river should be substantially extended. in accordance with this, the bill increases the maximum length of such a claim from three miles to 16 miles and the maximum area from 7b acres to 600 acres.

The Department of Lands has for many years been very concerned over the granting of site licences on Crowu land strips bordering coasts and streams, as it has considered that public interest has not been properly protected. It is not now considered that any restrictions should be placed on the mining of these reserves, nor is it, thought that machine-site licences od such areas should be restricted in any way. It is held, however, that more control should be exercised over the granting of business-site licences aiW resident-site licences on these lambs and therefore the that no such licence should be granted without the consent in writing of the Minister, and to such terms and conditions as lie may impose. Amalgamation ol Claims

As the law stands at present in regard to the amalgamation of claims, there is some doubt whether a rental on an amalgamated claim should be computed at the same rate as was being paid cumulatively before amalgamation, or whether it should be computed on the basis of a new licence. The position is that rental on claims is at the rate of 2s 6d an acre for the first year, 5s for the second year and 7s 6d for the third year. If, after the expiry of three years, several claims on which a rental is charged at 7s 6d are amalgamated, it has been deemed most unreasonable that the rental should begin at the rate of 2s 6d. This anomaly is removed by the bill.

Another section requires the rental on a renewed licence to be paid at the same rate as that paid on the original licence at the date of expiry.

The present Mining Act provides for the abandonment of a dredging claim if, for a continuous period of more than two years, a suitable dredge is not working or in course of construction on the claim or in the vicinity. It has been shown to the Department that in some cases it is necessary that modern dredges should be built in England, which is, of course, remote from the area to be dredged. A period of two years might not be sufficient for the construction, transportation and reerection in New Zealand. In future, the Minister will be empowered to approve an extension of the period before a claim is deemed to be abandoned. Work on Inclined Shafts With regard to the acknowledged danger to men working on inclined shafts, the bill requires that in cases where material is hauled up an inclined plane exceeding 100 ft. in length in which any person is working during driving operations, the winding enginedriver shall be the holder of a seconddriver's certificate or a special permit issued by the inspector of mines after tests.

In accordance with the recommendations of the National Expenditure Commission, fees payable by certain applicants for certificates under the Mining Act have been brought more into line with those pavable under the Coal Mines Act.

Another section of the Mining Art provides that the holder of n mining privilege who proposes to put down a bore shall furnish certain particulars. Although many option holders have made a practice of boring, there is no provision in the Act reouiring them to furnish the required'information. The present bill is designed to cover this undesirable situation. The Mining Amendment Act of 1927 provides that under certain conditions a mine having underground workings shall have at least two separate and distinct outlets communicating with each other. Consideration of the position at the Mahakipawa mine, where danger is said to exist because of water in adjacent old workings, has left some doubt whether the insnector is entitled to require n second outlet. Such flnrcrerniis conditions are specially Provided for in a section of the 1926 Mining Act, and a section of the present bill is intended to clarify the position.