MINING LAWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22224, 26 September 1935, Page 13

MINING LAWS

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ' TIMBER CUTTING PRIVILEGES WAIHOU RIVER POLICY

[BY TELEGRAPH— SPECIAL REPORTER 1 WELLINGTON, Wednesday

Some important amendments to the Mining Act arc contained in a bill introduced by Governor-General's Message in the House of Representatives to-day. One of theso ensures that tho privilege of cutting timber without tho payment of royalty, which is conferred on the holder of a miner's right, shall not be available to corporate bodies, and another will bring the maximum area of a dredging claim on a river course into line with the maximum area for other dredging claims.

The bill provides that notices of appeals from decisions of wardens' courts must be given within seven days and consequential clauses arc designed to clarify the position in regard to appeals.

In explaining the section relating to forest cutting, the Minister of Mines, Hon. C. E. Macmillan, said tho Forestry Department had recently taken notion against Blackwater Mines, Limited, to recover a large sum in respect ol? royalties on timber used by the company. The department won the case in the Warden's Court, but the Court of Appeal reversed the decision. The main bilsis for the verdict was the right vested in the holder of a miner's right under section 66F of the Mining Act, 1026. Intention of the Act A review of mining policy over tho Inst 70 years disclosed that at 110 time was it intended that powerful companies should bo able to avail themselves of miners' privileges to the extent of using many of feet ol: timber without payment, continued Mir. Macmillan. The Commissioner of State Forests had made very strong representations that the existing law should be amended to ensure that the privilege of cutting timber without royalty payment should not bo available to corporate bodies, but there was no intention in the bill to affect the existing rights of individual miners, partnerships or syndicates. Section 88 of the Mining Act provides that 110 claim shall extend along or comprise more than one mile of the course of a stream, except that in a dredging claim this limit may be extended up to 16 miles, provided the total area does not exceed 600 acres, it was almost impossible, said the Minister, for any dredging claim of an area from 600 to 1(XK) acres to be pegged out> particularly 011 tho West Coast, without including courses of small streams of over one mile in length. The bill, therefore, would bring the maximum area of a dredging claim 011 a river course into line with the maximum area for other dredgixig claims, providing a limit of 1000 acres instead of 600. * Hauraki District Interests

Petitions had been submitted to the House requesting tho cancellation of the proclamation of the Upper Waihou River as a sludge channel. Interests other than mining would be safeguarded by tho imposition of conditions on future mining privileges in the Hauraki mining district to prevent undue pollution of the river.

The most satisfactory way to give effect to this policy would be to impose special conditions on machine site licences, said the Minister, but as these were granted outright by the warden it was considered necessary that all applications for licences in future should be submitted for the consent of tlfe Minister, so that conditions might be inserted. Part of the bill will achieve this object.

After explaining the bill, Mr. Macmillan said he intended to ask for a second reading pro forma and for the bill to be referred to the Mines Committee.

Mr. A. M. Samuel (Independent— Thames) said lie would be satisfied as long as the bill was referred to the committee. It was an important matter alfecting an important industry, and he wati sure that members of the committee would have ample opportunity for scrutinising the proposals and seeing that they did not adversely affect the industry. The bill was read a second time pro forma, but at the direction of the Speaker was referred in the first place to the Lands Committee, as its provisions had a bearing on Crown lands. Later, it was stated, it would go to the Mines Committee.

FORMER RAILWAYMEN COMPULSORY RETIREMENTS FULL SUF'ERANNUATION URGED [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER! WELLINGTON, Wednesday A. request that railway servants who had been compulsorily retired on the completion of 30 years' service should receive the full amount of superannuation was made in a petition presented to the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. W. Nash (Labour —Hutt) on hahalf of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Before the passing of the Finance Act, 1931, railway servants were entitled on retiring to a superannuation of one-sixtieth of their wages for every year of service, but those who were retired at the end of 30 years did not receive the full thirty-sixtieths. This, it was claimed in the petition, constituted a breach of contract and imposed a distinct hardship on the particular class of railway servants to whom it applied. The petition was referred to the A to L Committee.

WELFARE OF MAORIS RELIEF AND HOUSING S [BIT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Maori unemployment relief, which is administered by the Native Department, gave employment last year to 2635, states the department's annual report. The expenditure was £49,917. Supervision carried out by the department's field staff had imposed a heavy sixain on its personnel.

Considerable attention was given to Maori housing, where there were large native populations, the Departments of Health and Public Works co-operating, and much help being given by local authorities. It is hoped, states tho report, to take steps in the near future to improve the housing and social conditions of the Maori people, even though it should not be possible to provide a complete remedy. Sales of native land to individuals during the year totalled 4693 acres, and 27,076 acres were leased. The estimated area of native lands still owned by Maoris in the North Island is 3,851,000 acres.