THE MINING ACT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2009, 25 August 1892, Page 14

THE MINING ACT.

A public meeting was held at Naseby on the evening of the l'Mi to consi<ler the proposed amendment of the Jlininff Art, and the following motions were can id.— "That vvhilu this meeting is of opinion that water rights should bo resumed where the public interests demand such 2 courts being puvtued, it is yet of opinion that fc.jeh rights hkould only be returned on tkepayr.ierit of adequate coxnper c "' r 'on i to be ascertained in

the usual way ; and that this meeting is further of opinion that, as in the near future the present sources of the revenue of local bodies may be con siderably curtailed, it is expedient that any compensation to water race owners should be paid out of the consolidated revenue." — "That this meeting, while recognising that there is a selfelected body known as the Mount Ida Miners' Association, wishes it to be known that it does not represent the views or opinions of the Mount Ida mining district ; that the executive of the association is self-appointed ; that the said executive does not nor has ever enjoyed the confidence of the menbers of the association ; that the members of the association are composed almost solely of the business and trading people of the community, who are not permitted to vote at meetings of the association unless they are bona fide miners, but who at the same time -contribute the bulk of the funds of the association, and yet are without voice in the conduct of the business, which is transacted by an executive of a few biassed persons who have nothing to lose but everything to gain ; that this meeting has no confidence in the Mount Ida Miners' Association as at present constituted, aud censures its approval of section 3 of the proposed Mining Act Amendment Bill." "That copies of the foregoing resolutions be telegraphed to the Hon. the Minister for Mines and the member for the district." After the first resolution had been proposed Mr A. M'G. Brown, secretary of the Mount Ida Miners' Association, pointed out that nearly all present were business men— journalists, lawyers, butchers, water race managers— and hardly -a single miner.