£200 A DAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16918, 24 December 1925, Page 9

£2OO A DAY.

- - MINE-OWNER’S IN COM I

SIDELIGHTS ON COAL TRADE. LONDON, Dec. Hi. —The Duke of Northumberland, giving evidence before the Coal Commission, said that ho received £73.4.'! 1 m royalties during the year ended Scpiomber last, and received £11*1,0.! 1 net, after paying mineral lights, iiieonm lax and super tax. Quo.-l ione.l whet her he considered all unsuspected coal should eventually enrich the landowner, the Duke replied that In* saw no reason why it should not. It was the same as speculating in shares or buildings whose value fortuitously and unexpectedly soared. The mineral owners’ committee, hi- said, had intimated that royalties amounted to £(i,()(iO.,i)(!f) a year, including £21)9,000 for waylonvos (the right of passage in a private property). A discussion then arose as in whether the law of trespass should prevail ;iudei'grouiii.i, Sir Herbert .Samuel, the chairman, remarking. “Von don ’i charge vvaylea.es for an aeroplane overhead. ’ ’

A commissioner replied. “ Not vet. lull win'll a mine burrows under private properly wav-leaves an a legit i mate right.” The general secretary of the Minits’ Federal inn, Mr. A. .I. Cook, cross examining the Duke, pointed out that an income of £2-0(1 a day was equivalent to the earnings of -1-11> coalminers.

and asked, ‘‘Do you think von arc rendering the same service to the com munitv as 440 miners'?”

Dili* Duke; That 's my gross in'oomo

Mr. (took: I’m taking the miners’ gross earnings.