GOLD MINING

Southland Times, Issue 21220, 22 October 1930, Page 5

GOLD MINING

KAWARAU AMALGAMATION BILL. AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED SY COMMITTEE. (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, October 21. Amendments have been suggested to the Kawarau' Gold Mining Amalgamation Bill by the Goldfields and Mines Committee of the House of Representatives which reported to the House to-day that it had heard evidence and had carefully considered the provisions of the Bill and recommended that it be allowed to proceed as amended.

According to the deed drawn up between the Government and the parents company on October 23, 1926, the company was required to deposit £lO,OOO with the Public Trustee upon trust for the purpose of satisfying all claims arising in connection with the collapse of the dam. and the* committee recommends that the Minister of Mines be given power to release any part of this money for the purpose of paying and discharging debts and liabilities incurred or to be incurred by the parent company (including any liability to pay or transfer any part of the money and interest to the amalgamated company). There is a proviso that not more than £6,000 be paid until three months after the Act has been passed and that within that period £4,000 shall be available to satisfy claims for damages, compensation or any other relief in respect of the use of the dam. The committee further recommends that it shall not be lawful for the dam to be used for mining operations unless the holder of the license for the dam has deposited £lO,OOO with the Public Trustee, but with the consent of the Minister of Public Works the holder of the license may without depositing this amount use the dam for experimental purposes or generally for the purpose of investigating the practicability of mining the river. It is also suggested that the Minister of Public Works be given the power to impose any further conditions as he thinks necessary when granting the transfer of the license and the amalgamated company shall not be entitled to close or open the dam or any other dam it may construct, except as permitted by a special board constituted by Order-in-Council. The committee also recommends that- the licensee may be required to vest the piers and superstructure of the dam in the Crown upon the expiration of the license.