The Mining Industry

Thames Star, Volume XXX, Issue 9112, 5 July 1898, Page 2

The Mining Industry

(To the Editor.) Sir,—With [reference to your leading article in last evening's issue, it may interest your readers if you would kindly publish the views of Captain Hodge, who has suggested the following alterations in the Mining Bill 1 hey were read at the last meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Mines and are to be forwarded to the Government for consideration.—l air, etc, Subscriber. ! Captain Hodge's suggestions are as follows:—First; Remission of the annual license fee to every company which, though having other power in its articles of association, does not exercise those powers, on affidavit that the company will not during the ensuing 12 months so do. Second: That where freehold land within a mining district has been legitimately mined for gold by the owner, or owners, during [the preceding twelve months, aud, on proof before the Warden, by the production of certified accounts, I the owner can demand protection at the rate of one year for every £2,000 so expended, he can demand 10 years' protection- 10 years to be the limit. Third: That this principle of protection, pro rata, on the money expended, be extended to claims held under lease, with this proviso, that the amount expended annually be greater than in the case of freeholds ; thus, on proof of au expenditure of £5000, protection for one year can be claimed—the limit of pro-; tection to be %c years, the rent to be paid annually in advance. Fourth :| Any Company having expended a sum i of £5000 in bona-fide development work on a claim, shall have the right to hold for a period of at least four I

I years, one ■ machine site and water rights not exceeding 10 Government; heads of water, without the necessity of applying for renewed protection every three months. My wish for the insertion of these clauses is that companies expending large sums in legitimate mining in the colony may be on a more secure basis, and freed from thecontinualapplication to the Warden for these petty protections, and other vexatious charges that are made at every progress in mining. Also itmay happen that the capital ofj a company becomes exhausted (spent on mining operations in the colony"), and toe time may be inopportune at Home for the raising of fresh funds; security should be given that by no chance should the company's ground be forfeited, whilst bona-fide negotia* tions for reconstruction are in pro gress. Also considerable time and money must be spent in proving a property before the construction of a battery or water-race, may be warranted; surely a company that has proved its bona fides by expending £5000 has a right to a battery and

water-race, without it being left to the mercy of blackmailers, who have only taken up these sites for speculative purposes. Lastly; I would strongly advocate the abolition of the duty on machinery, it being an unjust tax on the progressive development of an in* dustry so vital in its continuance to the welfare of the colony. Could the machinery be made colonially, there might be some justification for it, but the Government itself, with its extensive workshops, has to import its! locomotives; nor is the tax in the in terest of the private machinery burins, m their butlo«M iucmm with every ton of nuciintrr Introduced." !