GOLDFIELDS AND MINES COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF). (Mr. T. W. RHODES, Chairman.)

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1920 Session I, I-04

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1920. NEW ZEALAND

GOLDFIELDS AND MINES COMMITTEE (REPORTS OF). (Mr. T. W. RHODES, Chairman.)

Presented to the House of Representatives , and ordered to be printed.

ORDERS OF REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Wednesday, the 14th Day of July, 1920. Ordered, " That Standiirg Order No. 219 be suspended, and that a Goldlields and Mines Committee be appoirrted, consisting of twelve members, to whom shall be referred all matters relating to mining and all Bills relating to mines ; with power to call for persons and papers ; three to be a quorum : the Committee to corrsist of Mr. Bollard, Mr. J. McC. Dickson, Mr. Edie, Mr. A. Hamilton, Mr. Holland, Mr. Horn, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Poland, Mr. Reed, Mr. T. W. Rhodes, Mr. Seddon, and tho mover." —(Right Hon. Mr. Massey.) Ordered, " That the Coal-mines Amendment Bill be referred to the Goldfields and Mines Committee for report."— (Mr. Holland.) Tuesday, the 20th Day of July, 1920. Ordered, "That all petitions not finally dealt with during the session of 1919 be again referred to tho same Committees as they were referred to during the said session." —(Right Hon. Mr. Masshv.) Wednesday, the 21st Day of July, 1920. Ordered, "That the Mining Amendment Bill be referred to the Goldlields and Mirres Committee."—(Mr. Parky.) Thursday, the 2nd Day of September, 1920. Ordered, '' That the names of Mr. Parry and Mr. Potter be added to the Goldlields and Mines Committee."— (Right Hon. Mr. Massey.

INDEX.

No. Subject. Page. Axial Water-feed Drill (resolution on) 2 Coal-mines Amendment Bill (Mr. Holland) Coal-mines Amendment Bill (No. 2) .. 2 2 312 Donnelly, T.C., and 26 others 3 Final report 3 311 Gay, William, and 21 others.. 3 MaoDonald, Hon. W. I). 8., M.P., the late (vote of condolence) Mining Amendment Bill (Mr. Parry) .. Mining Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2 2 2

No. Subject. Page. 313 Parker, John, and 131 others Parliamentary Paper No. 257 C (Amending Regulations under the Mining Act, 1908—Amendment of Second Schedule, Regulation 33) Parliamentary Paper No. 258 C (Additional and Amended Regulations under the Mining Act, 1908) 3 3 3 314 Smith, James, and 11 others Special report (re Chairman) 3 3 249/19 Vcrrall, James 2 330 Weaver, Charles, and 37 others 3

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BE PORTS. Special Report: The late Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald. I am directed to report that this Committee, of which the late Hon. William Donald Stuart Mac Donald, M.P., was for many years a valued member, both as a private member of the House and also for some time as Minister of Mines, desires to tender to his family its most sincere sympathy with them in their sad bereavement ; and further desires that this resolution shall be recorded in the minutes of this Committee and reported to the House, and that the Clerk be directed to prepare a copy to be forwarded to the late Hon. Mr. Mac Donald's family. Bth September, 1920.,

No. 249 of 1919. —Petition of James Vbrrall, of Auckland. Praying that he may be rewarded for the, finding of the first gold in the Ohinemuri goldlields. 1 am. directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee the petition should be referred to the Covernment for favourable consideration, with a recommendation that a grant of a compassionate allowance should be made to petitioner. Bth September, 1920.

Coal-mines Amendment Bill. The Goldlields ami Mines Committee, to which was referred the Coal-mines Amendment Pill, having carefully considered the same, has the honour to report that it recommends that the Bill be allowed to proceed, with the amendments shown on the copy attached hereto, and that counsels' addresses and the opinions of the Solicitor-General and the Crown Solicitor attached to the report of this Committee on the Mining Amendment Bill be printed. 15th October, 1920.

Mining Amendment Bill. The Goldlields and Mines Committee, to which was referred the Mining Amendment Bill, has the honour to report that, having carefully considered the same, it recommends that it be allowed to proceed, with the amendment shown on the copy attached hereto, and that counsels' addresses and the opinions of the Solicitor-General and the Crown Solicitor attached be printed. 15th October, 192(1.

Special Report : Failure of Mining Companies to install the Axial Water-eeed Drill. 1 am directed to report that, in view of the fact that the companies are responsible for the failure to carry out the provisions of section 7, subsection (2), of the Mining Amendment Act, 1919, the Committee is of opinion that the mine-owners should pay the miners' wages for the time they have been idle in cases where the men ceased work for the purpose of securing compliance with the requirements of the Act. 21st October, 1920.

Mining Amendment Bill (No. 2). The Goldhelds and Mines Committee, to which was referred the Mining Amendment Bill (No. 2), Iras the honour to report that, having carefully considered the same, it recommends that it be allowed to proceed, with the amendments shown on the copy attached hereto. 21st October, 1920.

Coal-mines Amendment Bill (No. 2). The Goldfields and Mines Committee, to which was referred the Coal-mines Amendment Bill (No. 2), has the honour to report that, having carefully considered the same, it recommends that it be allowed to proceed, with the amendments shown on the copy attached hereto. 25th October, 1920.

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No. all. —Petition of William Gay and 21 Others, of Cambrian (and 4 similar Petitions, as per Schedule attached). Praying for compensation for losses sustained through the restriction on sale of gold in the opeir market during the war period. I am directed to report that in the opinion of the Committee the petitions should be referred to the Government for favourable consideration. The Committee desires to point out that during recent years no other industry was so hard hit as gold-mining, the commodity being, in the interests of the Empire anil at the request of the Imperial Government, prohibited from export, with the result that a loss, based upon the world market price, of fully 20s. per ounce was sustained by gold-miners. Furthermore, the Committee desires to point out that soheelite-miiicrs were permitted by the Imperial authorities to export scheelite during the same period. 26th October, 1920. Schedule. No. 312, —T. C. Donnelly and 2(j others. No. 314. —James Smith and 1.1 others. No. 313. —John Parker and 131 others. No. 330. —C. Weaver and 37 others.

Paper 257 C (Amending Regulations under the Mining Act, 1908 —Amendment of Second Schedule, Regulation .'53); and Paper 258 C (Additional and Amended Regulations under the MiningAct, 1908). The Goldlields and Mines Committee has the honour to report that, having given careful consideration to the above regulations, referred to it by your honourable House, it has not any amendments to suggest. The Committee therefore recommends that the said regulations be approved. 26th October, 1920.

Final Report. I have the honour to report that the Goldflelds and Mines Committee, consisting of fourteen members, has during the session held nine meetings. Four Bills —namely, tire Mining Amendment Bill, the Coal-mines Amendment Bill, the Mining Amendment Bill (No. 2), and the Coalmines Amendment Bill (No. 2) —were considered by the Committee, evidence taken, and the Bills reported to the House. Six petitions and two parliamentary papers (Nos. 257 C and 258 C) were also reported on in three reports. 29th October, 1920.

Special Report (re Chairman). 1 have the honour to report that the Goldfields and Mines Committee desires to place on record its high appreciation of the tact, courtesy, and ability displayed by the Chairman, Mr. T. W. Rhodes, in the conduct of lire business of the Committee throughout this session; and further desires that this resolution shall be recorded on the minutes of the Committee and be reported to the House. H. Poland, 30th October, 1920. Member of Committee.

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