MINER'S RIGHTS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 15 August 1881, Page 2

MINER'S RIGHTS.

[to the editor inangahtta times.] g IB , — T. had a visit the other day from a gentleman who wished to know whether I was possessed of a nrner's right, and who on being informed that [ was nnt. told me I had better get one or I should be compelled to do so. Now, sir, as lam not mining at present. 1 should like to know whether in order to be able to keep the miserable bit of Crown Lands on which my hut stands I am compelled to pay £1 a year, and by whose authority does this gentleman make this demand ? Is he appointed by the County or General Government ? Miner's rights are issued by the General Government, and I presume they appointed him, as I cannot see what right the County has to interfere in the matter. I may state that for the last sixteen years on this coast, I bad one or two miner's rights in force until this year, when I am not engaged in mining or holding mining interest. We hear a lot of clap-trap from men who never contrN bute towards this source of revenue, that miners don't feel this and the other thing, — they don't feel a £1 a year for miner's right, they don't feel the 2$ per ounce duty on gold, in addition to the duly paid on articles of consumption, local taxation, charitable aid, &c. We are told that where miners are working for wages tor companies, the duty on gold don't effect them at all. They may as well tell us that the importer pays the tariff because they pay it directly— we are not supposed to know any different. The Weekly Argus of the sth instant, contains a coarse arfie'e copied from Hie JDunediu Star, commenting in impertinent

languige upon some of the goldfields members, because they are endeavouring by the abolition of the gold duty and other meanurcs to equalise taxation on ihe laboring classes throughout the colony. There is no body can say, after 17 years experience in this colony, that mineis are better paid than any other laboring class, why then continue to impose the additional taxation. They have submitted without a tnumur rip to tbe present to this imposition of sora? cf ihcir fellow colonis's. It is not in their nature to make h poor mouth and cry on* for assistance frora the Government the sime as they do in wh t is termed the settled districts — they would nther leave the rol.ir.y. ami that i* j ist what they are doing, everyone of them who can ruse the money to do so. The «e'tlerl disiric's wiil wake up to this fact perhaps when it is too late -they nnnnot replace these men by their n.w cliura paupers. We have helfje-i to construct railways from their ports to their farms, but when we ask for assistance to make roads to carry their produce to our m-irkrts we are told we must tax ourselves — the gold duty must not be abolished because it is spent for the benefit of the individual miner, as i' | forsooth the farmers and others in other parts of the colony and people following other occupations on the goldfields are Dot benefited by the construction of roads and other necessary works. Our produce is light of carriage, it costs little or nothing to carry it to market, although we labor as hard to get it as the farmer does to get Ins, but it is the farmers produce that wants the expenditure of public money to bring it to market. Now, sir, in my opinion we have too much Local Government in this colony. What we on this coast want is Central Government, so that the Government could do equal justice to all parts of the coast — they have to maintain a si a*? of engineers and surveyors here &t present, who with very little assistance could do all the work of the County, and the money being expended by the County in salaries, &c, would be available for public works. A resident engineer nnd clerk with a small staff would do all the work of the County easily, and save us all the trouble and expense of County elections. I feel that the majority of the ratepayers in this and the Grey County are ready for a change as indicated above, and it will take very little to mike them petition Parliament on the matter. All that is wanted is to make a move by calling a public meeting in Reefton, and I feel sure tbe Grey Valley will cotoperafe with us. In conclusion, I hope that while hunting miners up for miner's rights they will not make fish of one and flesh of another, but I can see this is going to be the case, as the rights are demanded for the ground on which the house or hut stands, and where there are more then one in a hut they can hardly compel them all to have a right for the same ground. Neither can they get at miners living on land alienated from tbe Crown or boarding in private or public houses, although they have as much right to pay it as a man occupying a small hut and a bit of Crown Lands. Trusting you will insert the above Id your valuable journal. — I am, &c., A Mines. Eeefton, August 7th, 1881.