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GOLD MINING LABOUR
CONDITIONS.
To TSE EDITOR.
SIR,-The speech delivered at Banbury
by Sir John Forrest recently is no doubt
admirable, both as a whole and in respect
of. well-nigh every detail. Tot at one fre-
quent question the Premier allied. Every-
body has been, since the expiration of the
Christmas exemptions, on the tiptoe of ex-
pectation touching the Government's in-
tentions as to the enforcement of thc
labour covenants in gold mining leases.
Sir John Forrest informed the people of
Bunbury that the question would remaiv.
open until the representatives of the min-
ing districts in the Assembly, shortly to be ;
elected, had expounded their views on the
subject. When the new Parliament will
meet is matter for doubt, but at any rate ,
it will not do anything of importance until '
the return of the Premier from England, 1
and in the meantime the policy of the ¡
Government concerning the most urgent
of all matters political will be unknown,
and with doubt and uncertainty surround-
ing tile mining industry the condition of
the country must grow " stumpier " eve;y
day. What might have been said by the '
Premier Minister to ameliorate the situa- i
tion seems to me plain. It is no use
turning off one set of leaseholders for
breach of the labour covenants, merely to j
put on another set equally disinclined, or
equally unable through lack of capital, to
carry on vigorously the exploitation of the
mines. The Government might then fit- <
tingly declare that it would not of its own
notion forfeit any leases for nonfulfilment
of the labour conditions, but would forfeit
when an applicant proved before a Warden ;
not only that theóonditions were unfulfilled
by the holder of th« lease, but also that be '?
(tile applicant for forfeiture) had the j
means and the full intention to carry ont
the terms of the lease in their entirety..
This method of action has been followed
for several years past ia Victoria, and the j
results have been quite satisfactory. It
has prevented the improper holding of
valuable ground, while it has likewise pro-
tected holders, temporarily unable to em-
ploy the stipulated number of men, from
the numerous class of speculative «hep- !
herders that infeste alf gold nuning
I district*.
-Yours, «ta,
i VICTÜIUAK. I
I Perth, March 25, !
$