PART THREE OF A TRANSCRIPTION OF PRESS REPORT OF TESTIMONY BEFORE THE ROYAL COMMISSION INTO GOLD MINING, TARNAGULLA 14 MARCH 1890 This third posting contains the testimony of H. Joyce Trevor Williams 10th October 2005 From The Tarnagulla and Llanelly Courier March 22, 1890 THE GOLD MINING COMMISSION (Continued) "Mr H. Joyce stated that he agreed with the most of the evidence of the last witness, but he did not think the abolishing of the mining board, and giving their powers to the municipal bodies would be any improvement on the present system. Represented this place in the district mining board for upwards of 20 years without a break, and during that time had many occasions to report against the alienation of auriferous lands, and frequently had modifications of surveys and marking of selections so that known reefs were still kept available for mining. He would advocate the alteration of the law so that mining board members would be elected from the Parliamentary rolls, and extending the powers of the board. The supervision of money spent under the prospecting vote was very lax, and this could be done by mining board members if they were authorised to do it with some advantage to the State. There were many other ways in which the board could be made more useful to the mining interest. In addition to the duties they now have they could also report on the labor covenants of mining leases. There is not much shepherding of leases in this locality at present, as work was being done on most of them now held. There is plenty of timber available for mining in this neighborhood, but it is getting thinned out owing to so much taken away by rail to other places for props and fuel. Believe that plans should be kept by all companies or parties carrying on extensive operations, and that tracing copies should be filed in the mining department as records and for future reference. Believe that the prospecting vote has done a great deal of good in assisting companies to carry on deep and expensive prospecting works. Think that the Yorkshire Co. and the Prince of Wales Co. would have stopped work three years ago only for the assistance given from the work three years ago only for the assistance given from the vote. Both companies are doing good prospecting work by sinking deep shafts and crosscutting at various levels, payable quartz may be found by one or both of these companies any day. Was opposed to the free or unconditional grants of money to mining companies or others, except in very urgent cases as occurred in the Duke Co. or the old Inglewood Lead. Once introduced such a system would have to float a loan to keep pace with the demands. Believed that those who stood to benefit by the expenditure of the government assistance should contribute fairly to the cost of the undertaking. Am averse to leasing old ground for orchards or vineyards, more especially on nuggetty ground. In July last year a nugget weighing 461 oz. was found here in and old worked out gully, the nugget laying in a piece of solid ground not more than three feet square. To be continued.. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The fourth instalment comprises the testimonies of D.J. Duggan, Esq., Mayor of Tarnagulla, and Mr Mitten, President of the Bet Bet Shire. It will be posted within a few hours.