Mertons settled all arguments and pronounced the Edwards Duplex as being the most suitable furnace for the Kalgoorlie sulphide ores, following this example. As showing the enormous strides during the last twelve years that have been made in the roasting practice one can only picture the small reverberatory on the Lake View and the up-to-date plants working at the present day and whilst the industry of W.A. has reaped the benefit of all the work done by the engineers and metallurgists in this line, it may not be out of place to mention that at Cripple Creek, in America, where telluride ore was known to exist at a much earlier date than the Golden Mile, the method of treatment adopted was the smelting of the rich product only. That field has now adopted the Kalgoorlie method of treatment and not only can the mines be worked at a greater profit but dumps that were in the smelting time useless have now been treated and yielded very large profit to the owners. At the present time there are working on the Golden Mile : The Gt. Boulder G.M.-12 Edwards simplex; 8 Mertons; 2 Edwards duplex; roasting 17,800 tons sulphide ore per month. Gt. Boulder Perseverance.-6 Holtoff-Wethey, altered to Edwards duplex; roasting 18,000 tons sulphide ore per month. The Kalgurli G.M.-9 Edwards simplex, and 4 Edwards duplex roasting 10,700 tons sulphide ore per month. The Associated G.M.-17 Mertons; I Edwards Associated Northern.-6 Mertons, roasting 3,600 Kalgoorlie Gold Recovery Co., Ltd.-1 Edwards simplex and I Edwards duplex roasting 500 tons sulphide ore per month. Chaffers G.M. 4 Edwards duplex roasting 2,000 tons sulphide ore per month. Golden Horseshoe.-3 Edwards duplex roasting 1,800 tons concentrates per month. The Ivanhoe.-5 Edwards simplex roasting 1,800 tons concentrates per month. The Oroya-Brownhill.-3 Mertons roasting 900 tons concentrates per month. Lake View Consols.-3 Edwards simplex, roasting 1,100 tons concentrates per month. Hainault.—1 Edwards simplex, roasting 300 tons concentrates per month. Making a total for the Golden Mile of 73,000 tons of crude ore each month, and 5,900 tons concentrates, a record for any part of the world, and, considering the high cost of material, the costs and extraction have not yet been equalled by any other mining centre. Goldfield. Kimberley 1909. Fine oz. 169 Fine oz. 26,781 54,577 1,432,968 Sovereigns. Half Sovereigns Bullion. Total. THE MINES REGULATION ACT, 1906. A DIGEST. (BY THOS. MAUGHAN *) T. Maughan, General Secretary Chamber of Mines. The West Australian laws relating to the tenure of mining property and to the conditions under which mining for gold or other minerals may be carried on within the State, were consolidated in the Mining Act of 1904. In like manner, the " Mines Regulation Act, 1906," is, to a very large extent, a consolidation of the several enactments governing the practical working of mines. This Act is intended to provide for the efficient control and supervision of mining operations, with special regard for the health and safety of the persons engaged therein. The Act came into force throughout the portion of the State south of the 24th. parallel of latitude on the 1st. June, 1907, and throughout the remainder of the State on the 1st. July, 1907; it repealed the Mines Regulation Act, 1895, and Amendment Acts of 1899 and 1904, as well as the Sunday Labour in Mines Act, 1899. Many of the provisions of the Act and Regulations thereunder are applicable only to the large and deep mines operating on an extensive scale, and Section 4 (2) gives the Governor power to suspend the Act or any portion of it, in respect of any mine or class of mines for such period and under such conditions as he may think fit. Except where expressly mentioned, coal mines are exempt from the operation of the Act. Though mainly a consolidating measure, the 1906 Act introduced several important new features, and the present article will be devoted more especially to an examination of these innovations. INTERPRETATION.-The undermentioned new or amended definitions are worthy of notice:"AGENT," when used in connection with the word MINING," or "to mine" means to disturb, remove, cart, carry, wash, sift, melt, refine, crush, or otherwise deal with any rock, stone quartz, clay, sand, soil, or mineral by any mode or method whatsoever for the purpose of obtaining gold or any other mineral therefrom. "SHAFT" includes any winze which, in the opinion of an Inspector, is used as a principal shaft. The definition of " OWNER," when used in relation to any mine to which this Act applies, includes a contractor or tributor working therein. When, therefore, any mine is being worked solely by a contractor of tributor employing men, he may for the time being be regarded as the owner responsible for the supervision and management of the mine. Clause I of the Regulations prescribes the manner in which devolution of the whole or portion of the registered manager's responsibilities may be effected under tribute agreements. ADMINISTRATION. The Act is administered by the Minister for Mines (the responsible Minister of the Crown holding office for the time being as head of the Department of Mines) assisted by a Secretary for Mines, a State mining engineer, Government geologist, analyst, inspector of explosives, mining registrars, and an inspectorial staff possessing wide powers. All proceedings for offences under the Act must be taken by an Inspector of Mines or other officer authorised by the Minister; such proceedings must be commenced within six months of the commission of the offence, and be heard before the Warden or Resident Magistrate of the district in which the offence is alleged to have occurred. INSPECTION OF MINES.-Sections 5 to 17 of the Act relate to the appointment of Inspectors and to their duties and qualifications. Inspectors appointed under the Act must be fit and proper persons who have had not less than five years' practical experience underground and have passed the examination prescribed by the Minister. The Inspectors are under the control of such person as the Minister may from time to time appoint (at present the State Mining Engineer). An Inspector is empowered inter alia to see that the provisions of the Act are complied with; to enter and examine any mine and every part of it at all times by day or night; to enquire into the state of any mine and of all matters relating to the well-being of the persons employed therein; to initiate and conduct prosecutions for offences under the Act; to enquire into accidents, attend inquests, obtain written statements and examine witnesses, and generally to exercise such other powers as are necessary for carrying the Act into effect. An Inspector is liable to heavy penalties if he divulges information obtained in the exercise of his official duties, or becomes directly or indirectly interested as a shareholder or otherwise in any mine. Every owner, agent, or manager of a mine, or any person who obstructs an Inspector in the exercise of his duty is also liable to severe penalty. After every inspection the Inspector is required to enter a record of same in a book kept at the mine for that purpose, such book to be open at all reasonable times |