Report of the Non-Ferrous Mining Coonmittee. 245 



ex])lorations should be carried out specially in localities where the 

 sill is either immediately above or immediately below an important 

 limestone, with a view to testing the validity of the two lines of 

 contradictory argument as above set forth. 



With regard to practical and administrative matters the Committee 

 have dealt with many points, such as mineral leases, wayleaves, 

 easements, the incidence of taxation, royalties, wages, State aid, 

 and mine regulations in general. This is not the place to discuss 

 any of these in detail, but it is permissible to say a few words as to 

 what is in some ways the most important recommendation of the 

 Committee, namely the constitution on a permanent footing of a 

 Mines Department ; it is suggested that the existing Mineral 

 Resources Development Branch of the Board of Trade should be 

 expanded and furnished with a suitable technical staff, including 

 mining engineers and mining geologists, with a view to its ultimately 

 forming a sub-department for metalliferous mining of a new Mines 

 Department under the control of a minister. This is a most 

 important recommendation, and it is highly desirable that it should 

 be carried out at once. We have already more than once drawn 

 attention to the existing overlapping of duties, waste of time and 

 expense that will arise from the present multiplicity of authorities 

 controlling the mining industry of the British Isles, and we look 

 forward with confidence to the time when all of these will be 

 centralized and co-ordinated into one organization adapted to the 

 needs and potentialities of this great industry. 



