"If there were no metals, men would pass a horrible and wretched existence in the midst of wild beasts; they would feed upon the herbs and roots which they plucked up with their nails; they would dig out caves in which to lie down at night, and by day they would rove in the woods and plains at random like beasts.

An insomuch as this condition is utterly unworthy of humanity, with its splendid and glorious natural endowment, will anyone be so foolish or obstinate as not to allow that metals are necessary for food and clothing and that they tend to preserve life."

"Now I come to those critics who say that mining is not useful to the rest of mankind because forsooth, gems, metals and other mineral products are worthless in themselves.

This admission they try to extort from us, partly by arguments and examples; partly by misrepresentations and abuse of us".

'Considered as a land of use, mining is given a prominence which it probably does not deserve, and applicants for mining licences are subjected to more vigorous procedures generally than other persons utilising land or resources'

[introduction]
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[mining & other land uses]
[history of mining in New Zealand]
[mining legislation: permits & access]
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