MINING NEWS.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 9 June 1904, Page 5

MINING NEWS.

Owing to the rise in the river last week, the whole of the gorge fleet of dredges hare temporarily suspended operations. The river is falling slowly, the height last evening being sft above the " normal" mark at the Alexandra Bridge. The return from the Molyneux Hydraulic dredge last week showed a slight improvement, and it is expected that still better returns will be obtained as the dredge works ahead. The dredge is working steadily,; and the new silt elevator, recently erected, continues to give every satisfaction The quantity cf gold exported from the colony during the month of May was 61,3250z, valued at £234,241, as compared with 45,5210z of the value of £175,253 in May of last year The Enterprise No 2 dredge resumed work last week after a stoppage for repairs. RESPONSIBILITY OF DREDGEMASTERS. In the Dunedin Supreme Oourt chamber room last Thursday, his Honor Judge Ward heard an appeal from the decision of Warden Burgess in the matter of the prosecution by Mr E R Green, Inspector of Mines, of John rough, dredgemaster, of Millers Flat, for a breach of mining regulations reating to life-saving appliances to be ised on dredges, on the ground that Tough caused or permitted the mooring inea of a dredge to be shifted without be crew of the boat engaged in shiftng the lines wearing life-belts while so mgaged...- The case stated that Tough ?as present when the boat engaged in ■ju work was despatched to shift the Hboring lines, and that he did not Eider the men in the boat to wear lifebelts, and offered no protest against their not wearing lifebelts. The case was heard in the Warden's Court, Roxburgh, and the Warden held that Toigb's duty was merely to see that lifebelts, were available, and that his duty ceased when the lifesaving appliances were there, and that the responsibility of not wearing lifebelts lay with the crew. On these grounds the information was dismissed In the appeal Mr J. F. M. Fraser appeared for the appellant and Mr Bartholomew (of Alexandra) for the respondent.' After hearing arguments, his Honor allowed the appeal on the authority of the case of Howell v Wynne (15 0.8.N.5. 3), and stated that it was quite clear that the men engaged in shifting the mooring lines were doing so under the authority of the dredgemaster and by his orders. If the men did hot wear lifebelts, it was the respondent's duty to see that they did so, and if he allowed them to proceed with the work without protest or orders to the contrary he became an accessory. The case was remitted to the Warden with instructions to convict, disbusements to be payable by the respondent. DREDGING RETURNS. The. following are the returns for the week ending.Saturday, June 4th, 1904: osdwtgm Fourteen Mile Beach ..150 7 0 Roxburgh Jubilee, Roxb'rgh, 139b 114 17 0 Cromwell No 1. Cromwell, ... 70 5 0 Sandy Feint, Alexandra, ... GO 11 0 Rise and Shine, Up'er Clufcha .„ 64 0 0 Junction Electric No 1, Cromwell 44 16 0 Golden Run, Millers Flat ... 44 11 0 Barnscleugh No 2, Alexandra 41 7 0 Hessey's Waikaia ... ... 34 12 0 Enterprise No t, Alexandra ... 33 17 0 New Alpine No 2 ... 33 7 0 Waimumu, near Gore, ... 33 2 0 Waikaka United No I, Waikaka 31 11 0 'Nugent Wood, Waikaia ... 31 12 0 Otago No 2, Beaumont ... 29 0 0 Barasclengh'Nol, Alexandra, ... 2? 8 0 Gabriel, TuapekaFlat... ... 25 10 6 Sneddon's Freehold, Waikaka ... 26 0 0 Golden Bed, Miller's Flat, 24 4 0 Upper Waipori, Waipori. ... 24 15 0 Olrig, Manuberikia, 128hrs ... 23 5 0 Golden Gate, Millers Flat, ... 22 0 0 ■perseverance No. 2, Alexandra... 20 11 0 ■MacCharlton, near Gore, ... 20'T 0 fHartley and Riley, Cromwell ... 19 0 0 ■Golden Treasure, Miller's Flat,... 19 0 0 ■Success, Waipori ... 18 6 0 BReettic No. 2, Cromwell ... 18 0 0 Earryowen, Waikaia . .. 18 0 6 ■Royal Waimumu, near Gore 18 14 0| Kucbdale,nearPaimerston, ... 17 3'C Ksland Biook, Bjaumpnt, ... 16 0 0 Waikaka, Waikaka, ... 16 3 0 Harden Gully. Waikaka 14 16 0 Hhicago, Alexandra,. . 14 0 0 Hflolyneux Hydraulic, ... 14 10 0 Ngapara No 3, Nevis, ... 13 17 0 Revival,.UpperOlutha • .. 13 6 0 Mystery Flat, Waikaia, ... 12 0 0 Happy Valley. Tuapeka. wk 12 0 0 Lady Roxburgh; Roxburgh : ... 12 0 0 •Central Matanra, Mataura, ... . l\, 2 0 Rise and Shine No 2 Cromwell IT 10 0. New Golden Beapb, Alexandra II 0 0 Otago. Miller's Flat, .. 19 10 0 Lawrence, Tuapeka Flat, ... S 9 0 Muddy Creek, Waikaia, wk ... 7 4 0 Total 1385 5 0