WARDEN’S COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 January 1933, Page 12

WARDEN’S COURT

SITTING AT REEFTON. I j■ ! V [OUR own correspondent.] REEFTON, January 27. At a sitting of the Warden’s Court the following cases were heard: Applications: Matthew Loubere, for ordinary prospecting licence-. —Granted. G. G. McAlpine, for ordinary prospecting licence.—Granted. G. G. McAlpine, for special site licence. - Granted. W. Power, T. Fensom and W. D. Lawn for ordinary prospecting licence. —Granted. E. F. Rollerson, A. Magee, for ordinary prospecting licence. —Granted. A. G. Wills, for ordinary prospecting licence —Adjourned. H. B. Jane and E. A. Provis, for residence site licence. —Adjourned. J. F. McNamara, for .ordinary prospecting licence. —Granted. Snowy River Sluicing Company, for dam licence. —Granted. Spencer Taylor, for ordinary prospecting licence. —Granted.

Suits: James Comerford and A. * Walker, suit for cancellation of mining privileges held by the Boatman’s Consolidated Co., in liquidation. Catherine Morris and D. J. Cameron. The Warden held that a-s no mining operations had been carried out on the lease, and that as no machinery existed on the ground, and that as the water races and dam had been unused for a considerable period and no gold won, also no attempt had been made by the liquidators since the dissolution of the company, there were, therefore, no special circumstances to stop the forfeiture, and he, therefore, decreed all the claims to be forfeited. William J. Morris v. Geo. White, suit for cancellation of ordinary prospecting licence. —’Adjourned to February 9. . A. Mitchell v. W. J. Morris, suit for cancellation of ordinary prospecting licence and application by J. W. McCrostie for special quartz claim, objected to by W. J. Morris, and an application by W. J. Morris for special quartz claim, objected to by J. W. McCrostie and' A. Mitchell, were taken together. Messrs J. W. Hannan and I. Patterson appeared for plaintiff and Mr L. E. Morgan for defendant. A. Mitchell produced his miner’s right and stated he was the applicant for the land, and he proposed to bring in capital and vigorously work the ground.

T. E. Williams stated that lie resided at Merrijigs since last March, and he had' been over the area frequently and had seen no work done on. the ground or knew of work being done. Witness stated that lie knew where Morris’s pegs were: some of the pegs were new pegs. Under crossexamination, witness stated that he was prepared to contradict Hie statement that any work had been done on the ground. Early in December witness saw J. Harris and W. J. Morris on a hill in the area. He had also seen Harris on the area some weeks befo

Joseph Underwood stated he was a resident of Merrijigs and lived on the south end of the ground. He had been there since last August. No sign of any recent work was visible on the ground. He was doing a certain amount of fossicking around that area; he had been all over the ground. Alfred Wills, a resident of It'eefton, stated he visited 1 Merrijigs practically every day, and held ground near the ground in dispute, and had been over the area several times in the last six months. A little stone had been] knocked off the outcrops, but no signs ■ of any other work being done were visible. He was not aware of any work being done prior to June of 1932

except, that a track had been cleared to the outcrop. He had seen Morris’s prospecting pegs. In his opinion, these pegs had only been in three months. He had seen the trenches, and these were new. He did not know the exact day the prospecting licence had been granted to Morris. Ernest Provis, a miner, said he had been resident at Merrijigs since October, 1932. No prospecting work had been done on the ground since then. He resided on the roadside and could see people going into the area. During the Christmas holidays he in company with another man was all over the area. On two occasions he had seen J. Harris on the claim. Once Harris was prospecting, and that in company with Mr Morris. He had been prospecting in the Merrijigs district, down Slab Hut Creek'in particular, in company with H. Jane. They had been around to the Inkerman mine three or four times. He was last there on January 4 and had also been there in November. H. Jane stated he resided at Merrijigs since October, and lie did not know of any prospecting work being carried on on the ground in dispute; he had been over the area a number of times. The trenches on the guound were about three months old. He would' be in a position to know if any prospecting work had. been done on the ground. He worked in Slab Hut Creek with E. Boris. They could see people moving along the road from their working place. He was an experienced prospector. He had seen the Scotia pegs, particularly at the top corner. He had been over the ground about three weeks ago. He did not help to mark out McCr< stie’s ground. Prior to October, 1932, he had been three months on the ground, and had for two days been engaged. Lawrence Ecklund gave corrc borative evidence regarding the absence of any signs of work being done cn the ground. He stated that he was pros-, pecting in that area and had been over the ground three weeks ago in company with his brother. D. W. Robertson stated that lie requested W. J. Morris to point out his (Morris’s) pegs of the Morris’s prospecting aea. The marks were X ,the marks on the other pegs fcr the special claim were two straight strokes. McDonald is driving on an area ot ground which Morris claims is part of his ground. This drive is about 200 feet long. McDonald claims that the ground is not on Morris’s lease. McDonald had worked on the ground since June of 1932. No work bud been done on the Scotia, lease for a very long time.

Stephen McDonald stated he held 80 acres south of the Scotia. This he held since June, 1932. His ground was not part of Morris’s claim. He only knew that his tunnel was supposed to be on Morris’s ground, for about three weeks. Hu travelled over Morris’s ground uaily to and fro to work and would, certainly know if any work had boon done on Morris’s ground. He had been in that area since Easter of 1932 and knew it. well.

J. W. McCrostie, o£ Christchurch, i stated that he had a telephone con- , versa!ion with W. ,T. Morris in De--1 comber of 1932. Morris rang him up . relative to th e jumping of the Scotia ; claim and Morris intimated that he ’ 'vas willing to join in with McCrostie am, asked what money witness had o prospect. Witness stated that Mr Morris wanted £3OO in cash l(J he bargain and 10,009 shares ir a company of £lOO,OOO capital. James Finlay gave corroborative wmence as to absence of work done m the Scotia lease. j J. B Harris stated that he hadI noon all over the Scotia area and had prospected there for the last nine He had found several out- ‘

crops. One, a small one, was sampled and went 4dw'ts. He used a prospecting spear and a pick and shovel. He was first on the ground in July and was employed by W. J. Morris. The wages book, as produced, was signed by him. He worked 14 days in August. He worked a fortnight also in September and received £5 for this work. He worked there also in October and November and December. Mr Fogarty and an engineer visited the outcrop and took away samples. Another party also visited the area.- He knew Williams and Underwood; met Williams only once William Moorhouse stated that he had been prospecting for six or seven years and knew, the ground. He lived near it and lived near the road. He saw Harris on the ground several times and he went down Slab Hut Creek with Harris once.

William Osborne gave corroborative evidence as to seeing Harris in the Scotia ground. Witness stated that ho had seen Harris working on the outcrops.

Mr M. Fogarty stated that he had some negotiations with Morris regarding the Scotia property. He visited the groud in company with a Mr Gibson (engineer) and J. Harris and Morris. Mr Gibson took samples away. They were negotiating with Morris for the property. AV. J. Morris stated he held a prospecting licence over the Scotia property and applied for a special claim ever the Scotia, ground and the special claim included the prospecting area The marking out of the special claim and the prospecting area, were all in order. Notice of application had been given to all interested parties.

J. B. Harris worked on the prospecting. Harris uncovered' outcrops and witness inspected the work from time to time. He opened up negotiations with two companies. He visited the ground with three different parties. They had some'stone tested, and this went four dwts. Mr Morgan requested the Warden to visit the property to inspect the work that defendant claimed had been done.

The Warden reserved' his decision.