Notes from Whitecombe.

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 13

Notes from Whitecombe.

April 21.—Since my last nothing of Importance has taken place here. Mining matters are quiet, and the number of miners is about the same, their earnings ranging from " tucker " to " wages." True, there is any amount of gold in the distriot, but, as I have before stated, It requires capital to unearth it, as the opening up of new claims Is a heavy undertaking, and the few workiog miners here have not the necessary funds to go into large speos. I suppose it is on aooount of our isolated position and not having anyone to represent to capitalists the true value of the locality as a field for the profitable investment of capital that the place is so neglected; but no doubt the day will oome when mining speculators will direct their attention to the Upper Waikaia. Pomahaka. and tha Whitecombe, at all of which places there i» plenty of new ground which doubtless Is extremely rioh. I may mtatlon that the other day a miner at the Whitecombe got a nloe little nugget of loz Bdwt clean gold. It is to be hoped that the late Mining Conference will not only have the effect of removing the special taxation from the mining industry, but will also lead to an. amendment of some of the oppressive and absurd mining regulations. It appears, according to the ruling of Warden Dalgleisn, that a miner cannot use water, let the stream be ever so small, without fir||; applying for ifc. An application from Prazer's diggings by one Didivitch for a small stream •of snow water that another miner was using at the time, was made a few weeks ago to the warden at Alexandra South. The miner who was using the water lodged an objection In due form, but the warden would not entertain it, remarking that the first applicant for water must get it. Now, I always thought that possessive title was something, and even if the person using the water was using it illegally a nominal fine and an order to take out a license, if necessary, should have met the case. I also question whether the warden did right in hearing the application at all, as I am under the impression that the case should, have come before him in the form of a complaint, as provided in section 7 of the regulations for procedure^ the Wardens' Courts. Should Warden Dalglelsh'e ruling be correct, the sooner the law Is altered the better, for no miner is safe. A miner might be shepherded by one who is prepared to do a little sharp practice, as in the above case, and who, in the event of his striking gold, would rush off to the warden* office and apply for the water (and get it, too), while the person, who .may have .been months or even years in finding the gold, In eons&gueaee of having no water would have to clear out, leaving the smart fellow who has secured the water the gold too.