Dredging on the Upper Clutha. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 31

Dredging on the Upper Clutha. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— ln the issue of the Witness of May 21 appears a letter from your Cromwell correspondent, in Avhich the writer states that at the Warden's Court on -Fiiday, May 15, Mr H. Hotop applied for a dredging claim, and that this gentleman is representing the only local company endeavouring to exploit the Upper Clutha ; also, that the application was opposed by the Lowburn Miners' Association on the grounds that none but bom fide mm 's should take up claims. After ward b he proceeds to give his own reflections and deductions upon tbe question, to the effect that the CluUia has \ oiled past the doors of the association for years, and the association has nut so dredge on, and would not let others do what they won't do themselves ; and he finishes up with stating that the warden took no notice of the objection, and gianted the claim. Perhaps it is beneath my dignity to take notica of your correspondent's remarks, but as the public to a certain extent might be led astray by such statements if uncoatradicted I will state the facts of this incident. In the first place Mr H. Hotop did not apply for a dredging claim at the above sitting of "the Warden's Court; he applied for a dredging area of two miles, which is quite a different natter. That means that, by making an application only, without incurring any preliminary expense, the applicant can hold two miles of the river for 12 months. Now, during the last 12 months four miles of the river in the same locality had been locked up without any results, and one area of two miles h*d already been granted for the now running year. If everyone applying for prospecting areas could thus hold them, then eight or len such applications would block the greatest part of the river, RHd the bontt fide men who had taken up claims and put on dr«dgcs lower down the riv«r would, if their claims did, not pay, be unable to obtain ground higher up unless by having to submit to Blackmail being levied. When Mr Hotop's application was heard I pointed out to Mr Warden M'Carthy those facts, [and asked that the conditions contained in section 169 0f the Regulation ftf Mining Act, 1891," should be endowed on the license. - This eection runs :— " Every prospecting area shall be continuously worked by at least two ttca dwißc $\& efltoi: Bflri&A el fiociuuuuqf. .

f There can beTio hardship In tl% Surely Jt cau'fc be too much for a auppoaad capitalist to have one man to the mile, when under ordinary circumstances a mln«v has to put on a wages man for every aova. There was no objtotlon tt> the grantIPS of tho area in question either by the association or by anyone else. Tho warden stated that as this provision was already made in the regula. tiona ha would not insert ft in the license, and if the regulations were not compiled with the association conld take steps to have the area cancelled. Voila toui, As for your correspondent's assertion that the association had not put any dredges on the' liver, I would merely remark that the association ia not a jomt-3took concern engaged in trade. It Is simply a union of men associated together for the purpose~6f levelling of the inequalities by way of defective legislation, &c.. under whioh mining has been carried on, and also carrying on other duties so that true progress in mining may set in, thus ensuring prosperity in other branches of trade. So msoh for the association. As for its individual members. I beg to state that the chairman and a number or the committee are working dredge-owners who have already put plant on their claims, and in a few weeks our ranks, I am sure, will be »treßgtb.ei>ed by tome more honafidi men of the some sort. The constitution of the association and its aims aud objects have bsen submitted to the Government of the colony and received its unstinted approval, an 4 the few unthinking individuals who find lattlt~^ltS"'t^-^5gS^ 6 &-do_go_Qn. the same principle at a burglar fiuding laulFwith a poncS^: man. The intelligent public can easily discern the right side from tbe wrong, and the result must be that tho hands ef the asS ciation will be further atrengthened.—lam, <fee., Jno. Wkrner, Sec. Lowbuvn Branch Confederated Miners' Lowburn Ferry, May 24. Association*

Afirstclasaarmoured battleship, named the Fuji, or " unequalled," was launched for the Japanese Government from the Thames Iron Shipbuilding yards at Blackwall on April 1. She has a displacement of. 12,459, and maybe described as of the Royal Sovereign type. She is 400 ft long by 73ft in breadth at the broadest part, and hs>s an armour belt 226 ft long and 18ln thick through the boiler and machinery space. A screen of Sin armour runs across on the main deck, fls well as on the lower deck, to protect the broadside quickfiring guns, and also a belt of Sin armour between the main and lower deoka of about the same length as the main belt. The armour deck is 2}in thick, and terinirmtos in a powerful ram at the fore e&d. Every, one with a garden should grow one of Nijimo & Blair's Japanese " Crimson Rambler " Roses. It is the wonder of the period in plants. Plants, 5s and 2s 6d each.