Notes from Wakatipu.

Otago Witness, Volume 30, Issue 2353, 30 March 1899, Page 20

Notes from Wakatipu.

Oub Own Correspondent.) ARROWTOW^T, March 25.— A. ' case for damages received by one of l the workmen while working in the shaft of the Westralia mine, Macetown, presents several points of interest to all concerned with mining in any shape or form. The accident, by which the injured man, Jacob' Crow, asserts to have lost the use of bis hand, was in measure at least- due to accident, the exact definition and estimation of which 4 ' is calculated to tax the judgment of a Solomon or Daniel or both combined. Crow prefers a claim against the company for £200 for injuries received. The case was heard before Mr Warden S. E. M'Carthy at Arrowtown "On Friday, 17th inst, the decision being deferred till the following Friday (yesterday) at Queenstown when Mr M'Carthy decided in favour of the company, each side to pay their own expenses. The action is one that shows in a striking manner how recklessly the legislation of the present Government haß outrun the available means of administration. In the present instance the warden had to decide on a point on which practical mining experts/ differ from tho mining inspector, and which ever was the decision might have gone it "could not have escaped reflected doubt and scepticism as to the old dictum that nothing can be law that is not reason^ The position being that in too many cases reason is set asido by legislators, the wunl of it cannot be supplied by administration, and hence lengthy judgments that nobody understand, and nobody thinks it worth their while to make the effort to unravel their hidden mysteries. Another point made was a plea that because tho injured man was 50 years of age and thercforo not so amenable to recovery as a younger ' man he was entitled to a larger amount of compensation. If this principle is upheld it will go hard with middle aged men to get employment anywhere, and Mr Seddon will have to extend his pension scheme by at least 15 years ; including all pensions of 50 years and upwards, Tho Moonlight Xo. 2 Co. have suspended operations for the winter months, and all hands have been, or will shortly be, paid off. This will be seriously felt in this district, as a. large number of men will be thrown out of employment. For the month of February, which was a ■full-time month, there being- no break in the working time on account of tho weather, tho wages sheet amounted to £850. A sum like this distributed at the rate it must be necestarily in a place like Moonlight where the 41b. loaf until recently was charged Is and everything else in proportion, naturally tells on the trade of the place, where consumers ranged in numbers between^jßO and 80 men. The sudden stoppage of this source of supply of the needful is of course to bo lamented. * »

The Arrow' Flat Hydraulic Co. have not yet mado a start with their work, but it is said that funds nrc in hand to e complete the job. The test case brought by D. Richardson aa to the liability of shareholders who refused to pay up their calls because they allege the prospectus of the company contained misleading statements is not yet decided.