THE GUM INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 57, 9 March 1899, Page 2

THE GUM INDUSTRY.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—The nomadic character of the gumdigging is such that diggers cannot have co-operative stores. in summer they dig on flat, sandy soils. When the rainy season sets in they, must change to high clay lands, sometimes many miles apart. Such being the case, we want a clever man to deck himself out in a gumdigger's suit to run "em in—l mean the storekeeper that gives short weight and sells bad food. He will want a few shillings a week more than the digger gets. So, Mr Editor, will this meet your views? £1 10/ per ton export duty on gum to pay the detective his few hundreds a year, balance to be handed over to the Auckland Hospital Board for the use of sick gumdiggers. The diggers then would not have it always thrown in their teeth that the settlers have to keep them when sick.

A few lines on the Austrians. We are told by certain people what fine men they are, as if we can't see for ourselves where the fineness comes in. It means this: Our wives and children must be thrown on charitable institutions, and the diggers will have to do a 'Pacific slope' or go up to the Mount. I suppose later on the same persons will be saying King Richard never did his duty to allow the foreigners to come on the gumflelds to starve the British subjects out of the provlnce-

many out of New Zealand; ana tne money that should be supporting, the city o f . Auckland will be circulating in Austria. 1 However, no one will thank New Zealand lawmakers more than the Austriansthem- - selves later on for stopping such an Influx on the gumfields.—i am, etc., UNCLE CHARLIE. "