GOLD AND RESTRICTIONS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 10, Issue 448, 8 October 1919, Page 6

GOLD AND RESTRICTIONS

Why is il tlie law fefces us to sell gold to licenced buyers and' ivoXf let us send it througin the pc»t, while we aro heavily fined if we keep gold or sell to a jeweller? Why should a-man lose or sutler forfeiture ot his claim if he pays his in.n in pure gold:-' l.'aiK-y a farmer having to i-01l his produce, to a particular person nnd being penalised if he sells to his neigYieur. Th c argument is put forth that restrictions inak. it difficult to sell stolen gold. Now, gold is about us- hard to identify as starch and very malleable; it melts easily, so that aryunient is fairly thin. In regard to th e price of gold, in this country w 0 don't really use gold coinage but, mostly notes which are covered by about- two and three shillings worth of gold. Heiv in New Zealand if you kiu-w where to go you can get 2-1- to '_.;"- f<J'' 'i sovereign. -I» most sou.'tries our notes are ot little valueIn Am.rXa our sovereign has fallen to abut 17/- in del lavs, while an mince of gold is selling nt. _>-'--/_/« iv «ur money. Let the mint mute a. profit on the geld, but we. s-hy'dd not I.x. forced to soil 'to X. In v.u-X.S-.- of iSept ■'!. you say fhafc th. banX. ."T. alloived

to -enlv make I?.d profit, buying at JC3/-7/9, and selliug at JE3/17/10.. Now the banks pay big companies _3_/l/6 while the individual miner has to sell for J33/17/-. Why cannot there bo free trade in gold ? 'Then the Aiinistcr. of Mines need not try to catch votes with a promise of 10 per cent, bonus frigold. Neither should produce (exported) !v> laxed as it comes en th" farmer. • •■Minti-K'B that have g'-i.v ahead have-.-c-ojul <-.|" t,. 0 n*-wYVnila SX'w.-n-i super and import.—GOLD PKXiLIX