Austrians and the Gum Reserves.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 50, 17 July 1906, Page 5

Austrians and the Gum Reserves.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —it marks me feal thankful to see thet my leter did corse sum intrist to he took erbowt the orstriens digen on the gum reservs an drivin british digirs owt of the north, there ant neer so meny british north on thes akownt. its no yuse riting to the cownsel. Mr. Houstin rote larst yeer sayin e herd orstriens was digen reservs an arskit cownsil to taik steps, sir, cownsil ant took thim steps yit, an I arsk digirs far an neer to watsh an see how an wen an wear they taik thim. i herd a man say larst weak thet orstriens maik sperlended setters, sir, hev you herd of eny orstriens on there own farms ? do they chop bush, perlow land, perlant otes er wceter corn er spuds er temaps, er rear cattel er sheap ? no sir, they taik up land, dig it over with the spaide, perlant graip cutens an slip off to the reservs wear they ant ort. they ant no time to waist groin krops. this ere orstrien wine industery is only bluff to get there nutnrlisin papers kwiker. the guvmint pays a ixpurt italyon corld mister blagardo to show us how to gro graips ef we wont to, en theirs anothir ixpurt to show us Jhow to put froot in tins, so we can do wethout the orstriens in thet line, i wunz herd a orstrien ixplane thet thay maid wine in there land by skwoshin the graips in a box. i ant took wine sins i herd it. thay skwosh the graips with then* grate bear feat, sir, we kin in joy italyon or frensh wine, for we can fansy thet the graips are dansed on by the daynty feat of pritty girls, but this other—no sir, we ant a wine drenkin fokes and orstriens cant maik us. I heer setlars inkorige orstriens to gro graips on there land, and if they any gum on there land they let orstriens

dig on it. If british digirs arskit to be let dig on it, no matter wot they oferd to pay the setler e refewsis for he kan maik more owt of the orstrien, for wen the gum is dug out they kan still kamp their and dig the reservs and till the setlers graip vines, thes is dun in thes cownty and i rekin thet the setler wot trukels to the ailien like this ant pateryotik er british—e wood sol is countery and is flag for the formers money speshaly wen e nos they er brakin the law an makin life hardir for the british diger. i ant no skoller, but i dus my best to maik thengs clear, buster brown es rite en wot e says bar wun theng. e dont no wot every digir nos and wot orstriens no but thay dont give us credet for, en thet is thet the british digir dont like to be a enformer—e dont thenk its mauley an e dont like law corts and thet is how the ailiens do as they like, noin thes an cnkoriged an pertectid by the sellers, sir, meny hunderds of us blak an wife pay a license tax—wot do we git for it P if a setler pays a few shillins a yeer rates he crys for rodes, briges and things and gits them, sir, if the setlers rates ar spent for there beanifit why dont they spend the gum tax for the beanifit of those its skurewed frum and inforse ’the law aginst orstriens. i heer we are taxd bekaws the gum trafik maiks rodes bad. sir, thet is nothen to do with us. the gumbyerß own the hawses an karts an maik profet from the gnm, if they dident they wood soon drop it. let {them put the hand in the pockib a little an help the cownty an not hev the digir swotted, let ur hev somethink for our money for the digir dont use mane rodes much, he ginraly lives far from them and cant aford hawses like orstriens. then why maik us pay fer rodes we dont damadge, and why not give us the only theng we ask for, and thet is perteckshnn agin the former for the BRITISH DIGGIR. On the foregoing subject another correspondent, signing himself “Never Too Late to Mend,” says : “Mr. Buster Brown. Sir, —I would like to point out to you that you are a bit late in the field with your idea of a vigilance committee (or I should say Fred. Russell’s idea), as a committee has been formed for some time, not only to protect the British digger and settler from the aliens, but also to protect the special reserves from other intruders, who I may state are as bad if not worse than the alien complained of, who at all events is honest and don’t go through your fowlhouse, etc., or wantonly destroy your stock. (I quote B.B.). I know a little about the reserves, and it is a very difficult matter for a ranger to catch a trespasser. I think if a ranger were appointed at a fair screw', as well as commission, he would do some good, but the only ranger I know of is done with you when ho has given you your license and earned his commission—he sees and knows nothing about the reserves at any other time, and is deaf to all complaints. If we bad a real live ranger there would be plenty of witnesses. Any old or new digger will tell you that it is very hard for gumdiggers to combine. Our committee at Waipapakauri has done a little good, but would have done a great deal more if all the diggers had stood by the committee for the common good of all, instead of bringing a lot of private quarrels and petty, childish, personal grievances to bear just to spite—or I should say just to get even with—the other fellow. The Waipapakauri committee should Lave been strong to-day, our special reserves right, trespassers nil, and a bit nlpre gum in the ground. Anybody who knows this district knows that there is no other work here but gum digging, and the men have just lain back and let their bread and butter be taken from under their noses. And now they say ‘ Oh, it’s too late now—the gum is done.’ It’s not too late yet, but if the British diggers don’t wake up soon and guard their own interests it undoubtedly will be too late some day.”