Kauri Gum Reserves.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 47, 13 July 1908, Page 5

Kauri Gum Reserves.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I think the County Council ought at least to have the gum reserve lines recut, say every four or five years, so that men would know where to carry on their trade, also where to build their houses, etc. Also according to the Gum Act there should be written on the face cf every license a statement as to where the holder of such license has a right to dig for gum. Now, sir, I have held a license ever since ’9B, at five shillings per year, and I say that I have never received anything in return for this money, nor has any other British digger. We were told, once upon a time, what a grand thing this Gum Act was going to be. We were going to ha/e reserves; we were going to be safeguarded against the “ Macaroni Peril,” the Yellow Peril, and all other Perils; the price of gum was going up—bound to rise like, don’t you know; we were to have representation on local bodies; there was to be no truck system. But now where is the gumdiggers’ paradise? As soon as the 5/- saddle was on the authorities started to ride our tails off and now, as a final, what do you think of cutting up 5-acre sections all round the reserves and fencing them in ? This will give each and every man the same right to dig on all guru lands no matter where he hails from. Good-bye settler, good-bye gum. I hope someone with a stronger pen than mine will take this up and let us have light. Now, Dick ! —I am, etc., FRED. RUSSELL. Waipapakauri, 29/6/08.