Kauri Gum Reserves.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 49, 27 July 1908, Page 5

Kauri Gum Reserves.

TO THE EDITOB. Dear Sir,—l see in the “ Age ” of the 13th inst. a letter signed by Mr. F. Bussell. Whether Mr. Bussell was inspired from heaven to write such tommyrot or whether his letter was the result of desire to see his name figure in print I do not pretend to know. The poor fellow seems to have a grievance against some-body, but whether it is against the devil, the government or the council he does not seem quite sure. He sajps that he has hold a gum-license ever since '9B and has since always paid the enormous sum of five shillings per yoar, and that neither he nor any other British gum digger has ever leceived any benefit from being licensed or in return for their many crowns. Poor fellows! Poor British diggers ! It is a wonder how they have managed to pay the enormous sum of one and two thirteenths of a penny per week all the weary years and yet live under the burden. And then to think that the wicked authorities should add insult to injury and as soon as they get the one penny—and two thirteenths—saddle on to the poor gum-diggers should rido their poor little tails off. And that they have been riding their poor little tails off . ever since! Bussell says that he was told what a grand thing this Gum Act was going to be for the diggers. He was going to have Beserves, he was going to be safeguarded against the yellow peril, the price of gum was going up, there was to be no truck system and the diggers were to have representation on the local bodies. Then, after this outburst of eloquent writing, Mr. Bussell asks in a plaintivo little wail—where is the gumdiggers’ paradise ? ' It is very sad, Mr. Editor, when one comes to think of it, that all these dreams should be knocked sky-high and that the poor fellow should have his tail ridden off into the bargain. I have heard a good many funny things in my time, but for a sane man to expect all that Mr. Bussell did as the outcome of an Act of Parliament is too—too good. I am inclined to think that the poor man must have been fooled by some designing, bad man who found him an easy and fit subject to gull.

As a final dear Mr. Bussell asks what one can think of the cutting np of fiveacre sections all round the Beserves, the which will give each and every gumdigger the right to dig on all gum lands. Mr. Editor, this is terrible! You will have to look into this awful trouble. This is a lot worse for Mr. Bussell than having his sweet little tail ridden off. But there is worse to come yet. The Soor fellow closes with such a pathetic ttle ory—it sounds like “good-bye for ever and over!” He says “Good-bye, settler. Good-bye, gum.” It makes my heart bleed to hear a strong man cry out in this way. It is so full of misery, despair and agony. It is like the cry of a man who cannot find enough gum to keep him in idleness and luxury. Mr. Editor, it made me so sad when I thought of all this—poor Mr, Bussell’s troubles. So much was I moved by the suffering fellow’s letter that I fairly broke down and bad to make a rush for the nearest ti-tree swamp where. I. could weep and give vent to my grief unseen.—l am, etc., In Sympathetic Dejectedness.