CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8951, 16 January 1888, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

"CONTROL OP GUMDIGGERS. TO THS BDITOB, • Sib, —Men living in largo communities possess thereby advantages and facilities for united action, by assembling or forming association!*, by means of which they can easily air their grievances, proclaim their desires, and oironlate their plane. The frees, that powerful engine, the meanwhile supplying a staff of first- class shorthand writers and reporters to publish them in its columns, and scatter them broadcast before the world. All these advantages possessed by townsmen are almost unavailable to others engaged in rural pursuits. Their voice is seldom heard. Such is eminently the case with those engaged in digging gum. Aware of their utter helplessness in this respeot, each man roams where be pleases from field to field, camp to camp, with spade and spear alongside, a bag yclept;, a pi« kau on his back, exhuming from the innumerable gullies, or digging from the barren hillsides, spurs, and ridges that compose the greater part of Auckland province tbat heaven-bestowed accumulated treasure, kauri gum. Admittedly about 10,000 peopie are thus engaged, on whom twice 10,000 more are dependent with themselves for the means of support, a number threefold that stated by Mr. Shepherd as engaged digging for gold. Men talk of "miners' rights," " gumdiggers' depredatione "—all cant— large supplies, establish schools of mines and endowments for the one, while they despise, degrade, and devise disabilities for the other,. A more misrepresented and elandered set; of men is scarcely to be found in creation, savage sorts included, and mirabile vieu the members of the Grown Lands Board, with a noteworthy exception, have joined in the chorus. Mr. J. Baber seems to have set himself assiduously to fetter the poor gumdigget by imposing a duplicate tax on the industry—a tax on the mao, a tax on the buyer, both of course falling on the digger, for the buyer, unless a fool, will recoup the tax by paying so much less to the imposing a tax on a body of men whose average earnings each is not over two shillings a day. In proof take last month as nearest: the quantity Bold was 532 tons, or 1,191,6801b. Any 4th standard child may divide this among the 10,000 diggers, and obtain the average for each man for the month, and as the working days were 26, he or she, divided by this number, gets for result lens than 61b per day per man, This at 4d per lb, fully present price, falli short of two shillings, Some earn more. Have we not seen married, men delving in the gullies for gum, where it is moat plentiful but moat difficult to got, The meanwhile the wife and children, occupants of a wretched whare, only fit ior Maoris to live in,, scratching away till exhausted supply or failing strength arrests the breadwinner's oareer, and the poor emaciated skeleton of a wife ends her miserable days while yet ia middle life in our midst—even in this luxurious city—whither they had sped in searob, —vain search—for more lucrative employ* ment. She who lived by gum scratching died by scrubbing and washing. Mr Bfcber queries, and the councillors— the councillors of Mangonui, Hokianga, Whanga-. rei, and Waitemata— it is advisable • it is desirable to tax such people. Ye do always ravish fche poor," says the Psalmist, but thank God "Ye have not yet got him into your net" What was wisely said by the Thames County Council applies equally well to all the others, viz,, " The physical topography of the entire gum-producing diatriot forbids such a tax." The reason to an Auoklander is obvious, and I, like the Thames County Counoil gentlemen, will forbear informing the world. Besides, Mr. Baser does not appear to fce justified in acting on the advice of a minority, namely four of the nine counties consulted and two of them being the most sparsely, populated counties on the face of the earth. Had two members voted with Mr. Pearce instead of with Mr. Baber the latter was bound to desist. Not having a majority of counties in hie favour he might, as a gentleman, have voluntarily done what in the other case he would have been compelled to do, or at least sought further information from the non-replying counties before formulating his resolution on suoh a narrow basis, and pledging the Crown Lands Board. Mr. Pearce, to his honour be it spoken, objeoted, though he stood alone, to a resolution that, whea matured into a Bill is sure to meet just condemnation at the hands of the members of the House of Representatives. The ire of Sir George Grey ia sure to be aroused by such an attempt Won't he make it hot; for the godfathers of a Bill proposing to tax an industry when all New Zealand with one united voice—the members of the Auckland Crown Lands Board excepted, Mr. Pearoe exoepted from that— oalhng vigorously for encouragement to local industries. The House would speedily discard such a Bill should it ever appear. Besides, it might easily be shown that euoh a measure would not work The gumfieidsare well-nigh exhausted, many completely defunct. It is therefore too late in the day to begin such work. If ever there was an opportunity, it has been allowed to slip. If Mr. Baber were to form a company, or if he wishes to benefit the eumdiggers and enrich himself and the company buy up the gum that necessity compels many a poor man to dig. It would soon recover its normal price. They could buy to-day at £35 a ton; in three months they could sell at £45 or £50, as aure as gum is gum It's only plethora it is suffering from. If nobody takes the hint, our quick sighted American cousins will be sure to order largely at the low prevailing prioe, and thus add to their own wealth and swell their giant surplus that would nearly already pay our entire debt, I hope I have said nothing that might be construed as: personal to Mr, Baber, or derogatory to the Crown Lands Board, as I in* tended nothing such. I have tried to avoid even saying that offering the proceeds from taxation to County Councils must acts like a bribe. The County Counoils have been so recently furnished with newly-elected members, that we know not yet of what stuff they are made. They may be sages, or they may not. It is to be regretted that such m effort has been made. " Gum-diggers' depredation," let me apologise for re-using the slanderous phrase. I wish that we had a decent Agricultural Beard, and some agricultural schools, and less Land Boards and Land Bills, and less Amending, Repealing, and Amending Amended Land Acts. If only half the attention bestowed, and eloquence wasted, on the reservation, preservation, division, and subdivision of land were given to its reclamation and cultivation and the genuine settlement of the colony, the gumdigger would soon dome to be regarded as an unmitigated blessing, as an active agent in the pulverisation of the soil. Many of bis dig, ginge, called "paddocks," have an evenness of surface and symmetry of soda that would shame the efforts of many ol our artizsna lately turned horticulturalists in these days of depression. What if there be a few potholes here and there; they are only so many receptacles to drain off superfluous water and cure the natural sourness at an over»atiff soil. Every man knowing anything of agriculture knows well that when ground is dug over, bo matter how roughly, and the water drained off, the work of reclamation is well nigh done. You have only to level the surface in many places and scatter seeds, and the work is complete. Even as it is, natural '-• grasses, clovers, dandelions, Scotch thistles, and many other tuooulent plants are fast taking the place of the tea-tree, and useless eornb or poisonous tutu, affording nourishing food for our flocks and herds on our otherwise profitless lands. Many a settler north of Auckland made the money with which he purchased his freehold by digging kauri gum,, and now procures the means of supply* ing bonedust to enrich the land from the same source. Without referring to those who have made a rapid fortune by trade in the article, I might multiply instances of the manifold advantages it confers on many, on railway revenue, on taxation indirectly, and on trade. Thanking you for apace,—l am, etc., ■ J, CHARITABLE AID, a<o TBS EDITOR. Siß,—ln roply to a paragraph signed '•James Burtt," in your Saturday's issue of the 14th instant, I think that gentleman has been misled by a garbled report or false fabrication. As it reflects discredit on the staff as wall as members of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board department, I request that an inquiry be made, and the matter laid before the .Relief Committee without delay for investigation.— am, etc., Pbo Bono Pobuoo, i