KAURI GUMDIGGING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9151, 5 September 1888, Page 5

KAURI GUMDIGGING.

A correspondent, over the signature of "Sugar, Gem Dust, and Company," writes a very long letter (nearly 40 closely written pages), upon the gumdigging question in all its phases. The letter is in the form of an address to gumdiggers, but its extraordinary length prevents us publishing it in full. This is not so much a grievf ice, as it bears internal evidence of liav' been written at different times, and in many instances repetitions with slight ■» ariations take place. The following give the gist of the whole communication -1 n discussing the proposal to issue a license co each gumdigger, he does not t link the hardship so great as many profc 's to believe, as an annual license fee of 10s would only be a few pence per week, while the variations in the price of gun cause the gum-digger's earnings to vs ry many shillings every week. He looks upon the imposition of a gum-digger's licence as of no benefit to the gum-digger, save that it would carry the right with it to encamp upon unsold Crown lands, while at present the gum-diggers may be turned off as trespassers. \\ hat is needed to improve the position of the gum-digger is to enable him to earn more money with fewer hours of labour. The only way this can be done, is either to reduce the number of those who are now employed at gum-digging, or to not work so long hours, and thus diminish the supply of gum in the market. This would have the effect of contracting the supply, when the price would rise, and the gumdiggers would get the same amount of money for much less work than is now bestowed. To accomplish this, he considers impossible so long as the diggers remain an unorganised body. He suggests that a gumdiggers' co-operative society should be founded, so that these and other questions of vital interest to those employed in this industry could be discussed. He strongly objects to the way tradesmen out of employment in Auckland and elsewhere llock to the gumfields when prices are high or general trade dull. The trades in town protect themselves by their societies, but when difficulties occur in tho trades, they have no scruple in hurrying off all the unemployed to cut down wages and destroy the industry followed by another class of citizens, and he looks upon this as unjust treatment, and thinks that if a well-organised society wero established a large number would be squeezed out who do not intend to follow gumdigging as an occupation, while at the same time means would be taken to better regulate the supply of gum to the demand than is possible at present. The aim of the gumdiggers, he says, should bo to try to regulate the supply of gum to the Auckland market to a quantity not much exceeding 400 tons a month. If this could be accomplished, he thinks the same or better wages would be made than is the case at present by the labour of not more than eight hours' work per day instead of about sixteen as at present. The action of the gum diggers alone is affecting the market price of gum, and each is trying to cut the other out, instead of each t.nUiug work a little easier, or storing up a iittle of 'their gum rather than forcing the whole of it on the market at once. One suggestion he makes is to the effect that at the present low prices the Government should spend half a million or so in purchasing and storing for a future rise. Unfortunately, the Government have no money for speculation, and a half million worth of gum stored in one place would be a great temptation to make a fine blaze, which would relieve the market considerably, but would not bring profit to the speculator.