NEW ZEALAND MINERS IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9153, 7 September 1888, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND MINERS IN AUSTRALIA.

THEIR OPINIONS OF ITS RESOURCES. "NO PLACE LIKE HOME." Amongst the passengers who arrived by the s.s. Manapauri on Wednesday, were Messrs. John Rickard and M. Oates, two Thames miners, who, attracted by the brilliant prospects of the Broken Hill district, tried their fortune in that land. They appeared as happy as schoolboys out of school at having reached Auckland, and being again en route for the Thames. Before they started for the Thames by the s.s. Rotomahana they, in the course of conversation with a Herald reporter, gave some account of their impressions of the district from which they had just come. Mr. Rickard was the chief speaker, Mr. Oates occasionally joining in and corroborating what he said. Mr. Rickard said: " We left the Thames on the 9th April for the Broken Hills, and arrived there on the 2nd of May. We did not remain long in the township, but we found it a wretched hole. There were 11 of us in the party, but our destination was further on. While we were there, however, we made some inquiries, and found that it was a most unhealthy place. Water was very scarce, and such as could be had was muddy and filthy. The town is wretchedly situated for drainage, even if there was water, which they have not, and it is very unhealthy. Water has to be brought from Stephens' Creek, which is not a running supply, and which is ten miles distant, and to bring anything like a water supply into the place it must be led 60 miles. The place was not by any means brisk. The Proprietary Co. are employing a large number of men, but the others are not, and there were about 500 men out of employment. We left on the following morning for the tinfields, which are twenty miles from Broken Hills, and on arriving there we found things very little better, for the water, which was the colour of mud, cost £1 for 200 gallons. That there are a great many men out of work at Broken Hills I know, for six weeks ago men came to our camp and informed me that more than 500 men were then walking about. Our eleven constituted a party going to Heighway's camp. Mr. Heighway, you know, used to be manager of the Big Pump at the Thames, and he has charge of one of the tin mines—the Mount Lake South. As regards the prospects of the tinfield 1 don't wish to say much; none of them have yet paid, and my advice to any person in New Zealand is, if they can get a living here not to go there. Mr. Heighway is in good health." " What about the district as to health?" "It is very unhealthy. Two of our party died at Broken Hills, Joe Smith being the first to die on the 22ncl of August, and John Tregonning on the 26th, both having been attacked by fever. The country for hundreds of miles round is a wilderness. Charles Hicks, son of Tom Hicks, formerly manager of the City of London mine at the Thames, died at Euriowhi on the tin fields, where Mr. Black, formerly of the Union Beach and Big Pump is engaged. This place is sixty miles from the Broken Hills. As far as I could learn from every person I met who had come from New Zealand, they would be glad to return, as they all prefer New Zealand to Australia." " Is living costly ?" " Well, no. Clothes and boots are nearly as cheap as they are here, but ater is very scarce. Wages are £3 a week for men working below, and Ss a day for those on the surface, but work is very unhealthy in the lead mines. Some men hardly last a week, and at the best they last no more than three months. The managers have to shift the men about from one work to another to prevent them from breaking down." "You do not want to go back again then ?" "No. I shall give the Thames another trial, and we are off there now. Good bye." The Thames Evening Star says : — We have been shown a letter received from two Thames miners who left here some short time ago for Queensland. On their arrival at Brisbane, the reports from Gyinpie were so discouraging that they decided to give that place a wide berth, and accordingly proceeded on to Charters Towers. Here they say that the number of ex-Thamesites they came across was something enormous. Work was not very plentiful, there being at the time it was computed about 200 men out of employment. The weather, too, was very warm, and down the mines the temperature was excessively hot. The current rate of wages was £3 per week, but the letter states that in the opinion of the writes 7s a day at the Thames was far preferable to the Charters Towers' wages. From this place they despatched a telegram to another ex-Thamesite who is atEtheridge gold field, and the reply they received was of such a very encouraging nature that they were on the point of leaving for that place."