Cheap Money and the Miners* TO THE EDITOR

Otago Witness, Issue 2120, 11 October 1894, Page 34

Cheap Money and the Miners* TO THE EDITOR

Sir,— Would you kindly allow me space in your valuable columns to express my views and to givo my opinion on the subject of the < heap Money Bill now passing through Parliament. Iv the first place, in my humble opinion as a working man earning my livelihood by the sweat of my brow, the bill is a very good one if the -Government had studied all classes of the working community without earmarking one particular class — that l is, the farmers. I don't think it will prove a speculative matter to the country in time to come. For instance, a man can take up land and by getting cheap money from the Government may ruin it by continuous cropping, and afterwards clear out to Coolgardle or some other part of the world, and then the land falls back into the hands of the State valueless. It would be like the Rabbit department— the Government would have to stock it with more of their friends in the shape of bailiffs or rangers, which would mean ruin to the other classes of industrious colonists. It will be the means of driving capitalists out of the country. Now, if I am not mistaken, the bulk of the thoughtful working men of New Zealand will agree with me that capitalists are badly needed in the country. To turn to another industry which is of more importance in the meantime— gold mining. This industry was the meant of railing the colony to what it is in the commercial world. lam sorry to think that there hat been so little interest taken in the mining industry of late in Parliament. I was glad to see by last parliamentary reports that Mr Larnach had taken up the cudgels on its behalf by asking the Minister for Mines if the Government intended to revise the Mines- Act in order to deal more liberally with this industry by giving assistance to miners. It is gratifying to think we have one watchdog who can bark in our favour. I think if there was less time spent in the House over such trivial bills aa Shopkeepers, Pawnbrokers, and Pedlars, and the mining industry was carefully studied.the session would have been of some value to the country. Why does not some member move in the matter, and urge the Government to follow in the footsteps of New South Wales and Victoria by sending the unemployed of the colony out prospecting all over the island, giving them tools, such aa a tent, pick, shovel, and tin dish, and three months' provisions, and I'll back that there will be good finds got yet 1 If they get payable ground let the prospector get his double area, and if the ground proves to be of any extent let. the Government give the miner or party cheap money to take in a head race, tail race, &c, and not have the mineral wealth of the country lying dormant as is the case on our old goldfields. Then, again, when men have to abandon good claims for tha want of capital, let there be mining boards of proper exnert minerstoujspect the claims ; and let all mining business be doi\e through the mining board, and the miner would not be bled by litigation. Me solicitors' fees : If you take up a claim in many cases it costs you as much as if you had taken up a farm, whereas it could be settled by the mining board, like the land board, without any trouble. I think the Miners' Association ought to look after their own interest re cheap money. But then, on the other hand, why not all the working classes roll up to a man and demand justice as well as the farmer by getting the money ? The labouring classes of the colony ought to study the next election, and put in such men as Mr Earnshaw— a man who is not frightened to stand up to express his opinion as well as record his vote for what he thinks is just for the working man. In fact, he is the only Labour candidate in Parliament who can go back with honours to his constituency. I hope this session has opened the eyei of the trades and labour unions, as well as all the other working classes, and that they will not be gulled into pledging themeelves to support any one individual w) o may come forward to stand aa their representative by running the Liberal ticket. It is only a word which often proves selfish ; and I say if a man is frightened to record his vote openly outside from fear of priest or parson, it is as well for him or them to be dead out of serfdom. — I am, &c.

Miner, Otago. [Our correspondent should only write on oria side of tlie paper.— Ed.]

There were 55 bankruptcies in Wellington in the nine months ended on Saturday, against 52 for the corresponding Dfcriod of 1893,