Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5669, 16 January 1890, Page 2

Poverty Bay He ral d PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

ttISBOKNE, THURSDAY, JANUARY IC, ISOO.

COLONIAL YOUTHS AND MINING. Mr Samuel, M.H.It, for New Plymouth, recently paid a visit to the West Coast of the Middle Island. It should be unnoces. sary to .state that the whole industry of that part of the country is embraced in coal and gold mining. Mr Samuels was entertained at a dinner at Hokitika, and in the course of a speech said that during his trip on the Coast ho was struck with the fact that mining operations were chiefly carried on by old men. The observation is not new. Natives of the colony are rarely to be found in the ranks of the gold miners, though the occupation is such that one would imagine young colonials would take kindly to, as it is an independent kind of life. But the truth is, there is not enough money in the business to render it attractive. The average gains of miners are less than reaped by the followers of any other occupation ; and it was always so. In the palmy days of the goldtields the earnings of the diggers were less than the current wages of the country, but as individuals made " piles," vast numbers of young men -were induced to try their luck on the diggings. There has been a great change in the working sinoo the early days of tins diggings, the shallow alluvial fields being soon exhausted. Most of the miners now employed in the goldtields are wagesinen, and tho comparatively small number who do not work for wages as a rule eke out a precarious existence. The prizes are few and far between. Under the conditions that have existed for years past, capital has been required to develop the gold resources of tho colony, and men with capital rarely work with their hands. Gold-mining is now n humdrum calling ; there is nothing of the foi--mer excitement in it. The speculators of the towns reap all the profits and suffer all the losses. The lucky digger is becoming a rarer specimen of humanity every day. If a rich and extensive alluvial goldlield were discovered, probably a considerable number of colonial youths would be attracted to it, but such rushes as have occurred during recent years have been left to diggers who are too old to chango their occupations. No doubt, it would bo bettor for the rising genex-ation to take to mining in preference to staying in the towns, but it would be better still if they wont upon the land. Mr Samuel said that in his district the young men nearly all followed an agricultural life, which is a very satisfactory thing, but the rising generation of Westland are not to be blamed because they do not take to mining. There is no scarcity of labor necessary to develop the mineral resources of New Zealand. A private letter received in Gisborno from Wellington states that so a large number of people have left the city to settle upon the land as to create a temporary dullness in trade, notwithstanding that the ox port business of tho port is of unprecedented volume. In every part of New Zealand where holdings are available, settlement is taking place, and as there is little immigratim at the present time, it is evident that it is our own people who are thus establishing homes for themselves upon the soil ; and from what wo can gather a considerable portion of tho new selectors aro young men just starting in life. It is more satisfactory than otherwise that the rising generation of New Zealand do not elect to follow the decaying and precarious industry of goldmining. In these colonies more lives have been wasted in that pursuit than in all other* combined.

The racehorse Oeo is to be auctioned on Saturday. James Lawrence, carpenter, has filed a petition in bankruptcy. There were four tenders received for shifting and improving cottage iti Palmerston Road, the accepted tender being that of Mr Jam*'!} Robi), £48 10s. The adjourned meeting of (he Hospital Trustees will bo held at the Hospital this evening, when enquiries will be made into certain complaints. The settling over the Poverty Bay Turf Club's Annual Meeting will take place at the Masonic Hotel, on Friday night, at 8 o'clock. The amount of money invested on the totalizator yesterday at the races was £2'2od. This with the L 2025 of the previous day makes a total of L423± put on the machine at the Turf Club's Meeting. A magisterial inquiry is to be held on Saturday into the stranding of the barque Peru on her voyage from Townsville to Auckland. Ml' Booth will conduct the inquiry, Captain Chrisp sitting with him as Nautical Assessor. The address and tea set presented to Mr Scott last night is on view in Mr (iood's window. This has been done so that those who subscribed towards and have not had nu opportunity of seeing the prize may do so. The Secretary of the Fire Brigade and fiarrisou Bund Chess Club has reueeived a letter from the Union Chess Club challenging the former to a friendly contest. The following team has been been chosen : — Messrs Townlcy, W. Fraser. T. Morrison, Sherrift*", Spurdle, Mitchell, Reid, and Johnstone. The tournament will be played on January 27th. The barque Lochnagar (Capt. Sinclair) from London via Napier urrived this morning. The Lochnagar has been oft' the coast for several days, the weather being unsuitable for her to enter the roadstead. The barque has a quantity of cargo from London for this port, and she will probably break bulk tomorrow. The vessel is to load wool at this port for London. There ia a novelty in the form of an umbrella stand to be seen in Messrs Graham, Pitt and Bennett's auction room which has been handsomely painted in a' delicate shade of green and having a vine of white clematis twining down the front of the stand. It is to be submitted to auction on Saturday. At the Fire Brigade meeting last night it was resolved that an entertainment bo given in the middle of February to raise funds to send the representative team to Wellington to again compete for the shield. It has now been in their possesion for two years, and the next will bo the final struggle. It depends ou the public almost aa much as the firemen whether the post of honor remains with Gisborne or not. The meu are doing their best to (it Un.uiet.lu. a for tliu day,

A meeting of the Committee is convened In oonneotlon with the (joining meeting of tha Gtsborue Raoing Club for Friday ovening, aud, as will bo aeon by the advertisement, the business is important,

Rawiri te Aim who was arraigned 'at the last Supreme Court on a charge of forgery and acquitted, was brought up before Mr Booth R. M. at Tologa ßay, and charged with obtaining by means ot false pretences an overcoat. The evidence was that accused went to Mr Trimmer's store and said to the girl in charge " Trimmer sent mo and told me to get tliac coat." Accused pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The same prisoner was charged with resiPting Constable Ryan in the execution of his duty. The evidence showed that a, struggle lasted over three miles of ground. Accused was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for tliis offence, the sentence to run concurrent with the other one,