A WAIL FROM TE AROHA.

Observer, Volume 5, Issue 114, 18 November 1882, Page 14

A WAIL FROM TE AROHA.

There is a digger at Te Aroha who is afflicted with a grievance. It is a matter which touches him in his tenderest part. To prevent misconception it may be as well to remark that we refer to his heart. This observation is necessary because it does not always follow that the tenderest part of a miner — and of course miners are very tender, especially when there is any whiskey about — is his heart. For instance, it may be his pocket, or his nose, or his liver (owing * to bad air), or his — but it is unnecessary to^ prolong the subject. Anyhow this miner has received a mortal stab somewhere in the region of the waistcoat, and like a. peace-loving British subject with a predilection for pacific reforms, he ventilates his grievance through the Press.

Apart from warlike inyasions, there are national incursions in modern times which, create almost as great irritation and injury as an armed attack. Of late years there was an outcry in London, against the successive invasions of French cooks Italian hurdy-gurdy men, German musicians, foreign singers, actors, painters, et hoc germs omne. California has been, overrun by- yellow-skinned almond-eyed hordes of cheap Chinese hinds ; and Te Aroha, mirabile dictu, invaded by hordes of "Auckland aristocrats." This it is that has stirred the gall, and inspired the facile pen ot our Te

Aroha friend. His simple soul revolts at the fine airs of these proud minions of fortune, these blueblooded invaders, who, like the Norman aristocrats, look with lofty contempt on the blueshirted digger — type of the Anglo-Saxon villein — have no compunction about rudely supplanting him in the affectionate esteem of the barmaids, monopolise the billiard-tables, the best beds, and generally put the aforesaid miner into the shade. In fact, he is not " in it" at all.

No wonder that the poor despised man protests against his claim being jumped by a parcel of swell interlopers. Even the " remittance men," who were wont to regard themselves as the creme de la creme des honnetes gens, have had to take aback seat, and now, with that fellow feeling which comes of common-anisfortune, are banded together by a solemn league and covenant to repel the invader. There is, however, a silver lining to the cloud. The supply of " Auckland aristocrats" is limited — very.