'Working Bullocks.'

Observer, Volume XIV, Issue 793, 10 March 1894, Page 2

'Working Bullocks.'

The lot of the gnmdigger is like the way of the transgressor— pretty hard. The man who digs gam for a living has much to put np with that outsiders know not of. 'But, after all,' yon may aay, • the gumdigger ia his own bosa. He can please himself. 1 Unfortunately that is just preoisely what, in nine oases oat of ten, he cannot do. Generally speaking, he is a mere drudge, a white slave, who sows that somebody else may reap. Only last week a gumdigger from the far north of Auckland, a decent sort of fellow enough, well-Epoken and with his head evidently screwed on the right way, interviewed me. He came as the representative of a large number of diggers to lay before me what he considers and his mates consider a hard case. This story told in a plain, straightforward fashion, was substantially as follows.

On a certain distant Northern gumfield. some hundreds of men are working. There are two or three stores on the field, bat only one does any business worth talking about. Tne proprietor practically monopolises the trade. He sells his goods at famine prices, and oalls the diggers who deal at his store or sell or exchange their gum there, ' his working bullocks.' Playful, isn't it?— and also just "a little bit significant, when yon come to think of it. He also runs or is interested in a hotel some little distance away. He is a nice, affable kind of man — so long as his ' bullocks ' are obedient and tractable and thirsty. For bullocks who prefer to save their money or only spend a portion of it in drink he entertains feelings of the profoundest contempt. The non-drinkers or moderate drinkers are a mere handful compared to the men who drink d6ep and often. Strange to relate the Bober and industrious diggers don't hit it with the 'boss.' The other fellows,, you see, the ' soakers,' spend all their money at the • pub ' —all excepting what they spend at the store. Between the 'pub 5 and the store the ' boss ' scoops the pool every time.

Why don't the sober few send their gum up to town and so dispose of it ? Simply because the ' boss ' has sufficient influence to prevent this from being done. There is only one channel by which gum forwarded from this out-of-the-world place can reach town and then it has to go a round about way to get here. And the ' boss ' • holds the fort* here too. He commands this channel and can close it at will. He's an J enterprising man, the sort of roan who'll j try to run a ' corner ' in ' harps ' or I

'halos' in the celestial regions— in the event of hia ever reaching them. Virtually he is master of the situation. He controls the market. He does as he pleases. Well, the sober few have long kicked against this sort of thing. They were prepared to buy Btores at famine prices, prepared to humour the great man who runs the store and sways the de3tinies of the pub —and th 9 district. Bat drink away all their hard-earned savings they would not. Things have not been going smoothly in oonsequanoe for some time. A few days ago they came to a crisis. The sober few took their sacks of gum to the store to sell. The • boas ' was there. He sized up his visitors at a glance. The gum offered this time was 'prime ' (valued at 40/- per cwt.) The boss looked at it disdainfully and said : ' Ten bob.' Then he went on with his work.

Isn't that rather low?' ventured one of the crushed ones. ' Ten bob ' repeated the boss. 'Oh, we can't take that I' 1 Very well ; leave it alone. 1 Now these men were in a fix. They wanted to clear out and it is just possible the ' boss ' was aware of the fact. The diggers retired to consider the situation. 'Half a loaf's better than no bread,' said one, let's take it and go. We can't get the gum away.' They marched back. ' Very good, Mr you can have the gam at your own price.' ' Oh, don't bother me. I don't want your stuff. Take it away.' The men left the gum on the ground, and in doing so I think they made a very great mistake. Sooner than let the ' boss ' have the benefit of that gum I'd have burned it or ' planted ' it. The story spread. Sixty or seventy men threw down spades and spears and cleared out in a body. They are to be congratulated on their escape. But their desertion won't hurt the ' boss ' much. He will soon find men to replace those who have gone—' working bullocks ' warranted to drink all they earn— and to apply for charitable aid when they are no longer fit or able to earn anything.