GOLD LURE.

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18338, 26 May 1931, Page 11

GOLD LURE.

OPTIMISTS IN N.S.W. DEPRESSION RUSHES. It is estimated that 3000 men are engaged in the search for gold in New South Wales alone. This is one of the direct results of unemployment, in j the city (says a Sydney paper). There have been minor rushes to all the reputed gold-bearing districts, but so far few of the prospectors have gained rr(uch success. To approved prospectors the Government allows £1 a week for four weeks, and after that they oolleot the dole. They find living on the goldfields cheaper than in the city, and in many instances whole families have been transported from Sydney to the primitive home which the prospector has been able to prepare—a home of canvas and bark. At many of the camps a grain or so .of gold is the sole reward for a week of back-breaking and heart-breaking work, but that grain is enough to keep the prospector at his self-imposed task. Plenty of Gold. Experts agree that there is as much gold in New South Wales as has, been won from the State —perhaps 'more. Is it any wmnder, therefore, that more men are lured each week to likely fields. Practically all grades of society are represented on the fields. They are not the riff-raff or the unemployables, but include men who not long ago occupied sound positions that gave them every reason to regard the life ahead of them as an eadksettled proposition. There are accountants, clerks, and even doctors. Of course, most of them are “new ohums," and that / might account for the fact that to date very little gold has been found. It takes an experienced miner, it is said, to find gold inareas that have already been prospected. Still, there is always the possibility that some day even the beginner will strike it rich. Most Favoured Area. The most favoured area is that Vast stretch of oountry bounded by the towns of Bathurst, . Molong, Meoval, Wellington, Gulgong, Mudgee, Capertree. This area includes many famous fields. One prospector at El Dorado was very disgusted. “I always thought an El Dorado was a very, rich plaoe,” he said. “The chap who named this must have been . thinking of rabbits. There are plenty of rab.bits here, and that is about all we .oan find. And they don’t take'any looking for."

One man arrived at his claim two months ago in a sedan oar. He w'as formerly the manager of a big city business which has been compelled to close its doors. He is not getting enough gold to pay for his tucker;’ and when he goes to the nearest‘town for his dole he walks, as he has not enough money to pay for the petrol his oar would use on the journey. Experts know that many of the “new ohums" are blundering along without any hope of success,,is, sugge'sj&d that the Government" should' provide a mining- engineer in eaoh distriot so that advice oould be given to those who need it.