The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, 28th SEPTEMBER, 1866.

Dunstan Times, Issue 231, 28 September 1866, Page 2

The Dunstan Times

FRIDAY, 28th SEPTEMBER, 1866.

‘Beneath the rule of men entirely just, ti c pen is mightier than the sword!”

I . The new Goldfields’ Bill which has just passed the House of Representatives is not of so satisfactory a nature as could have been desired, but at the same time it definitely settles many vexed questions, the most important one being the occupation of the lands. It must, be very clear to every one who has acquired experience in goldfields’ matters, that when mining and agriculture is combined, that that particular goldfield or district is most prosperous. In the early days of a rush when almost every man willing to work can find it consequent upon the ease with which gold can be obtained, things go along “ merrily as a marriage bell;” but when the superficial deposits become exhausted, and mining for gold becomes a question of capita], combined with skilled and patient labor, thei-e is an end to the mushroom prosperity, and a great change comes over the state of affair’s. The once busy hive of diggers becomes partially deserted, and there ensues a long dull season to both miners and business people which endures till such times the work of prospecting for and developing the more permanent mineral resources of the locality has produced a result. Now, it has invariably been found that places thus situate, but where agricultural pursuits arc prosecuted in the neighbourhood the prostration to trade is not so severely felt, the surplus population of miners find employ ment without leaving the district, while at the same time they are in a position to assist their friends in the work of prospecting and development; retaining the advantage, that when circumstances re-

quire it, they can return once again to 1' their temporarily abandoned occupation 1 of mining. < Agriculture and mining combined possess many other advantages, it cheapens the cost of living, and thus enables the miner to work for a less rate of remuneration than would otherwise be the case ; it also places him in a position to ; undertake enterprises of an extensive and ; costly character, which, under other cu> cumstances he would never dream of attempting. The prosecution of large undertakings requiring a number of hands les. sens thedesultary nature of the employment, and the workman who labors not for himself but for others, can afford to do so for a less wage and yet be better off, for the reason that, the intervals between employ nient and idleness are comparatively few. The cause that such high rates of wages are paid to miners in this particular district is not that the nature of the work is more arduous than elsewhere, or that a man willing to work for wages is a rarity, but, from the excessive costs of the [ne- . eessaries of life and the uncertain periods for which employment may be obtained. To remedy this evil, there must be a larger number of people settled upon and cultivating the lands than is now the case, when it will be found thatjthe district will , be more self-sustaining. Money sent away for supplies will be kept in it, branches of employment to which we are now strangers will spring up, and having inducements to attract labor, there will be no difficulty in i obtaining men willing to work for a fair day's wage. In Australia we find that the r labor-market is frightfully over-crowded. In the pet Colony of Queensland the unemployed have actually attempted coercive measures j the Government there being com- . polled to come to the relief of the starving multitude. There never was a better opportunity than the present to attract population to our shores, and when once it becomes thoroughly known on the Australian Continent, that in New Zealand, the labourer can find profitable employment either on the goldfields or at other pursuits, l and that persons wishing to settle down can readily obtain land, where there is a market for his produce, and where no s droughts exist to prevent the earth bring- • ing forth its fruit, or parching hot winds ' to destroy vegetation, and where the climate, instead of being enervating, is bracing in the extreme,and peculiarly adaptable ' to the constitution of the Anglo Saxon. Hundreds of desirable colonists will seek mve shores who have merely kept away, for the sole reasons, that they were ignorant j of our resourscs, and what inducements we had to offer them. We fully believe that a better class of immigrants could be obtained from Australia than from the British Isles, the one is in ever}' shape acquainted with the requirements of a colonial life—its difficulties and hardships at the outset, while at the best, the other requires a long antipodean residence before he becomes a useful member of a community. We arc of opinion that the apportioning to each goldfield two definitely denned blocks of land, having a collective area of five-thousand areas, will most satisfactorily settle the vexed land question—an indiscriminate selection would undoubtedly have suited cultivators better, but as : other interests would be seriously injured ! by such a course, we must accept what we ' have, as conferring a benef't upon all and committing injury upon none. Every sen- : sible person must own that the pastoral intei'est is a valuable one, and as the stocks on the runs increase, it will be far more so, while at the same time we must not forget, that upon that interests we de- ' pend for our supplies of animal-food. As a matter of course, a sheep-walk must cease to be one, when the country is required for the settlement of men, but it will be many years before such will be required of the runs in this part of the country, if eversuchadesideratum arrives at all, asafterweleavethe sea-coast, some thirty miles the area of land suitable for the plough is at the best but limited, and we opine that the mining and squatting interests preserving a good understanding with each other, the prosperity of the two will bo greatly enhanced. Selectors of land have now the privilege of occupying one hundred acres at a rental of two shillings and sixpence per acre for three years, with the right of purchase after that time, at £1 per acre, from which fact we may safely say, that no bonafide and industrious settler can fail upon such ' liberal terms to improve his condition in ' life, and ultimately acquire a valuable property. All that is wanted now is for i the public to urge the Government for- : ward in selecting and surveying these : areas off into allotments, when they will

very soon be taken up and occupied.

The reduction of the miners-right to ten shillings per annum, we look upon as an unrequired and unasked for piece of legislation, emanating doubtless from some claptrap andpopularity-huntingrepresentative, whose knowledge of the goldfields, is of a most limited character. Every one is well aware that a revenue must be raised from somewhere—roads require making, out-lying goldfields being in a semi-desert-ed state because of the expenses of transit, and while ten-shillings per annum is of small moment to the individual—the lessening of the means of the Provincial Governments to make local improvements will be a grievous loss to the whole. The proposed reduction will however not be made—the House of Assembly having refused their assent, otherwise the Goldfields Bill may be considered as passed. We may safely say, that in the present state of affairs if the occupation of mining will not permit of a tax of £1 per annum, for the privilege of exercising it as' a branch of industry it is not worth.following. Any concessions to the miners should be in the shape of a reduction of the half-crown duty upon gold, that is a direct tax upon industry and which, when the value of labour becomes reduced, will be found to lessen employment, for assuredly the time ■ will come when speculators will employ men if they can only make a profit of ten shillings per week, out of their labour; but it is questionable their do so if that sum is reduced, the loss will be found to fall upon the actual getter of the gold and not upon the individual whose especial property the gold might be, as the votaries of the "stump" would desire us to bel ieve. Respecting Mining Boards we are all perfectly well aware of their necessity ; the goldfields have now arrived at that stage of progress as to make local legislation a matter of urgent necessity. The discretionary powers possessed by the Wardens was doubtless advantageous during the early days of mining operations, and wo have no reason to believe otherwise but that the power has not been abused ; however, now that so many valuable interests have sprung up, a code of Mining Rules, suitable to each particulur district, is desirable, inasmuch as there can be no fixed value to property unless it is definitely settled under what title and privilege such property is held; nor is any investment a secure one when its value is at the mercy of individual caprice. The miners now hold a remedy for their grievances in their own hands, a petition to the Governor signed by 500 properly qualified persons is all that is necessary for the formation of a Mining Board District. The new Goldfields Bill will shortly be in the hands of our readers, we could, however, have wished that such should have been the case before it became law, but, unfortunately, it is not so, those most effected by it have not been consulted upon the subject, nor were they even made aware that such a Bill was in contemplation.