The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1870.

Dunstan Times, Issue 434, 12 August 1870, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1870.

Beneath the Rule of Men entirely just the pen is mightier than theswoßD

Ths goldfiells’ population have at last become unanimous, that the Wasta Lands Act should be amended .

This has been given expression to at large and influential meetings held all over the goldfields, and the petitions now in the hands of onr representatives cannot fail to impress upon the Government that there is a oneness of opinion upon this subject. Free selection within the boundaries of the goldfields and deferred payments, will more than double our present population, besides give an impetus to gold mining, almost equal to a new discovery. The statistics for the last twelve months, show a very large increase upon previous years, not the result of any addition to the mining population but, actual individual gains, this most unmistakably demonstrates the fact, that, the gold contained in,'the soil is practically speaking, inexhaustible, and the more : work we do, and the more perfect oiir appliances are the more cold we obf tain ; to increase the yield of gold ; becomes therefore a simple question of I manipulation, and the only difficulty to contend against is the want of willing hands to labor. Without a diversity of employment we can never ' expect labor on the goldfields to be either cheap or plentiful, as in all . matters immediately connected with the extraction of gold from the soil, employment is necessarily of a desultory character, consequently men . seeking work, require a higher rate of j wages than were the service of a permanent character. An agricultural population would supply this want, as [ it fortunately happens that when l mining pursuits are dull, there is a pressure of farm work. Laborers instead of being as they now are mere [ birds of passage, working to satisfy . the exigences of the moment, Would become permanent residents in one district, greatly to t heir own advantage and that of other people. By throwing open the lands upon easy ■ terms, thousands would settle themselves down systematically to farming pin-suits and a cheapening of almost ’ every article of produce would be the attending result, this would enable many to embark further into mining speculations or enterprises, who under present arrangements are unable to do so for the want of means, and we all know very well how many undertakings are languishing, because the costs of the bare necessaries of life are so outrageously dear. Where there is an absence of roads, the rates | for conveying provisions and ma- , terial by means of pack horses is a 1 serious matter for consideration, and many places that would afford profitable employment to numbers is abandoned for this very reason. A population settled on the land would obviate this, ns a number of theartic-les required could be produced upon the spot. Horsefeed would be materially cheapened, consequently goods, for the carriage of which the services of the pack horse are indispensable, could be conveyed to the place of consunip tion at greatly reduced rates. If a miner could live for 10s. per week instead of a £ it is very certain that a considerable deal more attention would be turned towards prospecting, and valuable discoveries be made. Many water-races would be cut which are now considered as too costly to become remunerative, or that the capital required to execute the work is wanting. Yiew the matter in whatever light we may. the throwing open of the waste lands of the Goldfields and their occupation under a system of deferred payments would be so enormously advantageous that no stone must be deft unturned to accomplish the much desired object. Free selection and deferred payments is the only true system of colonisation, if we cannot give the population, land, it will cease to flow towards us, and what we have, will leave for elsewhere, the moment they acquire sufficient capital to enable them to start in a more favorable locality. Without an amendment; of the Waste Lands Act, we cannot hope-for progress, and if, we are to remain as we are, it is very clear that the most enterprising j amongst us will seek fresh fields and . pastures new. <