The Evening Star. THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2266, 11 August 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1870.

In the Departmental Reports of the Session of the Provincial Council or 1865, it is stated that the quantity of gqld 1 “ escorted to Dunedin during the “tWelVemonths ending 31st March,” ounces. In round numbers, nearly thirty thousand ounces monthly ; and as a good deal was brought down privately, the export reached about thirty-five or thirty-six ounces monthly. That was . after; 6000 men had gone to the Waka- • Purina diggings, and about the time of the migration pf miners to the West Coast. It argues little in favor of the' wisdom with which the affair's of the j Province have been conducted, that thefe has been' so much supineness in regard to a branch of industry that has done so- much for the Province, as to allow it to fall Off to s6ven or eight thousand ounces. It was estimated at there were 10,000 men engaged in mining. Taking the return (Uptjhft-pscort) of gold obtained during the previous twelve months at that given in the import, 396,000 ounces, the average, earning per man per week was £2 19s. 4d. By the reports published in our late issues, it will be seen that the wages paid to men for mining is three pounds per week. Taking into consideration the decrease in the cost of living since that time, and the vastly JJKrSlfMd' comforts attainable in every part of the Province, this must be considered a much higher rate of wages j fjhan waa obtainable at that time. That ’ is to say, more and better goods and i accommodation Can be obtained for the sameamoupt of money. Since so many 1 optcry, frpm every part of the

country is, “ Give- us labor.” But those who live by labor imagine that the importation of laborers is equivalent to reduction of wages. We know this to be an emu*, taking the year through. It would be found, as it ever has been, that without such a reserve as the goldfields to 'fall back upon, ■when once a stream of immigration had set in, the. tendency of wages would be to rise, and not to fall ; but still there are seasons of the year when there is a difficulty in obtaining work, and to newcomers especially this is a hardship to which they ought not to be exposed. This en passant: what we wish to press upon public attention is, that while so many miners have left us, we have not had the good sense to replace them by a more permanent population. Those who remember the ] class of men who came over to Otago oh the discovery of gold, are well aware that they were not likely to be permanent settlers. They were like the Chinese—birds of passage, who in pursuit of wealth had no abiding place. They came from Victoria ; many of them had been in New South Wales, and had followed the course of discovery, travelling from north to south, bent upon making their pile, and then leaving us. They were alluvial miners, but experienced and skilled men. Accustomed to a digger’s life, they knew how to go about their work, and with few exceptions contrived to make a fair living.. To those who now come into the country a digger’s life is something new. If recommended to go to the diggings, they would not know which way to turn. They would know nothing of the indications that tell an old miner that he is in a gold district. The miners who remain with us are men of capital as a rule, with money invested in paying claims, and newcomers have no chance whatever of establishing themselves as miners, excepting through hardship, suffering, and loss. Now it is not to the interest of the Province that this state of things should continue. It is clearly not only our interest but our duty to enable immigrants, at the least possible cost to themselves, to obtain such a knowledge of the resources of the country as to enable them to turn thenhands to something permanent and profitable to them. The plan we suggested yesterday, of Government gold workings, would have this good effect:—lt would be a mining school, imparting such knowledge to those who were employed, as would enable them to go intelligently about getting a living for themselves, should they turn their attention to mining, and it would give them time to look about them. It would prepare a well trained set of miners, who would make Otago their home,, to replace those whose previous habits unfitted them for, permanent settlers ; and as, under such an arrangement, the works should be superintended by the highest engineering and mining skill obtainable, improved methods would be introduced, that would tend to render mining even more profitable and certain in its returns then it is at present. There is another point not to be lost sight of. No class of men is better fitted for the construction of the great public works contemplated than those who have learnt to handle the pick and shovel as miners do. Bearing therefore in mind that we advocate the adoption of some such system, in order that there may not be a break in a working man’s time, and that he may not be subjected to living one-third of the year upon the earnings of the previous two-thirds, we believe that it would be a boon to all classes and a profit to the Province to adopt it. If the farmer wanted labor he could apply for and obtain it. If there was work for Carpenters it would pay them better to go to their trade than to dig for gold on the Government workings. If shearers were wanted they would be prepai’ed to go, and if railway works were in progress there would always be men willing to go to them. We do not think the scheme in the slightest degree visionary, but practical and practicable in the hands of an able Government,