The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1895. THE LUST FOR GOLD.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 89, 11 October 1895, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette. Published Daily. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1895. THE LUST FOR GOLD.

The mining boom continues to gain strength in Auckland, and thousands of pounds are beuig invested in scrip. One advantage is that the companies formed are "no liability," whereas under tbe old system holders of scrip were liable for the full amount of their shares. Now a person can hold as much scrip #s he can pay for without further risk, anda company works only with its capital in baud. Of course the number of << wild

cat " mines will not be diminished, but whatever losses are made will only be in hard cash. Still, the work of prospecting new country will be done faithfully and honestly, because under the cyanide process the rewards are so great that they justify every shilling of expenditure in that direction— and the practice of " shepherding " ground will be either abolished altogether, or made too dangerous and difficult to successfully hold a claim under such risky tenure" It is said — and we have no doubt — with perfect, truth the tradespeople in Auckland city are complaining that the money which should be devoted to the payment of household accounts for the necessaries as well as the luxuries of life is already being devoted, in very many instances, to the gratification of the gambling passion, and thus checking legitimate business. Well, they have their remedy, but as the probabilities are each and everyone of them has the same " fever in the blood " they are in the position of " sinning as well as being sinned against " — uncomfortable, no doubt, but it will have to be borne for a little while longer, until the inevitable reaction takes place and the small fry are eaten up by the big fish. This contingency is certain to come about, because, as the really good claims are being sold to England, it stands to reason "the others" will fall to the share of "our poorer brethren." In the meantime we do not attempt to deny that the "boom," although doing harm in one way, is in the main achieving an immense amount of good by reviving the spirit of enterprise so long dormant in the colony.