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Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1929, Page 4

The versatile Mayor of Christchurch has been making some light and airy remarks about “ another gold rush.” Mr Archer has the idea that “we don’t want to turn the people’s minds to making money easily and cheaply!” Those who go amining have a different idea about “easily and cheaply” making money. Itr is not easy to strike it rich, nor may one get rich cheaply in these-days of the high costs of everything. Gold is the only commodity which has not risen in price or value, but every means of winning' gold is dearer. Mr Archer does not recall that it was Ifortunate- for Canterbury as for the rest of New Zeaand, that there was a gold rush on the West Coast. The occasion was the means of bringing population to the colony and assisting materially, tQ develop it. Aiso the pioneers of the “ rUsh ” days were men of the highest stamp, all of whom, from the late Premier Seddon down, have left their niark on this country. It was mining which gave New Zealand its first start on ( a sound and prospering basis, and Canterbury has reaped a harvest from the West Coast even since. If a gold find were to be discovered now what a transformation scene there would be. The unemployment troubles would disappear in ah instant. A “ rush ’’ such as set in when Kumara and Kimu revived the dropping conditions of New 1 Zealand, 'following the languishing of the earlier “ rushes,” would indeed be acceptable to the present Dominion as a whole. There is no other- medium by which an instant revival could be brought about, and s no other better contributor to the country’s revenue, than the gold miner. When Mr Archer talks of another gold rush being a greater disaster than the earthquake, it is evi T dent he does not know the dstent of the recent visitation, nor the;.icompensating value a gold rush nvoyldidie were it to materialise happily at-this juncture. The effect of the earthquake has been most devastating, destroying more country in a few moments,, than "•old mining could have done in.-de-cades. Kuination has fallen on the unfortunate people affected, while in contrast to that catastrophic, effect, a gold rush . would bring about the brightest of settlement and a condition in which earnest work would be’the j cardinal virtue to achieve . success Gold mining does not bring its"-reward easily nor cheaply, and because of that fact the goldminer is a useful and earnest worker ,and an excellent member of any community. The more.gold miners New Zealand can accommodate the better for its material progress