MINERS' GRIEVANCES.

Kumara Times, Issue 1525, 17 August 1881, Page 2

MINERS' GRIEVANCES.

[to the EDITOR.] / Sir—l see by the West Coast Times that certain of the County Councillor* are wrath at Mr Seddon's Gold Duty; Abolition Bill and adduce statement* that have not the least coloring of truth in them, that is to say, that the miners dont want the duty taken off their gold* Now, sir, this is a special tax on out earnings; there is no other class of producers has to pay one penny of special tax only the miners. If a miner gets. thirty ounces of gold in the year he haa to pay £3 and a miner's right, which makes £4, besides registrations of various kinds; and this amounts to a little over £2 per week, for which sum he has to undergo the most dangerous labor, while others of his fellow men in various employments whose earnings are twice the amount have not to pay a single farthing of special tax on their" earnings, with no danger to life or lirabi If the parasites that live on the labor of the miners had to pay 2s on every £3 16s that they get, there would bo, a far greater howl of woe than that raised by either Jack or Dale. The cry of tin; latter gent is easily understood as he could see by the Abolition his bread and butter was gone • for if it was not for the pickings that some of the said councillors draw from the gold., duty, they would be conspicuous by their absence in the Council Chambers j so no wonder the fear of the death of their milch cow that ha 9 served them so well and saved them from having to earn their bread by honest labor. But Mr Dale will tell us we are occupying Crown lands and should pay tax for" such privileges. So we do pay fairly by our miners' rights, which is a, fair license for said privilege. These facts Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland all recognised years a«o, and also reduced the price of the miner's right to 10s per annum j but Dale and Co. have an axe of their own to grind in the matter, for if this means is abolished, they must find other means of support then, that being leeches sucking the life blood out of the miners by raising taxes in a general way fqfcf the maintenance of an extravagarit and useless County Council; and the fairest way would be a poll and property taxi This would reach all fairly alike—say those that have no property to pay a poll tax, say 10s per head pere|annum, and this would bring the miners on a fair footing with their fellow men, and not be, as now, paying all; for although the merchant has to pay heavy duty on his wares, he is only lending it| sits down at his desk and adds th% duty and freight, insurance, and'! di-her charges, then makes a proportion of the whole, adding his profits to the lot, and the consumer has to pay the ivh&le back to him. Not so with the miue»s: they pay 2s per ounce for every ; ouncei of gold they take out of ths ground, .with no chance of any return except' abuse from things like Dale and Co. : , Bui there is one thing certain, thaji./there must be a change. We re? lieved from the greedy parasjtoa, of* Hokitika. If the Abolitioa,Bill, .dont pass this session we must goTfiu-fqr a new county. We on this side of the Arahuraare paying nearly the, whole of the revenue that is raiscl in, ,the county. Why should it go to ,Kokitika for Dale and Co. to fatten on it, while works done here mnst stand not paid for being done for months after bein» done; works finished here in May last the contractor is not paid for.his wotk; and now it is the middle of August. But I will guaiautee that Messrs Dale

: and Co. have presented their little bills "at the treasury long ago, and had them duly honored, and turned away *their faces radiant with smiles. Well may the said company cry God bless 'the county of Westland, and keep her treasury well filled !—Yours, A MkNER. Larrikin's* August 15.