THE THAMES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 358, 14 January 1876, Page 3

THE THAMES.

our true posrrroN. (To the Editor of the 'Thames Evening Star.') Sir,—Our present position as a working population truly demands some attention from the Government of this colony Two—thirds of the working men oil this Goldfield are driven to ask what shall we do We are here without work and without means to get to other places where work is plentiful, and 'we are getting worse off every week, with the dark prospect of a very gloomy Christmas before us. It is bad enough to be out o employment, but it is worse to be driven to write on the tablet of our memory th.-se indellible lines :—Christmas. 1875, on the Thames Goldfield. No work; no new clothes for Johnny ; «io shoes for Sally ; no meat; no pudding; no cake, this Christmas. And the rate collector has already told us that our very shelter will be sold on purpose to pay our overdue rates. Such. Sir, is the true position of many a hard working man on the Thames Goldfield,' without expectations, and without hope. A large number of working men were looking hopefully towards Sir George Grev's late visit, expecting he would devise some means of finding employment in order to alleviate their present depressed condition. The risit has taken place, and what has been the result ? Sir George certain!) spoke well in reference to politics and political quarrels, subjects which are bad to digest on a working man's empty stomach. He pictured to our' imagination a prospective railway and a growing population as a sedative to our present most ' pressing wants; he gave instructions for some patchwork coivracts to be performed on bush tracks which-will absorb the labour ot about twenty men for a very short time. Such men are already living in the neighborhood of the tracks, and are as bad off as ourselves. If our chief magis trate of the Province and reputed champion of the Colony cannot now devise some remedy for the present depression, in what way will his tar-seeing knowledge help us in the future? VVe are well pleased with Sir George Grey as a man of eloquence and good parts, but we would be better pleased with him as a real benefactor to our wives and children if he could devise some means of giving tangible employment to their bread winners.—l am, &c., T. Brighouse.