Te Aroha Ohinemuri News UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE TUESDAY, MARCH 20. 1889. RIOT ON A GOLDFIELD.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2090, 29 March 1898, Page 2

Te Aroha Ohinemuri News UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE TUESDAY, MARCH 20. 1889. RIOT ON A GOLDFIELD.

The average of intelligence amongst miners is admittedly high. Broadly speaking he is not only a level-headed man; but a bit of a philosopher. After the turmoil accompanying the first rush to a new field the ‘square-heads ’ and the ; Cousin Jacks,’ the brokendown, but gritty, professional man and bankrupt tradesman from the cities pouring into the canvas citv that springs up in a night from the sour clay country like a mushroom in a lush Te Aroha meadow, tacitly agree i to keep their eyes upon the rowdies : and spielers, and to act in concert when the vindication of law and order becomes necessary. .It must be con ceded, however, that such work being foreign to their vocation is usually despatched in a rough and ready style, flavored too often with, what we j denizens of a gentler civilization, term, ! with a refine ! shudder, a brutal j >coseness that we do not like to see associated with the administration of justice. Tne absolute necessity of recognising some sort of authority higher than the individual will is readily acquiesced in by the miner. He knows perfectly well that the ordinary rules and regulations, however harshly they may operate in some instances, imposed by the Government are notthe outcome of hasty one-sided legislation, as ignorant agitators are wont to describe them toot often ; but the result of experience gathered on scores of Australian goldfields since Hargreaves’ discovery half a century ago. No one can peruse the laws regulating the conduct of a colonial goldfield without being impressed by their wisdom, and when we consider that they, in reality, reflect the learning and experience of hundreds - upon, hundreds of wardens of goldfields, in a crystallized form, we can understand how a man of the miners’ superior intelligence invariably ranks as their sworn supporter, although he may vary the monotony of bis attitude by growling occasionally at the Warden’s clerk. The famous revolt in the earlydays eulminatingin the Eureka stookade episode against, the tyrannical administration of the law in connection with the issue of miners’ rights stands alone m the history of Australian mining. Men made money easily in those days and the heads of the Government were inexperienced and perhaps a trifle exacting. Their strongest apologists admit that to-day.- The diggers had certain genuine grievances : but they had a constitutional method whereby to obtain reddress. Yet with the hot impatience of men who were already making money hand over fist, or, be : held the means within their reach, but for a vexatious regulation, of so making it, theyconsignecLthe meddling police to a warmer place than even Melbourne in the fifties and challenged the Warden of the Goldfield to do bis worst. The fight at the Eureka stockade is historical, and we who have profited by the faults and mis takes of both parties, to-day, willigly draw the veil of forgetfulness over that blood-stained picture. On Friday last intelligence of a very unusual and alarming character was received in Auckland from Kalgoorlie, in the Westralian province. It seems that owing to a dispute with the authorities relative to the power con ferred by the law upon a holder of a miner’s right on the new alluvial field near that township certain diggersfound themselves in limbo for contempt of Court..We may estimate the number, of miners on the field at ten thousand. Of course in those figures must be included the extensive class of hangers on, who, scenting plunder and looted bar-rooms in the wind, for the nonce identified themselves with the genuine miners, who invariably belong to associations and never quit work save under dire provocation. And it will be observed that when your quiet usually well-behaved . digger takes it into his head that the authorities are not treating him fairly, he develops a grim silent passion not ouly for redress but revenge, appalling in its concentrated fury and intensity. To return to our story. Sir John Forrest, who in strength of character may be likened to our own Premier, on Friday last, accompanied by the Governor of the colony and a number of Ministers, visited the scene of discontent. It is reported that he. listened very patiently to the delegates from the Miners’ Union, who waited upon him at the hotel, demanding the release of their four imprisoned mates. Their immediate release and the ropeal of the obnoxious regulation were apparently made sort of test questions. If the . Premier consented— well and good—the* malcontents, would have returned to their dirt-slinging after drinking his honour’s health in the neighbouring saloons; if he declined “by the sacred blue-gums of Kal-

goorlie they’d take it out of his hide.” That seems to have been the foaling Generally. far as we can gather from the meagre telegrams. But our friends counted without their host. Anyone who has dipped into Sir John's * Notes on Western Vustralia,’ or bis 1 Exploration of Australia ’ will see that although f he accusation of nepotism laid to bis charge, appears to have some foundation, be is a man, everv inch of him. Accm-tomed to sec the tamo cats in the Government Ttiiilding-q tremble at his frown Sir John clearly lost bis temper. While in the act of shaking the dust of Kalgoorlie from his sh-ies the exasperated crowd rushed him The police fought desperately to guard him from the mob of now utterly reckless men. which surged around the gallant little baud of defenders encircling the Premier. The gravity of the situation seems to have come upon them when they reached che station, bruised, bleeding, breathlesh, only to find the way barred against thorn, and a mob howling for their blood in their rear. At this trying juncture the Warden, preparatory to calling upon the mounted police to load their rifles with ball-cartridge and do their duMr, read the Riot Act. The troopers charge! the crowd and so relieved the pressure. Finally the Premier, after being terribly knocked about, was got into a railway carriage and pmceedod to Boulder. The miners, however, wore determined not to be robbed of their prey so easily and tore the rails up The ministerial party in consequence returned to Kulgoordie and thence to Perth. What the upshot of this extraordinary incident will be, wheth( r the news has been grossly exaggerated by those minions of deception, tbe Press Association, or not remains to be seen, but in last night’s Herald a cable from Perth is published stating that Sir John met with an ovation on his return from Kalgoorlie.