TEE GUMFIELDS’ COMMISSION.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 204, 30 June 1893, Page 2

TEE GUMFIELDS’ COMMISSION.

The three gentlemen comprising the above Commission, Dr. Giles R.M., Mr Mueller, Commissioner of Crown Lands, and Mr J. C. Firth, an old and highly respected Aucklander, arrived at Aratapu last Friday afternoon in the Pilot launch. Mr J. Gould accompanies them as Secretary. On Saturday morning the Commission sat in the Library at TE KQPCJIiU. George Bietoich was the first witness examined. He was a Dalmatian, a native of Ragusa and spoke fairly good English (Father Egan was present and explained matters when they were not quite clear). He had been 34 years in the Australian colonies, 20 of which had been spent on the gold fields. He had not been naturalised, he came to the Aucklaud gumfields 12 months ago. Had been in the Grey and Hokitika districts several times. Was now digging at Horehore on Mr Harding’s land ; about 20 of his countrymen being there as well as other men. They had paid 2s per week royalty, Is per sack for carting, and 4s a dray load for other goods. They sold their gum and bought their stores where they pleased. He had not cleared more than £lO beyond his keep for the twelve months. The average amount of gum dug by his countrymen was between 00 and 701 bs per week. It cost him 14s per week to live ; he paid 6d per lb for steak, 2s 6d for tea, 4d for sugar, Is 3d for tinned meat, and 10s 6d for OOlbs flour. His countrymen lived well because they could not work without it and were unable to get good wine like they had in Austria. He was home in Austria three years ago and came back again. Most of the Austrians here were seafaring men. At home they cultivated mostly vines for making wine, olives, almonds, figs, and nuts. Vines would not grow well out here as the soil is too tight; they wanted stony, gravelly soil. There were not more than 350 Aust - ruins on the gumfields. His letters home to bit wife would not encourage anyone to cot!' out. Austrians had been scandalized in the papers an 1 he hop°d the Commission would put a stop to it. To say that 2000 of them are coming out is the biggest lie ever said. Paul Lopez, an Austrian living at Horehore, went home, got married, and brought his wife out; he has been out 14 years and is not doing well, as he has his wife and three children to keep and is getting old. In his country a man got 2s 8d a day besides his living which consisted of coffee and eggs at seven, figs, tread, wine, and fish at lunch ; at two o’clock, soup, beef, fish, vegetable, in the afternoon coffee and fruit and in the evening bacon, or fish, bread and wine. More food given to working men home than to ten men here. Wine was given freely in abundance; it was not said “Take a glass.” He was 56 years of age and had never been drunk or before a Court. The reason why so many of his countrymen came out was because of had seasons. It cost £3O to come out and many are sorry they came, but they must live now they are here. The passage money was paid by the men themselves and not by friends in this country, and they were not induced to come out by any letters from people here. He had a piece of land at home and he paid a man £ll for 58 days’ work and kept him in food all the time. The young Austrian men would like to take up land here but it would cost £IOO to bring their wives and families out and whore was

it to coma from 1 The Colony was getting too full to make money in it now. The Austrians gave n© trouble to the police and did not owe money, and he begged the Commissioners kindly to put a stop to the scandalous lies told of them in some papers ; no British digger ever interfered with them, he only complained of the newspaper. To read such lies made people bad and might cause trouble; one man had recently insulted a countryman of his, and another Austrian had had 6cwts. of gum stolen from him. He had found English people to be the best in creation, hut sueh talk in the papers would make them treat Austrians bad. James Vercich, another Austrian, arrived on the Wairoa gumfields on March 27th. He had previously been four years on a man-of-war, and paid his passage from money he was paid off with. He had been two years in the colony, and was at Matakohe and Pahi. He agreed with all that the previous witness had said only he could get more gum per week, his average was about Jcwt. He was a single man and had land at home now in the occupation, of his father He intended to return home to his own country. The land he had seen here was not good for vines. Wr Adams’ vines at Pahi were no good ; they wanted damp, stony ground. His living cost him about 14s per week. Alexander Morton, storekeeper and gumb uyer at Scarrotts, said : Mr Pullan holds the lease of the block and charges no royalty. He rented the store from lessee. It is a summer field and the Austrians have now gone away : there were thirty there during the summer. There is another storekeeper close by and the diggers deal there too. The Austrians made from £1 to £4 per week ; the average would be about £2 and the cost of their living about 10s. I found them very orderly and honest, not one of them left in my debt; they are very different from colonials and generally paid cash. There were no quarrels between them and the whites. I pay for gum about the prices quoted in Auckland papers. The Austrians would make desirable settlers, they have as much right to stop as the majority of the men on the fields, who are runaway sailors and other scoundrels. Last summer a party of four made £4 per week each besides tucker for the whole season, but that was exceptional. There is no slygrog selling on the field. Charles Wright, a gunidigger with a large family, said if he could get 56lbs of gum a week now he thought himself lucky, in summer he averaged between J and lewt. Storekeepers give from 39s to 48s, about the same price as quoted iri the papers; they will fetch the gum and deliver stores. They make their profit by picking oyer the gum and selling only the worst at prices paid to diggers. He travelled three weeks in search of ft field to dig on but could not find one as tire Austrians had dug them out. He was told that a man up-river named Roskell charged £1 for a license to dig and also Is on every cwt. of gum, and diggers had to clear out on 24 hours’ notice if ordered ; thev also had to soli to and buy from him. The field is leased from Maorics. He knew nothing of a truck system on the fields. It cost him 10s a week to live on the fields. Emanuel Johansen, a settler and occasional digger, a naturalised Swede, said gum was getting too scarce to be of much assistance to small settlers in farming. He could not dig more than a cwt. of gum if he dug from six to five a whole week through ; might do more in summer, but the quality would be poorer. He sorted brown from white before selling and got about the prices published. Some settlers at the back have good orchards and have shown that the soil is not as poor as has been represented. Without the gum the land would not pay for the working. The Government leased large areas to individuals who are taking the gum out and making the land valueless for settlers, and yet nothing is being done for the roads. Aliens should be made to pay a licenso fee, hut not British subjects. An export duty would fall on the digger. Neil McLeod, storekeeper at Redhill, said that there were now about 25 diggers at Redhill, not including settlers, of whom there are 26 freeholders. Last summer there were 120 diggers there, only five of whom were Austrians. The average quantity of gum dug is half a cwt. worth 18/ and the cost of living 10/ per man. He knew one man who dug out £6 worth of gum in one week, He took the averages from his books for a period of 12 weeks. He had been told that he practised a truck system by deducting store account and paying diggers enly balance due on gum. Had found diggers a well behaved class of men ; they are now much more orderly and saving than formerly. Of the two evils export duty and license fee, he preferred the latter and thought 5/ a year ample. The lands about Redhill should be sold to settlers in perpetuity, there were many spots suitable for garden and the gum would assist them for years. The sandhills are encroaching to a noticeable extent. The Austrians he knew lived on 3/6 per week each, chiefly on oatmeal, bread, rice and caudles, they got a deal of gum and always

had a good balance to take ; he knew some Britishers whose cost of living averaged only 3/6. Geo. Davidson, a settler, referred to men occupying perpetual leases of large areas in Kopuru parish, not living on them and charging diggers heavy royalty ; as high as 5/ per week had been charged. He hoped, with the help of gum, to establish himself on his iand.

Robert Vincent, a settler, complained of land suitable for grass being reserved for gumdiggers to the hindrance of settlement. J. Gallagher complained of lands held for forest reserves that contained n© kauri, and which diggers would be glad to settle on. He named several blocks to which he referred. Mr Mueller explained the steps which had been taken to open these, but the Government had declined to move. AT DARGAVILLE. The Commission opened at the Court House, Dargaville, on Monday morning and the first witness was

A. E. Harding, Chairman of Hobson Comity Conncil, and owner of 13,000 acres, of which 10,000 were gum bearing lands. Has about 170 diggers on the black, 40 of them Austrians and 12 Natives He charges £1 per quarter for digging ; does not keep a store. There are two on the field, but diggers can take their gum where they please. Some diggers had applied to him for land and he encouraged them in every way he could. Five had lately settled on areas of from lOt© 120 acres. He had a block cut up ready for disposal. The average earnings on field is about 30s per week, the field is a summer and winter one, only there is no forest on it, firewood has to be dug out of the swamps. Austrians do not camp together more than others, most of them are educated men, and give no trouble. Many came from Australia, and have not wives with them. The majority intend to return home, but he did not think they would; they are chiefly agriculturists. He did not anticipate a large influx of them. A large party of Russian Fins once came out, intending to go back but did not and some are now married. The Austrians are good average men in build. Diggers are a well behaved class and the agitation has arisen from what has appeared in the papers. Gum lands will never be ploughed. He had had diggers on the block for about thirteen years, there were then about 250 men on it; it was leased to a storekeeper and diggers had to deal with him. Years ago 1 tried to introduce a license system with liberty to deal anywhere but the diggers left and I re-leased the field as before. Now the diggers appreciate the license system I have again introduced, The block was said to have been dug out before we bought it. Would not favour an export duty on gum. Roads are bad because of want of funds. The County Couucil consider that diggers on Crown Lands should pay a license fee of £1 a year which should be made County revenue; diggers are able and willing to pay such fee. Most of the County’s expenditure in Charitable Aid is upon diggers and the Council is afraid that this may became a serious item, it already amounts to £3OO yearly. The Council wants more revenue but has expressed no opinion on the Austrian question. The collection of the license fee should be left in the hands of the Council the same as rates are. The Council is also of opinion that the Land Board is inflicting great injury ®n settlement by withholding gum-bearing lands from sale. Settlers like to take up part good and part gum-land ; the non sale of the land tends to make would-be settlers only gumdiggers. The object of the Board is good but it was being defeated. The value of the land is now being exhausted and nothing left in its place. When the Board eventually cuts it up for sale they will he valueless. He had ascertained the Austrians’ average cost of living for a period of three months and it was 9/3 per week per nun, about the same as other diggers. An export duty would fall on diggers. He thought that Mr Reisheck’s letter had had a great effect in inducing Austrians to come out ; he was in the district for some time. Thomas Bassett, a settler and member of the County Council, spoke on the evils resulting from the Board’s action in withholding gum lands from sale. Money had been borrowed to make roads, and now settlement was checked and revenue kept down by the action of the Board. Diggers had benefited by roads in the cheapening of provisions, as butchers and bakers now waited upon them. He favoured a license fee, which diggers were willing to pay. He agreed generally with what Mr Harding had said. He objected to an export duty as it would be difficult to distribute it fairly amongst those ridings from which the gum was got. The number of diggers had been very much overestimat ed.

W. Fitzpatrick, a digger on Mr Harding’s field, and representative of a meeting held at Burns’s camp, said it was unfair to diggers who were making a home in the country to allow aliens to come in and take the gum and money away. The meeting urged that a license fee should be imposed for digging both on private and Crown lands and that aliens should, not he given a license until they had been two years in the Colony. Ten

shillings would be a sufficient and fair license fee. Men did not work on wages at the gum. so there was really no truck system ; but being compelled to sell gum to lessee ef field at his own price and buy goods at same prices was here called a truck system. A law should he passed making a royalty the oidy legal charge on a digger and giving him perfect freedom in buying . and selling. He thought Mr Harding deserved great credit for his method of dealing with diggers. After paying royalty it was only just that a digger’s gum should become his absolute property to deal with as he pleased. If Austrians would settle there would he no objection to them. Dr. Giles : We hear of Austrians going to swill tubs and taking out scraps of meat te eat. These are either shameful and disgraceful slanders or if true we should hoar something of it. Witness continuing : He knew nothing of that He considered 25s to be the digger’s average weekly earnings and to make this a mail had to work hard. In the interests of the country it would he fair to conserve the ruin. It was as easy 14 years ago to get 56 lbs. of gum as it is to get lOlbs. now. The Austrians are mostly young able-bodied men and will soon make it impossible for aged or weak men to live at gum-digging. The number of foreigners on the fields is yearly increasing largely. J. M. Dargaville, a settler, concurred with almost every word said by last witness. He then read a written statement which he had specially prepared. It said there are in this district 1,700 persons, exclusive of Maories, engaged in gumdigging and they produce one-fourth of the whole quantity of gum exported. The number comprises 800 British, 700 Austrians, and 200 of other nationalities. Most of the Austrians arrived within the last year; they are generally strong, hardworking men. The diggers of our own race are made up of all sorts—broken-down tradesmen, soldiers, infirm men, as well as able-bodied men. Good men earu £3, hundreds of others not £l, and some few not more than 10s per week. Owing to the influx the fields are becoming exhausted. A very unfair Truck system prevails in this district. The firm of Mitchelson Bros, have obtained leases of large tracts of gum land, comprising over 50,000 acres. On these lands there are between 500 and 600 diggers, of whom one-half are Austrians. The British have been driven off by the Truck system. By the agreement made by the firm the digger is required to buy all requisites at their stores. There is a store a few miles from here at which the prices charged are : 41bs. loaf lOd, and this when roller flour can be landed in Dargaville at £9 per ton, which moans a profit of 200 per cent. ; potatoes at a profit of 180 par cent.; ja*i 8d a tin. A feeble woman in receipt of 4s per week from County Charitable Aid lived near the store and these were the prices charged her, as also 9d per bottle for kerosene. In the same way a fair and reasonable price is fixed by the storekeeper for gum, which price is 10s or 12s less than is paid in Dargaville. Those who buy or sell elsewhere are ordered off the field. An old man between 60 and 70 years old, sold, some guui to the same firm in Dargaville and got 15/ more than he could on the field. This man was turned off and having to live out of the way is now dead. This oppressive system is a hindrance to the progress of the whole district. An export duty on gum would be unwise, and a dangerous experiment. There is a block of 80,000 ac in this district which if roaded and opened would carry a large number of settlers. Mr Dargaville said he particularly wished the statement read to be included in the evidence. There are not more than 50 miles of metalled road in the North, and we have been unable to make mor 3 because of the way in which we have been robbed of our share of public money. The only way to secure money is to get it from Parliament; he would not tax the gum or the settlers any more. He thought the idea of a license fee on aliens a good ene and believed it originated with him. Mr J. C. Firth put several queries to the witness who was so evasive that he had to be appealed to not to evade the questions. The tax on gum advocated in the Provincial Council was referred to, and the witness considered that gum could then have home a tax though it could not now. Mr Dargaville considered it would fall upon diggers. He had no personal knowledge of the Austrians ; they were very industrious ; they lived more economically than other diggers-and he considered 9/3 as an over estimated average. They earned more money than others because they worked longer. Richard Mitchelson, sole manager of the firm of Mitchelson Bros., said—We hold several blocks: Kaihu Nos. 1, 3 and 4 about 40,000 acres, No. 1 A about 2,400 ac., No. 2 9,800 ac., and Opanake 7,130 ac. The firm now paid £1,290 per annum as rent. We had five stores on the fields, and the number of diggers there is 619, namely 267 Austrians, 225 British and other nationalties and 127 Maories; the last named work only about four months in the year. He wculd

supply the Commission with a return showing the amount of gum purchased by them during the last six months. "We fix the price of gum as much below outside prices as is necessary to recoup our rent. Our P’ ■ices may range from 1/to 5/per cwt. lower according to quality. The diggers are compelled to dig at our stores. We are guided in our prices by advices wired us weekly of the results of our sales. Witness put in a return showing quantities of gum bought at the Maropiu store for week ending Jnne 17th ; the amount paid for same was £232 or nearly 42/ per ewt. The firm’s gum was of the Ordinary class and worse; the cost of getting it into town from store is about 33/- per ton, exclusive of cost of packing to store which is about 40s per ton. The average cost of living incurred by diggers is from 9/ to 12/ as shown by our books. Our prices are as appear in list handed in, flour 15s-16s per 100, tea ls-2s 6d-3s, sugar 4-ld-sd, coffee 2s, meats 15s per dozen tins, Derby tobacco Gs, matches 2s dozen, bread 41bs. loaf lOd, rice 4i-sd. The goods are all of the best quality and are delivered to the whares. We make no direct charge to diggers for digging. Some peisons have tried very hard to class our system as Trucking; every man who goes on our field knows the way in which we seek to recoup our expenses. I don’t remember that I have ever heard it called a Truck system except in Mr Dargaville’s paper. Diggers square accounts when selling gum ; some hold their gum for three or four months.

Dr. Giles : Is there anything in Mr Dargaville’s evidence you would like to refer to ? Mr Mitchelson : May I hear it P Dr. Giles: Yes, certainly, I’ll read it. (Reads). Mr Mitchelson : The whole of that is s worn to as fact ? Mr Dargaville speaks of bread, evidently to serve bis own purpose; he works out the profit on bread as 200 per cent, from the flour, and yet ho knows perfectly well that we do not make the bread,but that we have to pay eightpence for the leaf. This the man knows perfectly well but I suppose it suits his purpose to put it in the way he has done. Then he speaks of a family being turned from the Flaxmill for purchasing at an outside store. That may be partly true, but it evidently does not suit him to state the whole truth. The husband of the woman came to mefor an explanation and I gave it to him ; the true reason was the quarrellings of two women which very much disturbed the village. About the ©ld man spoken of I have no knowledge as to whom he refers. To take a charitable view of the statement I would say that Mr Dargaville is hardly responsible for his utterances ; the bitter animosity he bears, not to myself only but to the firm, completely blinds his judgment. I consider it very improbable that any man got from us in Dargaville 15s more for gum than was offered at our store on the field. Dr. Giles : I don’t see how- the 15s could be got at unless the same parcel had been offered in both places. Mr Mitchelson : In reference to the poor woman receiving Charitable Aid, the account in'.detail was regularly sent in to the County Council and it seems strange that that body should have authorised payment if the charges were so unfair, and in all probability the accounts were before the Council when Mr Dargaville had a seat thoi'e. Mr J. M. Dargaville, unsolicited, interrupted the Commission and afterwards apologised. He said he was not in the Council at the time referred to, and besides the accounts were sent in without details, a very improper system. Mr Mitchelson : I have no knowledge of anyone bringing Austrians out. It was said in Mr Dargaville’s paper that an advertisement was placed in the papers by Mitchelson Bros., when at any time the editor, or proprietor, might have ascertained the truth by meeting us during the day. Our firm has nothing t© do with such transactions and we have never urged Austrians to send home for their friends. The Austrians would make desijjable settlers; they are a well-built industrious class of men. Bight of whom I know left for their homes last week and I have known of others who went before them. They all took more or less money with them. The average earnings of Austrians on our fields would be close on 40s a WGek, and their cost of living 10s or 11s. The other diggers’ earnings average from 35s to 375, as their are several old men who bring down the average. The higher average of the Austrians is due not so much to their working longer hours hut to the fact that they are all strong young men. A license fee for diggers on private lands would be unfair as the land is assessed on its gum value, that is on the rental we pay ; and for our leases we pay over £IOO in County rates. This amount in reality is paid by the diggers, and a license fee would mean a second tax upon them, and then if any man happened to make £3OO per year the income tax would place a third tax upon him. This is, however, matter far diggers, not for us. An export duty should not be levied per ton as quality differs so much, if levied it should be on declared value. I am not in favour of an export duty as it would fall upon the diggers. The amount of cash sent to our

stores on the field during the three months ended 31st May was £7,589. This was over and above the value of stores also sent, and was for the sole purpose of paying for the gum dug by the 557 men dealing at the stores. Mr Mitchelson also produced a sheet showing from actual experience the average weekly earnings of diggers ; one was as low as 19s Id but this was a man who spent much time at the hotels. Another interesting return was one showing the average weekly earnings of the best diggers at the nearest store. An Austrian earned £4 19s 2d weekly for 15 months; an average Austrian for 13 months earned £2 13s 6d weekly The best Britishers’ averages were £3 10s 6d for eleven months with three weeks’ holiday, £3 12s for four months, £3 9s 6d for nine months with four weeks’ holiday. Mr J. M. Dargaville desired to give more evidence. He said he had n© knowledge whatever of Messrs Mitchelsons arrrngernents with the baker. He desired to add “ beyond the fact that the baker is compelled to take flour solely frem that firm.” Also that in his opinion Mr Mitchelson had not in any way contradicted his evidence.

Dr Giles said that the two statements were in evidence and the Commission could judge between them.

Robert Brydon, a gumdigger on Mitchelson’s lease, had averaged £2 19/ a week since February. He sells to Mitchelson and buys his stores where he pleases. The gumfields are being rapidly exhausted and in some places have been dug over three times. A license fee would be the best means of preventing an influx of aliens. There is little encouragement to settle as there are no roads or schools and provisions are dear out at the back. Mr B. Dargaville charged him 1/ per week for digging on his land. Mr J. M. Dargaville—l have no knowledge of any charge having been made for digging on my lands. Men are perfectly free to dig, and to sell and buy where they please. I wish you would take that down as evidence. Dr. Giles —That would he your evidence, I cannot take that down as Brydon’s for he does not know that.

Mr Dargaville then beckoned to Mr Somers who it will be remembered was one of Mr Dargaville’s active canvassers at last election in connection with the Gumdiggers 1 Union and asked him to offer evidence. The Ccmmission decided to first hear the evidence of the Austrians who were in waiting. Luka Jurinovich, a fair, well-dressed native of Dalmatia, had been 14 years in the Colonies ; eight years in Westland then four in Australia and came back three months since. Had been home to Austria once since first coming out. Was digging on Mitchelson’s lease. Most of the Austrians here come from Dalmatia. Barm hands are there paid 1/10 and found. He earned nearly £2 per week on the gumfields and it cost him nearly 16/ per week to live, which did not include clothing. Austrians would take land here but have not sufficient information. He knew three Austrians living here with their wives. The report of Austrians coming here under contract was not true, they came of their own choice and sold property to pay their passages. One man sold land to get out and had to sell some more to get hack again. Witness came here from Broken Hill where he was ill for 15 months.

Peter Covavich, a single man, tall and well-dressed, a native of Dalmatia, had been in New Zealand this second time about twelve months. He then came direct from Austria. Was now keeping a bit of a store at Tikinui and gumdigging. At home he was a stone mason and got 3/ a day and found. It cost a man 5/ a week to board in Austria ; here it cost him 14/ a week to live. In A_ustria he could only get about six months’ work in the year and in wintertimes were very hard, there being always snow and very cold weather. All young men who are healthy have to serve in the army from 20th to 23rd year of their age. The Austrians here would settle if they could get a little money : he knows five who have their wives with them. He knows of very few going home; it is the married men who send money home, to keep their families, Of the eight who left last week four are only going to Australia. Some Austrians won money in a Sweep and went home, then others came to make money too. He could prove from Austrian papers that there would be no rush from Austria to this colony. At present nearly all the Austrians here are around Dargaville. Altogether there are between 315 and 320 on the gumfields; he had made enquiries from the different camps. None at Toka Toka, 19 at Shelly Beach where his brother is, 2 at Scarrotts, one married.

The Commissioners checked tbese figures by many questions and found the estimate very correct. Mr J. C. Firth—"X ou have given very good evidence and you seem to be a fine man. If the Austrians are like you any country will be better for tbem if they will settle with their wives. Giovani Bradisi, an Austrian from Istria, left home in ISBB for Australia and came to New Zealand eight months ago. He is now digging on Harding’s Aoroa field. Was a sailor from the age of eleven years

Did not think the soil was good here fer olives. They take 15 years to get into full bearing in Austria. Mr Firth : I suppose you would be surprised if I were to tell you that we have ten acres of olives in Auckland that beat anything ever seen in Italy, and that here they get into full bearing in seven years. It is a fact.

Witness continuing: I make £2 a week at the gum and it costs me 10s or 12s to live. Ido not intend returning to Anstria, but will settle after I make a few pounds. Most of the men here have served their three years in the Army and are now free.

Dr. Giles: I mentioned yesterday some scurrilous statements made in the newspaper about swill tubs. Such statements, if not true, are very improper, and very disgraceful to these who said them. Do you know anything of them ? Witness : The Austrians asked if they could have some cats to take to their camp and only took the bits of meat to catch the cats with. It is not true that the Austrians would take them to eat; they are decent and clean people, Antonio Gasparich, a native of Trieste, also gave evidence. Thomas Somers, a digger previously on the Wairoa, but just arrived from Auckland, said he had lived in a camp with 60 Austrians. He began by saying that he had found fumigation almost necessary and that the Austrians roamed the hills with “Rotary Process” branded on their unmentionables, 'when the Commissioners stopped him and said that such language only showed animus. In answer to Mr Firth’s questions he said Austrians were too hard-working and too thrifty ; they had not interfered in any way with other diggers. They were very sober. He believed their presence here would tend to deteriorate the conditions of life. He could earn £3 a week and it cost him 18s to live. Diggers would willingly pay a license of 10s to keen out aliens. It was not fair to “ those who had borne the heat and burden of the pioneer days ” to allow aliens to take the wealth out of the country. The Austrians who had given evidence were not a fair sample of the bulk. The first witness on Wednesday morning was

J. M. Dargaville who wished to add to his evidence already given that he had forty diggers on his freehold and he made no charge for digging, nor were the diggers compelled to deal at his store. Samuel Dell, gumbuyer forßrown, Campbell and Co. at Mangawhare, said that in 1877 gum was of better quality and sold at 275, whereas the same quality was now worth 60s. License fee should be ss. An export duty would be easier to collect and would fall on diggers. W. A. Marriner, of Mt. Wesley store, had been 34 years in the gum trade and bought nearly 700 tons annually. Diggers averaged lewt, in summer and Jawt. in winter. Capt. McDonald, R.M., of Hokianga, was the first, shipper homo of gum. He gave the Natives tobacco for it in 1836, but no use was found for it in London then and he lost by the venture. In 1848 gum was bought at 5s per cwt, after which it gradually rose. In earlier days he had thrown out of his store gum which now sold at 255. His first impression of the Austrians was unfavourable ; they did not at first lay out more than 4s or 5s a week, but their living now cost them from 9s 3d to 10s 6d per week each, They bought the best of everything, and were sober and strictly honest; he had not lost a sixpence by them. An export duty would throw the aged diggers on Charitable Aid funds. A letter was received and read from Mr J. McLean, baker in Dargaville, denying Mr Dargaville’s statement, sworn in evidence yesterday, that he (the writer) was compelled to buy his flour from Mitchelson Bros. He was wholly on his own account, but found it advantageous to order flour through them from Canterbury. Rees Ellis, a digger, objected to gum land being leased by the Crown and said the general feeling was against an export duty as it would fall on the producer. Later on the same witness approached the Commissioners and said that although other witnesses had given the Austrians a good character he would show that out of 317 Austrians here one had been guilty of robbing bis mate. (This was contradicted by by-standers who declared the thief to have been a Russian Fin.) Then another Austrian had put a sleeper on the railway line and was taken before the Court. (A number of persons testified that the offender was an Italian.) Mr Firth hereupon severely reprimanded the witness and described him as cutting the ground from under his previous evidence. Throughout the sittings of the Commission the Austrians had received from all sides a most excellent, unimpeachable character in every resp ect and the Commissioners would leave the district highly pleased and gratified : with the behaviour of these men who had been so shamefully traduced. Michael Corcoran, hotelkeeper, sworn, wished to correct any wrong impression caused by a paragraph that had appeared in the ‘ Buster ’ stating that some Austrians

had robbed his pig tub for ‘ choice morsels.’ The actual facts are that he had given the men two or three cats (of which he had plenty), and in order to entice these cats to them they had taken some bits of meat from the swill tub, to which he had not the slightest objection. He had found the Austrians, strong, able-bodied, sober, honest and orderlv men.

H. J. Hornby, gumdigger, desired to place on record that tucker at the gumfield stores was sold at 200 and 300 per cent profit, but even this the diggers would not mind only that 200 per cent was also deducted from the value of the gum when sold. Dr Giles rebuked the witness for making such a wild statement and showed him that if 200 per cent were taken off the value of the gum it would mean that the digger paid the buyer half its value for taking it off bis hands and received nothing. Patrick Connolly, who described himself as a sterekeeper, said the imposition of a license fee was urged in order to drive diggers from Crown lands to private fields. He had dug on Mitchelson’s field for eight years before going into business and he considered their terms oppressive, and even on Harding’s land a digger had to pay £4 per annum, and also give his carting to Mr Harding at 40/ per ton, when it could be done for 10/. The reason why he did not leave Mitchelson’s field earlier was because it was no use j umping out of the frying pan into the fire. If he had dug on Crown lands he would have had to carry his own swag. He was now a storekeeper and if he were to lease gum land he—(scratching his head) did not know which way he would act. He thought there should be fair competition on those leaseholds of Mitchelsons. Herbert Morris, book-keeper to Mr Marriner, having heard the previous witness’s evidence desired to state that Mr Harding only charged 30/ per ton cartage, and that for a distance of eight miles from camp to stores. No one in the present condition of roads could cart for 10/ per ton. This closed the sitting of the Commission in Dargaville. In the afternoon the Commissioners inspected Messrs Mitchelson Bros’ gum sorting rooms, and the different qualities of kauri gum. Before returning to town the purpose visiting Opanaki and Maropiu, also a camp of forty Austrians on Mr Harding’s field, and Tangiteroria. They propose taking evidence at Toka Toka on Monday on their way back to town. After a week in Auckland they proceed up East Coast townships, and expect to finish their work in about three weeks.