358 TlMEHRl. 



and if possible induced to identify themselves with the 

 country, and become so attached to the soil that they 

 will pra6lically accomplish the regeneration of the labour- 

 ing population of the country. Free land might be given 

 to them, or land to be free on conditions of cultivation 

 and beneficial occupation. 



The Commission now sitting is entrusted with the 

 serious task of discerning the proper method of amelio- 

 rating the condition of the Gold Industry and the easy 

 acquisition of Crown Lands, and has before it the 

 two subje6ls of enquiry which form the principal part of 

 its descriptive title. These are merely the pointers, so 

 to speak, of a much more important matter, but yet a 

 matter of which they form the main feature. The great 

 and important matter is the Opening up of the Country, 

 which can be slowly but surely accomplished with two 

 such powerful fa6tors as a Gold Mining Industry which, 

 in spite of little or no encouragement has in the space of 

 ten years added nearly j^2,ooo,ooo worth of solid gold to 

 the treasure of the world ; most of this too in the last 

 three years ; and of a Diamond Mining Industry, which 

 can and must come to the front if only it be taken in hand 

 at once and judiciously fostered. 



The prosperous condition of the South African Colo- 

 nies to-day is mainly due to the existence and discovery 

 in them of the two most powerful attra6lions just named. 

 The Australian Colonies, except Western Australia, 

 owe their position to the discovery of gold. Western 

 Australia, which occupies nearly one half of the huge 

 continental island, was praftically uninhabited and 

 of little importance till the recent rich finds of gold 

 brought it prominently forward. Its future can hardly 



