THE SURPLUS LABOUR QUESTION.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9365, 14 March 1896, Page 5

THE SURPLUS LABOUR QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —I was comically struck Avith the attitude taken up by some of the M.H.R.'s at the recent Labour League meeting,. Ini stead of assisting to solve the difficulty, I they gave us a good idea how easy it was for a man without any practical experience to burk a question for good. Having no idea to formulate themselves as to a scheme, they aak the League to enlighten them to one, then the old dodge, what are the names ! and how many ? they ignore the one in ! fifty Charitable Aid report, bub refer to Labour Bureau, which they know was no criterion, only a bluff, and then as each proposal was made, to damp it straight off without eA-en an amendment. Sir, I would like to call public opinion to some of the causes of distress these poor men labour under. It is only by constant contact' with tbem it ia possible to find out how the Government has misled them. For the past fifteen years Government has been educating without distinction all our surplus labour, whether fie for it or not, to pick and shovel work, and the last two years through Charitable Aid, in the hope of disgusting or driving them back to their usual occupations, in the face of the fact there are always men by some means, are not, and never would be, successful at their usual calling, but who may be successful ab some other; hence the necessity of pushing our natural resources as older countries are doing. Also each year pick and shovel or road making by Government, Councils, or Boards ia a diminishing quantity. This is the reason the faces of tnese poor men annually recur, which our worthy Mayor thought such a detriment to them. They have nob been educated to look for any other employment, and I hope our Mayor will pardon mc for calling pointed attention to his remark. Had Ministers only educated them on the square to be members of Parliament, I believe a number of them Avould have been shining lights and would nob have been driven like dumb dogs, but wonld have squarely attempted to strike oil in some of our natural resources on business principles to assist those who were not successful as M.H.R.'s, and add progress to the country. Our present members only see a necessity for borrowing money for every trivial scheme, or some labour law to prevent any new industry being started unless they give a guarantee to the Government j frW ' k u will pay 20* ia the „, and

the Government appointee to say what wages shall be paid, and in every conceivable way destroy confidence in the country. The member for Avon said ab the meeting (and truly) thay had done absolutely nothing, and that he had gone over this same ground continually for seven years without any result. And he may have said, if possible, intended to continue it. For directly a scheme was proposed to employ 5000 men he offered no amendment; but oh ! it is of no use to talk of scheme* that call for the expenditure of large sums cf money by irresponsible men to make ducks and drakes of. Sir, I would like to ask public opinion whether this irresponsibility is nob of their OAvn making, and who has continued those ducks and drakes for the lass seven years he speaks of, and does not even now see any way to help his brother labourer, although his brother secured him for a season, and he is satisfied to follow his leaders even to the extent of their colouising the AAvarua Block in their own Av&y. Yes, our last member, Win., did bis in his own way, and kept mea hopisg ag*insb hope. Why not put part of that £250,000 for land settlement on this block and help these poor men (for it is land); ib would be only putting the monoy in the other pocket to play with, and they need not be so sanctimonious now about financing a few pounds to help the poor, seeing they have taxed them to help two Banks, and promised to help the farmers who are hoping against hope, as only one-sixth of the money has been advanced, and they say touters are to be sent round to advise farmers how to get it. Can you tell us, Sir, who is paying the interest on thia borrowed money, but not lent to farmers, as I do not forget the Treasurer stated ib was quite oasy to finance when there Avere loans about? So there should be no difficulty without further borrowing to finance a few pounds for three or six months, till a return from first shipment of timber to LondoD is made. Aud if that could nob be done a Co-operative Company might be gob to finance, if public opinion could be satisfied that both capital and sinking fund would nob be seized to pay interest on those ducks and drakes the irresponsible men have let us in for. Ib is singular such remarks are made as irresponsible, when we nndjour attention is directed to ib in some oases ib is less than one-tenth of the proverbial five acres, cow, &c.—Yours, 4c, Edavin A. Lock.