LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 211, 30 May 1908, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

ARBITRATION ACT AND THE FUTURE,

Sir,—lt is evident from the frequent strikes of lato that tho Arbitration Act has failed to accomplish the objcct of tho Legislature. The Attorney-General has sought to justify its purpose as a benelicial measuro for tho working class, but,' notwithstanding bis prefatory embellishments, and apologetic pleading, falls short of tho original .' intention of those who introduced it. Doubtless, those responsible for its administration have a good deal to with its failure. We aro told that a gross violation of tho law is permitted through a dread of creating a band of Socialistic heroes, but a hero in prison is harmless, compared to one at large. Ho (joes about defying the law lifco Ajax defying the lightning. In times of' popular tumult those who want to pose as heroes and martyrs, como forward. Tho mob mistakes their garrulous boisterousncss for sincerity, with tho result that they play on tho'ir credulity. It is never couducivo to' good government, or social order, to leave a man out of gaol who ought to' be in it. If the Arbitration Act bo amended, it should bo mado -to answer a wider' purpose, and made more comprehensive in its sphere of award. It should include ccrtain indusnow oxempt. Then why should tho Government enforce the provisions of an Act on cori»rations and private industries from which it exempts itself? This appears a funny thing to strangers, and, indeed, there is nothing funnier in Offenbach's extravaganzas. Tho act, as administered recently, has proved farcical, and requires a new denouement. Erudito pleading in its dofence cannot make up for its lack of achievement. But we have tho reputation of being an experimental people, and we must expcct some of our experiments to bo.failures. is said that any benefit derived from tms legislation has been minimised by an increased cost of living, and thero is no doubt that it is partly responsible for it.: The whole community seems to bo on strike, one against the other. _ It is a matter of exploitation all round, 'taking high wages as a basis. Tho farmer seems to be a' spoilwl child. If he doesn't get what ho wants, ho threatens to botako himself •to somo outlandish placo. One wonders what will happen if money pets scarce, and wages must come down, when thero will bo no one to exploit. The Prime Minister, however, assures us wo "need havo no anxiety" about this."' But then we must remember that ho is a man of sanguine temperament—an optimist .of tho . first- water, a man who seems happy' in. tho consciousness of being ablo to "boss" tho world-of finance, and inspire us all with unlimited confidence m the borrowing resources of tho country. It is consoling to hav© at. tho head of affairs a man that nothing can annoy or depress; a man who, at all times, 1 can allay the misgivings of pessimistic .croakersj. .who take oxception to methods, of . financing;. So long as thero is plenty ;or paper-money, things may go very well, but'thero mav cciiio a aay when those who first advocated its circulation will oppeso. its further , issuo; as strenuously as Swift opposed, "Wogd's' patent" to coin- The money. that should go into other .industrial channels is getting absorbed in this sort of currency. It is one of the Socialistic ideals, and those who do not claim to bo Socialistic havo made a constructive ideal of' it. _ If the Government could be induced to issue a, plentiful supply of paper currency: the socialists would have arnplo scopo for the economic development : and regeneration of socioty 011 what they call scientific lines. Ihen tho roso would rout ■ the •-thistle, and all would be serene. : 7The. Socialist would reign supreme. Tho Prinie-Minister'would' bo lauded as a man wlio marked/';with" a! pencil utopian, tho course, by which political glories are reaped—l am, etc., '• • ' ' ' I'. SHANNON. May 27. , , - • SUNDAY FESTIVITIES—A PROTEST. one could have joined more un- ■ foignedly in the recent welcome accorded to tho, Anglo-Welsh'-'' football team than I did, so it is all the moro painful'to striko what may seem a jarring note now. ' But when I read of tho manner in which the festivities, connected with . the Masterton match were . extendod over Sunday, last,. I feel an outrage has been perpetrated Hipon tho Christian sense of the community. - Indeed, wo ask, Are wo a .Christian, community at all ? Bishop Neligan occasioned much adverse criticism lately because of his' statement in England that tho back . blocks of New Zealand were in danger of becoming pagan. ; On certain occasions we ask seriously.j Are not the. front blocks already pagan? . ' According to a Wairarapa paper, several of the Wairarapa-Bush team and. tlio officials of the Rugby Union drove' the English visitors and some others to Papawai, wftero tlioy wore heartily welcomed by the Natives and the Mayor of Greytown. Several, songs were rendered; war dances, dances, and cako walks wore given ' by, tho . Natives. Much speech-making was indulged in, and strong; protestations of undying loyalty to the Throne were given utterance to. Several hundreds .'of people wero present, and a most enjovablo time was spent—at leastj so it is said. _ Does this seem all right? Is'there noth- ' mg m all this to bring a blush to the' cheek? . I cannot but' feel there is something to be really ashamed of. For ono thing, _tho\ eyes of the youth of the whole Dominion are watching-the proceedings connected with the tour, of the. English football team. In this connection, '•' as a professedly Christian country many at least believe the first day of the week, is. a-day ,set apart by God for. tho promotion of religious life— and thero are still many earnest men and women trying, especially on that day, to instil _ into tho minds of our youth tho "great principles of religion,. and, morality. But conduct such as' was witnessed'in tho Wairarapa on Sunday last- renders the task of religions'- teachers very., difficult. 2; L.'am' ; a • minister, but I write as a parent, the father - of five boys, whom I desiro to niake , good citizens, law-abiding and-God-fearing.- These boy 3 aro *1 enthusiasts - (or' promise -to- be) on tho football .field, arid I encourage them to bo so. But I, believing that we cannot have religion for long without the Sabbath, and that without religion we'cannot long have morality and good citizenship, desire to make the best use of that day. . But how hard is my task made' for me -by last Simday's carrying on? "" Has the '.Christian parent no rights? And-must tho'Christian ' senso of a great many of tho very best settlers be .thus outraged? • It sometimes seems to mo that the: only person who has no rights is the man or woman to whom religion means more than a sickly sentimentalisin that enables some' to move in what is called good society (meaning frivolous society). , Tho whole affair, I. am sure, was a very wrong step'for'tlio football officials in Masterton to take. It -must havo a had effect upon the Natives, and we owo th,em more than to teach them our vices. It demoralised tho whole of tho; Wairarapa for tho timo being, and many' stalwarts in Church life, who., I make bold to say, are the very best of tho earth, have spoken, of the matter to mo_ as an outrage; Men who havo a wider horizon, and whose outlook upon lif'o is not bounded by a football field, regard the matter in a serious light. Talk of patriotism! Sir, the-man who lightly and v wantonly tries to destroy the Christian religion by depriving tlio nation of its day r>f rest and opportunity of worship, is strik- i ing a blow at tho Throne, noiio tho less ' leadly that it is unintentional and indirect. • —I am, etc., . JAMES M'CAW. I Tho Manse, Martinborough, I May 29,, 1908. ;