LET THE PEOPLE ACT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 563, 19 July 1909, Page 9

LET THE PEOPLE ACT.

Sir,—lt is impossible for any right-think- - MS- person to refrain from ■ expressing his i: views.at a time when nothing but absolute' poverty and human wietchednosj meet him i ' at every turn, when tho newspapers throujhoufc the whole* Dominion are almost daily recording the number of unemployed everywhere, when immigrant vessels continue to ar u nve . , r., a 7. m & on toard hundreds ef peoplo : who •Jsffr .their native land, and who have , been,(Joladed most, atrocious political 1 •• ■ ?,- n - jvell-pamted?pictures into getting to- . j. govher ' allj . s&jing farewell to those , then nearest and dearest to them,." and whom -they may never ■ 800 again,' and embarking full of- hope and good '.chcer for' a country which has been so often referred to as "God's Own Country," i... .-.but ffhiohj .m reahtyj proves to them? to'be i j l ®™tng.,b.ut .a.Hell 'on .earth, Another-akip-ofsiiniMgnmts: has-just landed; and -what • is : tho'j.reception vthey get? -They are met ■ at tho-iyharves by.:at least.soo wharf labourers, i hungry- ; for.'. food, and hubgry for work ; .they- are handed . a"welcome" address . .in thefShapo,of. newspapers.telling thorn that they;,bftve? landed-m a country thousands of /^vb.',^hpse;')o^;. , turn; , .. 'for Ithe: next loaf; in fact,''they aro met 'af. : .eycrj v _ turit • with; - tho'/.ono ■; ever-ready ami .v. • diabolicalvanswer; to,>.their 'most -anxious .in-., • quiries, "No work, no money, no; friends, 1 v.-:' —nothingl" ' What an advertisement! ■;..Who envies'these in power ? Who i is '"at'.'tho 'root ntn 11 < ? tit is 1 most in-

human', and un-Cbristian bnsiness, this leading of-honest and trusting people, who leave their kith and kin, into a snare and a de-lusion'Which-results not only in swallowing up -what we can only regard as' their for- ' tunes (small as they aro), but also in swelling what is generally conceded to be tho greatest number- of unemployed peoplo this hai over had 'to denl with. It remains'to be soon Who-is the perpetrator of this, for the" inducement which our Government 'has given these immigrants, those I- British subjects, our followmcn, is plainly based on false and fraudulent misrepresentations. False, becauss , a totally-different state of thingi exists hero to what is 'dc- ,, pictedMn~our London advertisements, those delusive pictures' Fraudulent, because whoi ever is responsible is serving his own political ends, to gratify his own 'selfish desires, t • and to,represent himself to the world as a public benefactor, as a'man who has the. in- ' , torests of his country truly at heart. ''It has Been said timo and time'again that a man 'whoi has ribon and holds the < reins of

«_ Government cannot go straight, but this is absurd,and ridiculous, for any man who is dcterhiined to serve his country and net himself, who has correct' and high ideals, with regard to responsible government, who has trust in himielf, and has faith and trust in God, Las nothing to fear. As has already been stated, this country was onco termed "God's Own Country," but it isi,s significant fact that since the late Mi Seddon's decease the uso of the term has died t with him There can be no question but that during the lato Premier's regime tho prosperity of our country -nas Undoubted, so also tho happiness of its people, taken as a whole, and there was some i justification for the name by which it became known, and which was attributable to Mr. SeJdon. Can anyono conscientiously say that Mr . Seddon was wrapped up in selfishness when performing his duties, can anyone suggest that' at any time he | was | himself, and thercforo above his people? No! Tho lato Premier.was truly a man.. Ho -vas a, man who could,gain the confidence and applause of any audience he spoke to; and ,one who ever had. a kindly word> fcijsay and kindly advice to offer to everyone- of every grade of humanity, and for which his momory will ever bo cherished by overy t true Now Zealander, native born or otherwise As; against this, what do ue find m our present Pinno Minister (I use this description, because Sir -Joseph has wished* it so)? Do wo find in .him a man truly„ serving hisjicgu'ntry himself, and serving all the people as "one people,, and not dividing them into' classes, giving preference- to. one , class wherever possible, of<.tha.other to do as best they,ran? Tho crisis in this country s' affairs has at last practically arrived, and'l will, leave your readers to form their» own opinion. Public opinion is so strong on the question sf the recont retrenchment, and of the proroguing' of Parliament, at a time when both

nrero so unwelcome that they need hardly be mentioned, but does it not come home to the people that when acts such as those are allowed to be done, when, in the last case, so many thousands of people were depending entirely on the affairs of the country going on in the proper course, with the aid of its administrators, that such acts are beyond all human reason; that, they were wrong, and that some, definite and immediate course of action should be determined upon to show that thiß country's people will not tolerate such injustice any longer? Would that a general election ,bo held on tho Premier's i return' I venture to assert that every rightthinking New Zealand elector to a man would show their true ieoungs on the matter at the poll, would oust the present Government, and there!)} put an end "to the ivantom wasto of public money, and check the awful growth) of our National Debt as disclosed a short time' back ui your most valuable paper. The rottenness of Our labour laws appealed to mo when I read a few days ago that it was suggested m ono city to paint the public buildings simply to provide work for the unemployed, when, it appeared, nothing could be v donc in tho way of letting theso people earn a living; wage without the consent of the.tiado unions interested. And yet if our laws are to bo strictly administered, hundreds of men able and willing to work must Jbo sent to ,the dogs by sheer distress and utter hopolessncss of getting fair-play Lot tho people prepare tp make the Premier realise what 'our fellow-subjects from ovci the feel and think of him, lot the treatment they accord him make him feel as those immigrants must havcvfelt when the great realisation came home to them I One could write pages on this matter, but I it now, trusting that some abler person may take Tip tho ciidgcls, may teach our people that their duty at tho present time h

to their country, and not directly to themselves. •, I ask them to oonsider carefully, without political ties or bias coining into it m any shape or form, the question of Neir Zealand's destiny, and ask each man and woman for himsolf and herself to sift tho whol<i trouble to the bottom, to try earnestly and jiatiently to come to a conclusion before the session commences on the Premier's rc~ turn;-as to why should New Zealand fall ir thooyes of the world? Why should our Legislators remain toysj tools, 'and dummies for 'the gratification and self-agprandisomenl of one man? > Why should-all our hopes and desires for the betterment of our neoplo, ' for the prosperity o'f our country, for tho uniting of the -bonds of- loyalty, affection, and trust .with'our Mother"Countrv',|for the establishing 'in tho end 'the trus't of the world;as, far as our dealing with the world aro concerned, why'should all those fail when so much can be done by men who have the power, by people who havo the loyalty? Let something bo 'done, and let that be done ut once, but above 'all, let it be doue right in the eyes of tho law,- and right in the sight of Gqd— I am, etc., ', < NEW ZEALAND BORN. Palmerston North, July 14, 1909.

'-^'' v V^a ; 4AyFARMiSR'S^VIEWi ; ''--V' ; --''-''.:'- : , ■■■Sh}~li.: is- quite- 'evident there, is• not the .•;.'.,dLstress nor- y want; of .employment, in . the ■'•:-;\bonnti7 : ; : they^«r6 l _'mi»Jdng\lhe' : -great'/faM' •;.,'■;;aboui.v. If- there.y'a»;ytho'jt>' oivt of cmploy- '.:; merit'jwoujd .be glad 'to; take, whit they could l; v.' got to':do, even' at !«i reducod: rate of pay, 'Vy7'to'.'tid«:pver''tlie/difficulty,--reeardless''bf-iiiiion' f feds.; and';rulej.';.' Beside*,' if : tio*»-;': union* .'. ; v object;,to" men working 'at. other tiuui union ■'"; ratesp'they.:should; pav those men really in' ";:; : need^'out'of,th'eii*;/tuiioii -funds, instead of :V-'\liQwliiJgytoV:tlie'.'couhtry ; -ior'. ; ohjurity,'.-Bnd the V publiovto provide work for;. tlvera, .at' then ":, ;ownvtcrms,:vThe faot of'.the matter i«, Uie»« : . very>men,- ; br most'-of Übem; that ■ bare not landed, F did ;tbeir very'bo»t to keep '.:^^e,'.6bv.<a*pmehtv!illv<ww«r.rillat: i .Vß(;.nJngil|A. ee couritryito'ruinAhroughieioeesivß.Jwrro'ffK,/and Bqua^lering-.%. : .n>o™y,;ja. finding: llela'^orib^ij-irapporters/i.TPhilo,the country .; value'Tpr it; "not ■k 'even as much as to pay. interest. .Hundreds v.>';';..wepa."-iid.-..are;: ; still,. drawing good 'salaries

to do nothing Sir Joseph Ward js at present coming in for a good deal of, abuse oyer, the matter, whilo it was his predecessor who ran the- country to its present state, which is hltoly to last for some time in his icraembranoo.

.....There .is no doubt thereis wbrk-for largo ■numbers .-tb .bo-got in- country' districts; if capable men;couid bo got at : a payable rate, hut'fanners have to relinquish wheat-grow-lag and such-like for the want of competent ,»«»,: and;leave;thoir fields : iri £ra*ss. ; as the, ■mora■■payable; mothod when'the state ofHh'o' ltbour uiirkets is run 'by unions. T ": Again,' : the i are -greatly to blame, when the} ■' don trjn their: union on more business ]j nes for I think.the:Farm«ra' Union,is -tho'most useless union there is. -For ihstance; if th'bj took really capable men at agricultural work, mud.;. thbso. : only, into ' their union "' as Jaembers. at a ; small' fee,: and; •employ /those only whilo: they wero tb:be had,"they-'would in tiaework into a class of :god-men;- ahd' would ■ livi time be -'fairly,, independent' of ' out-' mdars. --Bnt thofact of-tho matter is/there are' so .few-.mily. capable farmers—they are Mostly muddlers. They don't know ■ really in; time ■ work into: a 'class of • good' mien,- and a capable;man.will-not, be humbugged with' suet farmers;-.therefore- takos- to' something Si s ? : , ; .? hl3 ' ls mo caio all over the 'colonies. Not t like,, most parts 'in -..the-Old -Country,'where men-get under the employ of practical experienced:,., men, ythereforo : they .can stay for.years; :m"fact,. sometimes -. a lifetime;- ■- • : ; Again, l :, the ; tendency, .now '-'amongst even' country,':families,-, as soon ■•as; 'they, leave not;sticking ,to that-profession/is to. drift-into;towns,'-.to offices and the like, where-they :won't : want to : soil their, hands. No doubt our._n>tton system of:education 7 is greatly to blame for this. '[ They kept ■tooling .about.• till> they are seventeen:: oreighteen;years:of age,, then.ihey/get ; too:big, for :.their.:boots for,manual:work;-They- want soraethm^-easier,., in fact,-. ladies'-:-work. 1 hen.again, this want of system eveu'in the: Government .bushfelling; -at,-. •.Waitetara-J .is likely.tobea failure,'; for. I see.by newspaper reports., that what practical. men there 'are : amongst thorn are • -leaving in; disgust, 'be-: eauso; tbey ; are put into. gangs .with those who can t.work, and the fellow, that can or won t,do his share draws -the share J of-the ■pay all the same. I am'plcased to see those who; are capable' havo courage 'enough: not to r r ??*, , on :, b 7 , tu « Government in that way.' ,:■■.. J-;notice -.that ; th6 "Mastertbh Martyr,'' in speaking at Wanganui. is lauding in -a high■.: Pitch Baknee, Sodden, - M'Kenzie, . aiid'.l Keovcs. Well, wo remember a.little about 'i them yet. When Mr. Ballance suffered.the J same fate as our Master-ton member,' Was! ■ > turned out of lofiice by Grey;: and wo-re- i member his villago settlement scheme, h'ia': three aeres and'a cow, and .what it cost the '1 country Seddon, the less we say.'of-him ; : 1 the better. We aio getting a ta'ste.'of his doings now.; Also Sir John, and his nine hundred and ninety-nine yoars' leases. No leasehold for him when he wanted -land' him: self. And Beeves, a gobd fat billet. But what has the country gained by any of the wen? We know that thrift is a virtue in a »an pr a family, moro so in a nation. !': A thriftless nation will-always bo borrowing,' ana always complaining, because they cannot borrow enough, and that has been New Zealand for years.—l .am. etc.. Ju] y "• A farmer;