THE UNEMPLOYED AND CHAMTABLE AID.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 43, 19 August 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE UNEMPLOYED AND CHAMTABLE AID.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib, — As a constant reader, And therefore bubscriber, to your valuable little paper, which should be in every household where there is a woman young or old, for the efforts yon have and are still making to got them the Franchise, I have never signed s petition or even spoken of it, except in my own hou»e. Still it is n cruel act of Injustiie In nil that concerns women, your jiiijirr hu-. #ivon your readers the gteaU»t pl^asmv But there if another topic wbu'h you writo on which your country rtaders, at lenst. treat with contempt and ridicule It ir the question of the unemployed, which yon know nothing at oil about. I know quite well there are wisur heads and kinder hearts than mine who cannot solve the difficulty. But I do know that as long as you give relief, as it is given now, with no equivalent given in return, you are making paupers ; aud remember, it is not alone those people you are supporting at present, but their children and grand-children after them, for as you have taken all feelings of self-respect and independence from, the parents so it will be {•ken from the children. They will accept charity, but will they accept work? Certainly not when they can live without it. Whyshould theyP thefeelingsof self-respect and independence being wanting. Now, Sir, referring to your article in the Post of August the 6th, if what you say there is true, Mod me for a start six boys or girls, and I will place them in farm-houses round us— at small wages it is true, but they will be earning what they eat, drink, and wear, living useful and independent lives, and in a few years most of them will have homes of their own, whilo those who onoe accept relief never will. I went into Wellington about three weeks ago, going in by last train on Thursday and returning on Saturday, so I had only one whole d«y in Wellington. The Thursday's paper, which I unfortunately did not read on my arrival, reported the case of two boys who were taken up for sleeping in an out-house -I forget where — Hart and liowis. The former was ordered to leave, the latter— a lad of 16— sent to the Home. Well, 1 wanted a boy to assict my own children to milk I called on Mr. Van Staveren, quite forgetting that it was Sabbath (Friday) night. But with his usual courtesy he saw mo, and told me about Lewis, who I was to call for at the Queen's Chambers, and I wus to give him five shillings per week. As I made the mistake of calling wheu I did, I asked as few questions as possible, to lef Mr. Van Staverun rejoin his family, telling him, however, that I had an appointmeut for 12 o'clock next day, therefore would have to ccc Mr. Johnson before or after 12 o'clock. As I had written previously about a respectable lad or girl, I took it for granted he was only poor. As I was detained till after 2 o'clock — though I waited over half-an-hour before 12 in the Queen's Chambers without bein>r fortunate enough to see Mr. Johnson, till lie brought the lad to me, telling him he was to come with me and not return to the Horne — I got away, took him aud got hire & dinner, and my sister-in-law, kind soul ahe is, gave him a bag of cakes to eat or the journey. He was joined at the statiot by half-a-dozen of such low-looking lads that I felt it a relief to get away with him ii the train. I paid his fare to Mauriceville He had uot a stitch only what he stood ii[ in, and as hii> boots were regular papei thingx, and our placu, like every other place a sea of mud, I gave him a strong pair o watertight^ to wear, and a clean shirt, ai he needed them. He had tea, bed, break' fast, and dinner, as it was Sunday, and a We have only one cow in milk at preseuttho rest come on next month for the factor; —he didn't do a hand's turn for me. " thought he would get used to the place au< a little used to the work by the time th cows carao in, but my good William Lewi walked off after dinner, first asking one o my little boys to go with him for a stroll and then telling the boy he would make fo one of the flax mill.-, where he could d piece-work. So my good Lewis cost m more than my own trip did to Wellingtoi and back, not to speak of the annoyanc and the pleasant little animals he left be hind him. Now, Ido not blame such boy as he is ; but if you can send me six as i Btart, I will find situations for five, keopinj one for myself. And whatever church the; belong to, I will make a oondition that the. i minister will see them once a week, an< never later than onoe a month. When ' brought Lewis home, my eldest son sail that a boy coming from a town and knowinj nothing of country work, and just as yoi had him or her taught, they might taki another situation, as this sort of thing i done every day — and I would blame no on* for trying to better themselves. I thinl the first three months should be given fo: knowledge, food, and clothes. I knew wha be said was right, for a good man at 7s oi 8s a day would do more than one of thi boys would do in a fortnight, and n< trouble or bother. I keep no second table though a great many do now in the country And I do think it hard to be rated for th< poor, and that we can't get anyone to mill or work in a garden unless you give exorbitant wages. It is cheaper to buj vegetables than pay wages to grow them Except the cows your own family can mill and the vegetables they can grow, whal labour you employ is a loss at the presenl rate of wagos. Come up the country and stay at the farm-houses, and see and heai for yourself before you write any mure, foi believe me it is their own fault with vurj few exceptions when they ar j idle. I kuow it from experience, and having to feer them. t am, &c, Skttlke. Forty-mile Bush, Aug. loth, 1893.