THE SLAVES OF THE DAIRY.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 4

THE SLAVES OF THE DAIRY.

It is plain that it -will only be byconstant iteration of their -wrongs that there will come any betterment of the condition of the littlo -white slaves of the dairy industry of this country. The opportunist politician is afraid to incur the illwiil of the numerous country settlers -who make money by the system. Ministers of the Crown fear to attack the iniquity lest the votes of the country party will be cost against them. The Farmers' Union is keen for reform, but not in a direction that will take from the profits of its members. The Trades and Labour Council as the Parliament of Labour must surely desire to help the cause of tho little drudges of the dairies, but it looks as though it is afraid, else why is it silent? If the labour unions are sincere in what they preach, -why do they not protest through their executive? ■ And what of the Christian preachers? If for sake of the children they will accept a text for' their sermons of to-morrow, we commend to them the following taken from our issue of yesterday. "Wanganui, This Day. — As showing the existence of child slavery in the dairy industry, one of the Wanganui Education Board's Inspectors recently inspected a school in the district, and on questioning a number of children -who came late, elicited the following, facts : — One of them, a girl of 12 years, milked six cows morning and evening, and -walked four miles to school. A boy of the same age milked 13 cows morning and evening and rode three miles to school. A dhild of eight milked ten cows morning and evening and rode three miles to school." Ministers of the Crown, politicians, and Labour leaders alike turn a deaf ear to these wrongs, and they -will not hear until the moral sense of the community is so stirred that they must swim with the tide. We appeal to the clergy to help in the good work that lies specially ■within their province. If they will consent to bring home to their congregations the hurt and injury to the minds and bodies of these unfortunate children, how their future is being marred by the conditions of slavery under which they are now compelled to live, the preachers of the city may inspire a sense of moral resentment as -well as pity among their hearers that should make each of them a worker for redemption of the lot of the buih children. The State does not stir. Will the churches ?