THE KAITANGATA COAL MINE.

Evening Star, Issue 12307, 23 September 1904, Page 2

THE KAITANGATA COAL MINE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —When at Kaitangata lately I wan nfonned by an official at the mine that there were more than three times’ the amount of broken time since the licenses were restored, and that there were numerous black eyes about other - than those caused by coal durst. I am sure we are all sbrry to hear that business is so dull at the Kaitangata mine, but as the reduction of hands appears to be the ordinary rammer one, although possibly a little more drastic than usual, it only throws into more prominence the imErovidence of the habitues of the licensed on se», who must have known they ought to have saved up. The part that troubles me most ia the hardships the innocent wives and children will have to suffer. While the improvidence of the men deserves punishment, the wives and children are not blameworthy. That is always tire way with liquor-selling; it may cause untold pain and misery, and act ue*“a veritable Moloch,” but tho little finger of cne of these publicans must not be touched, Ise what a cor!

What comparison is there between four' publicans being made to work to earn a living—no worse than that, they *ate just placed in the some position as everyone else—-and the hardships many of these women and children may be called on to endure? I say to every working man, without fear of contradiction, that c.no man is aa much entitled to happiness as another. When will the workers realise, I wonder, that thin thing which takes such an undue proportion of their wages would bring about the biggest rise in “ screw ” they ever had, with no harm to themselves, if only they would leave off the use of it? Another thing, it would not raise the cost of living by putting rent, etc., up, as all tho other rises in wages have done so far.—l am, etc., „ , G. Bernard Nicholls. beptember 21.