“BACKBONE OF THE COUNTRY.”

Evening Star, Issue 22191, 20 November 1935, Page 14

“BACKBONE OF THE COUNTRY.”

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—With the election campaign now in full swing we are constantly having thrust upon us the term “ the backbone of the country.” Now, sir, I contend that this term is either not understood or else not correctly interpreted, both by the people and the politicians the people elect to make the laws of this country. The backbone of the country we can take to be that rocky strata that underlies the soil, but neither that strata nor that soil is of use to mankind whilst in a dormant state. Now, in this beautiful land of ours, with its strata and soil, it is easily understood that some action must take place before mankind can hope to exist. The only action, then, is, of course, muscular action, or, in other words, labour. Now, sir, you yourself do not print the paper, but your mental action, or mental labour, has the keys to all the locks in the workmanship necessary to produce a newspaper. So it is in the whole realm of our existence. Our mental action is our first move; then labour, and, though your mental efforts are not visible to the naked eye, the result of the other labour is quite visible to all who can see the result of actual action. The whole logic of these things, then, is that labour makes existence possible, so is it not reasonable that Labour should hold the reins in the governing of this fair land of ours?—l arn, etc.. Subscriber.