OUR READERS’ OPINIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LI, Issue 5346, 5 December 1919, Page 2

OUR READERS’ OPINIONS.

THE COMING ELECTION

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l attended the Labor candidate’s meeting, expecting to hear something worth listening to, and came away greatly disappointed. If Mr. Brindle is the best man the Labor party can put up, there is not ni-.eh loose talent about. Mr Brindle made a great song about indentured labor m Samoa, and it is very evident lie knows nothing about it. He said that Eostern Samoa was under the United States rule and the United Mates labor h v.s, and why could not Western Samoa be under the New Zealand iabor laws! Let me inform Mr Brindle chat Ihe small island of Tutuila, which belongs to the United States, is only 17 miles long, and 5 miles broad, and the only reason for their holding the island is on account of its fine harbor of Hugo I ago. It is broken hilly, country, rising to a height of 2327 feet above sea level and lias no agricultural led on ’t, quite different from the fine island of Ipcla with Apia as its capital, with an area of 560 square miles. The island of Savili lias an area of 700 square miles; these are the two islands on which indentured labor is employed in tho cultivation of the land; and as for comparing the lot of these men with the treatment of tho natives of the Congo is absurd. They are well fed and compared with the wages ruling in China and the Solomon Islands; are well paid as far as colored labor goes, and seem happy and well satisfied with the conditions under which they aro employed. Many of them, after their time has expired, have taken up small farms and are now their own masters. As Mr Brindle said the other night, he was quite in accord with tho Holland faction and the other class of labor he termed insane labor. That should be quite enough to leave him badly on the 17th as an "also ran.” This attempt to belittle a rival candidate for buying 9000 acres of bush country at tho hack of beyond should instead have been one of praise. We hear a lot about further production and increasing our exports. Who is going to do it? If wo wait until the small man goes away back and tackles a block like this wo will wait another 50 years at least. If Sir ,Tas. Carroll would take the. advice of his friends, ho would- retire from the contest and would be able to say lie bad never been boaten, but. if he insists on going to the poll, he will not be able to say that. Personally, I would like to see him do tins, and he would he sure of a seat in the Upper House, whore lie could take things pretty easy and not have to worry so much over the necessities of the district, such as roads, bridges, railways, electricity, settlement of lands, etc. —Yours, etc., j TAIHOA.