ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Published Every Morning. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. 1907.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 106, 8 May 1907, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1875. Manawatu Daily Times. The Oldest Manawatu Journal. Published Every Morning. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8. 1907.

We regret to notice that the Hon. Mr Millar intends to make the path in life of the needy working man still more thorny and difficult. It is indeed lamentable that a certain class of politicians do not realise all the effects of legislation they promote and, like the quacks so abhorred by our Health Department, they prescribe remedies which aggravate the disease or slay the patient. The certain effect of the legislation he proposes in connection with liability for small debts will be to restrict the credit of those who depend on their muscles and sinews for their livelihood. Anything that makes it more difficult to recover debt decreases credit, and in many cases credit is needed by working men, either by reason of temporary lack of employment, sickness,-to make preparations for working, or for many other reasons. Moreover, Mr Millar's Bill is entirely unnecessary, for the reason that the law already provides that there shall be no imprisonment for debt, and no man who is honestly striving to pay his creditors or who can show the Court that he has no means, can be sentenced to imprisonment. The only man who has reason to fear thffCourt is the man who can pay, but who will not, and the average working man is not in that class. Mr Millar's Bill, which proposes to compel the working man to go before the Official Assignee and allow that official to obtain a portion of bis earnings for the benefit of his creditors, is surely an insult to a large class. It is not needed, and if it is passed it will assuredly restrict the credit of the working man, and afford tradesmen a direct reason for refusing to do any business except on a cash basis.

While British statesmen have been teaching Colonial Premiers that high tariffs and protection mean dear food and supplies, and chccks to industry, and while our own Customs tariff has already increased the cost of living by at least twice as much as it should be, our sapient Acting-Pre-mier and his colleagues propose to prescribe yet another dose of the injurious physic. In his Timaru speech Mv Hall-Jones said "the Government desired to take the duty off the necessaries of life as an offset against the increased cost of living in other directions, and also to foster certain deserving colonial industries." He should be asked to give a full reply to three questions: " What are the necessaries of lifo 1" "Why has the cost of living in other directions increased ?" and "Why do deserving industries require to be fostered V' It is certain that if action is taken in the direction indicated the lost revenue will have to be made up by some section of the community, and the ultimate result will be a further increase of the high cost of living. It is about time the natural industries were freed from some of the handicaps that have been placed upon them by possibly wellmeaning, but certainly blundering, politicians. Any industry that cannot exist without compelling all the people to pay special tribute, is clearly a noxious weed, and should be eradicated, not fostered, if the interests of the community as a whole are properly considered.

From Auckland to Wellington there is a loud and prolonged demand for more trucks to convey products and stock to the seaports. Ministers have made various explanations as to reasons for the shortage, but it has been left to the General Manager, Mr Ilonayne, to give the real reason to a deputation at Auckland. His explanation reminds us of that of the town clerk of a small centre in England, who, when Queen Elizabeth was making a Royal progress, met Her Majestry with seventeen reasons why the bells were not rung in honour of her arrival. The last of these was " We have no bells," and the Royal lady remarked that the other reasons might have been omitted. So with the Ministerial reasons, because Mr Ronayne practically says " We have no trucks." Worse than that; he says the Department has difficulty in getting timber. He hopes, however, that materia] will soon arrive from England for the building of more. Ministers have been expecting the General Manager to make bricks wiihout straw. It is singular, however, that a Minister who dangles a three-quarter million surplus (alleged) before the eyes of an admiring country cannot provide trucks for the conveyance of its produce to market. If the lines were under the management of a private company

its directors would have used a surplus to provide the means of doing increased trade, even if they did not consider the interests of their clients ; and if they had no surplus they would secure an overdraft for the purpose.

Wearied by his exertions in producing that paper surplus, the Hon. Hall-Jones has been seeking recreation by giving advice to youth. The unfortunate scholars at Timaru High School on Friday last had to endure with respectful gravity a speech in the course of which lie said : "On no account would he advise them to take to a political life. He could only describe such a life as Dead Sea fruit—beautiful to look at on the outside, but dust within." The advice, for a wonder, was sound. At present there is no occupation lower than that of the professional politician, and what should be the high and honorable work of statesmen has been degraded to the lowest level by time-servers and shekel seekers. But just why the Minister should advertise the fact that our politicians are rank failures and political fruit is all Apples of Sodom is not quite clear. " Dust within," he says; yea \eritable whited sepulchres.

All honour to the railway men of New Zealand ! Underpaid and overworked, they have yet, out of their scanty wages, subscribed no less than £300 for a memorial to Mr Seddon. Yet they were not the most benefited class under the management of the late Premier. There are others who have much more reason to feel grateful to him, but who have apparently forgotten him now that he can no longer distribute favours or rewards. The railway men have set them an example, and they have done the work with a thoroughness characteristic of their calling. "Tickets, please !" ye barrackers and fawners when a living Premier was to be presented (with a public purse—ye stingy sluggards now that he no longer lives and rules. "Tickets please !" or travel no further on the Liberal line as "deadheads."