Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9166, 22 September 1888, Page 4

The application for a reduction on the freight of milk and cream to be carried by rail, which was made by the repre sentatives of the New Zealand Dairy Association when the Minister for Public Worts was in Auckland appears to have created considerable interest. A correspondent—Mr. Kwin-/ of Whangarata— puts the case a." it appears from a settlers standpoint" Mr. Jbwing contends that the reduction on milk and cream rates would n-sult in a positive increase of revenue, inasmuch as it would provide freight and consequently income, which the '{tail, way Department does not at presenG possess, and that without increasing "in. a material manner the expense whirh is at present incurred. i ossiblv no place could better illustrate tin* principle put forward by Mr. Ewinv than the district from whence he writes and where he says a horse and dray have actually competed against the railway by carrying milk round tile road twice the distance it would hav t » been by rail for one-fourth of the railway freight. We have had many anomalies in the working of our rail-

way system, and the authorities have in consequence been assailed wit a ridicule and sarcasm until they haw, perhaps, grown callous ; but here is surely a griuvan • • demanding consideration 011 its own merits, without the prejudice which natural:/ attaches itself to suggestions for reduced rates. According to .Mr. Ewing's calculations, which, on a, casual inspection, appear fair enough, an added annual revenue of from £100

to £500 is awaiting the acceptance of the Government if they will only do that which they profess to desire to donamely, help the dairyman to help to make the country. But even supposing that this is not so, suppose instead that the aid asked for should be at an actual sacrifice of the revenue of the people's railways, would the Government be justified in granting it? There are many direct sacrifices made by far-sighted, expectant business men, which invariably result in satisfactory, if indirect returns, and these returns are perfect justification of the expenditure. Surely we have here, in public affairs, a parallel case. The railways are already built, the trains are already running, and might at the worst carry milk and cream at nominal rates without much loss, seeing that loading and unloading, and even _ risks during transit, fall upon consignor or consignee. This would provide the means of getting milk, which is the most easily obtained of the farmer's commodities,

to a market, which private enterprise has already provided, where on delivery payment may be obtained. Tins pay ment would make the settler's lite at least endurable, and would enable him to bear his share of the burdens of the colony, while his position would tempi; others to trust their fortunes to the returns which the land would give, in is admitted on all sides that the business of the dairyman is, or should he, par excellence the business of the colony. The statistics and statements which we have published from time to time point to this industry as one of the probable sources of our wealth, and „ no reasonable sum spent in fostering it, only provided that it is well spent, would be grudged by the public. The principle of sowing with a hope of reaping has already been affirmed by the present Government. The appointment of Mr. McCallum as Dairy Inspector, and the expenditure of public money upon reports and instructions, which are to be distributed gratis, are of this nature. Why, then, should an objection exist; to giving assistance in the manner now asked? Assistance which would have the merit of being tangible, and of benefiting the many without injury or injustice beingdone to anyone. The New Zealand Dairy Association has already intimated to its suppliers that the sum which it hopes to have remitted on its cream freights shall go straight back to them, so that the concession for which Mr. Spragg and his fellow-interviewers asked would not be absorbed as profits by the Association, but would tend to the building up of our natural national industry, and thus on the broad grounds of public weal their contentions and request are justified. Help just now, while the industry is trying to get upon its legs, would doubtless be repaid a hundred-fold to the colony in the prosperity which the success of cur pastoral pursuits would ensure, ami the Minister for Public \\ orks might creditably signalise his connection with the Railway Department by arranging' for the carriage of milk and cream at much reduced rates.

The existing bootmakers' strike was the subject of an action brought at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday by Messrs. Garrett Brothers against two of their employes who have struck work, in which they claimed the sum ot £20 from each of the men for breach of agreement, the defendants haying wrongfully left the service of the tirtu. No defence was offered for the action, Mr. Jackson Palmer, who appeared tor the defendants, A. Wav. man and A. McCarthy, stating that lie could only advise them to return to th'-ir work. From the evidence it transpired that; the defendants had been com polled to leave their employment, and that they

were afraid to return, and Mr. \vauman stated that it would cost him as much as his life was worth to go back to his work, he having been threatened with personal violence by the other men who were on strike. Dr. Giles and Messrs. Cooper and Palmer commented strongly upon this condition of things* and His Worship suggested that the. aid of the police should be called in. Judgment was entered tor the plaintiffs, to be enforced' if the defendants did not return to their employment. would appear, therefore, that we are m about as bad a position here in a smal way as are the mine-owners at -N eu " castle. Even in Auckland, in these hard times, men can strike work against what appear to be fair wages. Moreover, men who are willing to work, ant who have signed agreements, are compelled to go about idle to please certain other men who do not choose to work.