LYTTELTON TIMES.
Practically the only important measures which the Premier promised were Bills for the establishment of a superannuation scheme for the employees of local bodies and for the extension of the old age pensions scheme. We are working gradually in the direction of a system of universal insurance. To some extent the old age pensions system operates as a Superannuation scheme, but only for the poorest workers, and now that it has been thoroughly tested Parliament may venture to extend its benefits without placing any very severe strain upon the*-finances of the Dominion. One other proposal, an administrative one this time, made by the Premier in his Auckland speech, will provoke discussion. It seems that Sir Joseph has been rather saddened by the spectacle of Wellington delivered into the hands of Chinese market gardeners, and he thinks that possibly the city would prefer prison-grown vegetables to Chinesegrown vegetables. The public should have nothing but praise for the principle of employing prison labour remuneratively, enabling prisoners to earn money for their wives and dependents and to repay to the State.some proportion of the cost of maintaining them. The idea . that the prisons should not enter into competition with private enterprise has nothing to recommend it economically, and if the Stale can employ its prisoners profitably making bucks or carpets or any other commodity it should do so, taking care, of course, to demand prices that would enable a private employer to pay fair wages and to make a fair profit. Perhaps market gardening is as healthy and as suitable.an occupation for prisoners as any other would be. ' But we do not know any logical reason why the Chinese should be driven out of the trade. If the State has not the courage to exclude. Chinese by direct legislation it should certainly not make a direct attempt to prevent them from earning an honest living. Moreover, market gardening is by no means a monopoly of the Chinese in Canterbury, and by underselling the Chinese in Christchurch the Government would certainly bo injuring the businesses of white people.
CHRISTCHURCH PRESS. It was understood that in his address at Auckland on Friday night the Premier was to outline the Government's policy for the coming session. It is evident, however, that this has yet to be done. Sir Joseph remarked that his speech must of necessity be both, retrospective and prospective, but, as a matter of fact, it was mainly a retrospect of last session's work, and next session would be even shorter than the Premier anticipates if the Government's programme were exhausted when the matters lie alluded.to on Friday night •had been dealt with. We must demur again'to his suggestion that the only way of preventing the " end-of-the-session" rush is for Parliament to meet earlier and sit for a longer period than is now the custom. . The session is quite long enough as it is, and the extreme difficulty, of which Sir Joseph complained, in getting measures passed hi the earlier part of it would disappear if the Government would bring down their Bills and let the House get to work on them, instead of keeping them back until the last few weeks. We have no fault, however, to find with his description of the .change in the land and income tax law a*"" a remarkable piece of legislation." It is all that. We can also agree with him, though probably not in the sense lie would choose, that its value will be better understood -in years to come. The native laud policy of the Government was the subject of the Premier's- enthusiastic approval. Sir Joseph is very jubilant over his expected surplus of three-quarters ,of a million. His critics, however, can reasonably claim that a huge surplus is no evidence of good finance, but rather a proof that the people have been unduly taxed. The loan 3 that are falling due have been, or are being, renewed, and the Premier experiences all the satisfaction felt by Mr. Mieawber, who, having signed an 1.0.TJ. for a debt, was once more able to look his fellow-man in the face. As regards the question of immigration, Sir Joseph's attitude was something less than satisfactory or logical. He would only go so far as "to say that the present policy should be continued. As this policy, as carried out at present, is manifestly inadequate to the actual needs of the country, the conclusion is both lame and impotent, though it will doubtless gratify those workers who short-sighledly oppose the arrival of any outsiders. The handicap suffered by settler?, especially in the hack blocks in the North Island, through lack of roads, is so generally recognised that the Premier's proposal to devote .1 large sum annually for Jive years to carrying out an extensive scheme of reading will be largely approved. The proposal to cut* out the Chinese market gardener by employing prison labour to raise vegetables for the four cities is a case of misdirected good intention. The idea of compelling prisoners to (to work which, besides being useful for the men themselves, would provide their wives and dependents with some money, is excellent bo far as it goes. But in its present shape we believe it is quite impracticable, and if it were not so it would certainly inflict hardships upon a large number of white market gardeners. The Chinaman has not such a monopoly as Sir Joseph Ward thinks.
Eighty-nine cows, 53 bullocks orlieiiWe, 21 calves, 77 pigs, 660 sheep and 143 lambs were slaughtered at the Maetertou municipal abattoirs during January. Of this number two cows, one bullock, find one pig were condemned owing to tuberculosis. Two cows affected with tuberculosis were passed.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 7
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950LYTTELTON TIMES. New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 7
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