SLAVERY IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21137, 21 March 1932, Page 12

SLAVERY IN NEW ZEALAND.

Sir, —I heartily endorse the remarks made by "Freedom" in the Herald of March 18, with one or two slight exceptions; when he refers to licences for certain trades, particularly electricity, I think he is too severe. But in the main his remarks are more than justified. As ■ a matter of fact, we are hamstrung with ; pettifogging laws. Only tho other week, | in a prominent and apparently civilised ; town, a widow, no doubt struggling to j make ends meet, was fined £2 10s for i selling a packet of cigarettes on a Saturday afternoon; some officious inspector,! armed with brief authority, caught, her in j this vicious act. Admittedly, the law i must bo administered, but one would exprct than a man with the ability and knowledge of the human element, winch our local magistrate undoubtedly possesses, would "temper the wind to the shorn lamb," by imposing a very nominal fine. It is obvious that these paltry laws which ;ue regularly broken by everyone should he. wiped right out, and thus relieve trade and industry of its shackles and allow it to function freely for the benefir, and convenience of the community. Only the other day I happened to he in Auckland on a Saturday afternoon, and having nothing to do for a couple of hours, thought 1 would get my hair cut. 1 went into a tobacconist's and hairdresser's establishment which was open, and made my request, and the proprietor (a barber) very courteously said ho was very sorry, hut I would not be able to have my hair cut anywhere within a radius of 10 miles of Auckland on a Saturday afternoon. He said he would bo only too pleased to do it, hut it was such a serious offence he would not take tho risk. Now, I do not mind not being able to get mv hair cut. if I feel there is nobody who wants to do it, but when I feel there are dozens o! ! men, and many of these now unemployed, who would he only too pleased to make an honest Is 6d or more in a few minutes, it is nothing short of a crime. If slavery means lack of freedom, then this is slavery indeed. I admit the old system might at times have had certain evils, but surely it is far better to have an occasional evil which costs nothing, than a much greater and what seems a permanent evil, for which we have to pay excessively. It is to be hoped, now that Parliament is in harness, it will get busy and erase these pettifogging restrictions and encourage tho spirit of thrift and self-help in the community, and see to it that, no man is penalised because lie likes to be industrious and willing to "plough deep while sluggards sleep." Liberty.