PREVENTION OF PAUPERISM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6592, 31 March 1883, Page 2

PREVENTION OF PAUPERISM.

The following letter ha 3 been handed to us for publication:—

Dunedln; March 23th, 1883. My dear Major Atkinson,—i had tho pleasure of listening to jour two addresses in CbrMchurch 1 think much credit ia due to you for coming forward and trj ii:ir to enlighten the people in loterenai to ihe i bintrd which you helieve to bo for the advancement of the t olony and tho happine33 of the poople; a-id no lover of his fellows can help ojrapithiiing with .your desiro to make sonic provision for sickness and oIJ a<je, and thus relieve tho great pressure which comes upon people- at those times. ti your plan appeared tj mo to be practicable I would give you all tho assistance in my power to make it part of the law of the lwd; but I rnu t confess thtt the impre-sion made at o i my mind wi.en I h-ard your address upon it in the House, and after 1 had read Sir lilacklej's book, was still lutthor deepened when I heard you in Christchurch I could not help wonderinjr how yuu, the Colonial Treasurer of New Zealand, with your hab:t uf looking at all tides of a matter, could ever think such a scheme could bo practically carried out here.

When I Biy that I do not consider tho plan practicable, 1 do not mean by that it could not De brougnt into practical operation, for I know of scarcely anything you could not hring into operation if armed by tho power uf tno law. But what I mean is that the difficulties are so m.my and great; the cost oi the plan wou dbj so considerable; the teeling of tho people against ie would be so strong when they come to understand it fully; the benefits would be so problematical; and, so far as provision for povoity id concerned, BO distant, leaving all present poverty unprov ded for, that when tnese and other nnttora are mken into account, al ng with the lacs ttwt you do not attempt t) grapple with the producing causes ol poverty, crime, and disease. I me tho w.ird impracticable advisedly when I apply it to your plan, in ihe conviction that no free Colonial people would evcri-übniiti t« it when they underst'iod it.

When in Christohurch you invited those who did not a^reewith jour pan to suggeht » better at, d ny-re ptacticable one. Taking jou to be in earnest in that invitation, 1 have tried to full in witn your reeoinmeutio», and I am now prepared to submit a plan to the public which ia both simple, practicable, and immediately < fft.ctivo, whereby pove ty, ciime, disease, and Government expenditure may be reduced; increased w.jrk pruvided, with a tendo cy to increase wages, or at Itsst to harden them ; and the pel mancnt -ettlomen', of tho laud by agriculturists be increased, and thereby increase tho revenuo of tho Colony, thus giving ouch an impetus t> the general prosperity of the Oulony and provi lii'fr such a sufficiency of work as would attract imuji:r.iuta aud would justify Giivornment in giving increased facilities for their Introduction, and by this means the revenue would bo greatly improved and trw latio per head of taxation would iic lowered. Instead of its being needful, m 1 your plan, to take tho land rerenuefor the relief of poverty, under mine it would not be requir. d; for, wliile poverty w uld not be entirely annihilated, it would be so greatlyredueed, and the general prosparity be B3 greatly increased, that no difficulty would be found in making provision for it; and the la.' d revenue, I would buggoat, should be appropria ed to the extousion of our public works, instead of continuing to borrow in the English niirket, and thus brinir up our r.ssetd in railways, telegraphs, ke to the amount of our ■•> hole puttie debt. I need not further outline my plan. I intend to prosent it at a public meeting in Duncdin on somo evening iinnioJivtely alter you have made \ our addresses. 1 should esteem ie a favour if you could be prosont and hear it; and 1 am ulmost sang ?ine enough to hope that tho practicability and immediate eiticknoy of my plan may leai you to lay aside yours for the present, and b<-nd your great energies to. immediately bring it inlo operation, seeing that part ol it U at present within the power af the Government, whilo the logulativo action necessary to bring the other part of it into operation cou'.J boobaintd without very great difficulty.

is no great originality in my plan; it is merely a combination of plans whien have bten earriscd out in other purta of the world! but I am persuaded that tho man who would place his shoulder to tha legislative wheel of Now Zealand, ao as to make the combined plan part of cur Colonial procedure, would not only merit, but would receive the thanks of all future genera: ions of Now Zenlandors. My letter may appear to you eijoti tical; 6Uch, howover, U not ray feeling. It is simply tne earnestness of my desire for tho welfare of the peopla of tho Colony, and my conviction that a simpl'* means is within our reach of making this Colony the quton and admiration of all tho Colonies, that led mo thus to write, und to vontuie subsequently to mako my plan public If oilhoryou or any other body of men will set yourselves to wefic to bring nbous tho st.vo of things which think is within our reach, you or they shall rectivo all the support it may be in my power to glvo.—l am, &c,

If. W. OREE.V. P.S. -As the subject nutter of the leUir is of public interest, I may publish this le tor.

We understand that Mr Green has taken the Princess Theatre, and will unfold his scheme there on Thursday evening next.