VIEW HILL NOTES.

Oxford Observer, Volume V, Issue V, 16 June 1894, Page 3

VIEW HILL NOTES.

ByDemos.

At the quarterly general meeting of the members of the Canterbury Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Hallway Servants held at Sydenham on the 5 inst part of one of the resolutions carried was: — " That the Government's attention be drawn to the urgent necessity of permanently settling the unemployed difficulty, by means of '• State farms and State factories in and around the centres." One wovld think the Leaders of this and kindred Societies would be sufficiently conversant with business to kno.v that if the Government started any number of factories, no GovernK inent nor anybody else could create an v increased demand for the goods manufactured. If there was a good demand for commodities of- all sorts there would be no unemployed men who vrere willing to work, and it is not easy to see how the starting of factories by t lie Government is going to increase the demand for goods. The fact is we have over production in almost every industry as it is, witb"Sut*Government entering into competition. As for SLate farms, it is quite- a mistaken idea to suppose that they could -be made to relieve the labour market in times of * scarcity of employment to any apreciable extent. No person who knows anything of farming would recommend such an expedient. Farming whether carried on by Government or by private individuals must be done systematically if it is to be profitable ; the • various works must be done at the proper time and in the proper order ; seed-time and harvest come in their respective seasons if they come at all, and. it: would never do for the Government any more than private persons to start /farming with the idea of doing the work v only when the labourers were out of employment elsewhere. Time was -in Canterbury at all events- when no previous ex-

perience was necessary, for any one willing to work making farming a success, as good open land could be had in plenty, and grain was twice or three times the value it is now, but all this is changed and only by careful and' scientific farming can this industry be carried on profitably to day. State farms no doubt are desirable for the assistance of aged and other persons who are not physically able to , compete with the ablebodied, but who are able and willing to earn a part at 1 least of their maintenance ; in that way they might- be made a blessing to many if properly managed, and they would certainly take many of this class off the labour market, but as a means ! of "permanently settling the unemployed difficulty " they can be of little use unless it is done at a dead loss, which the settlers of the country would never tolerate for a moment. Oar Government are doing their very best with the means at their dis- j posal to mitigate the hardships of the unemployed, and if. they had more money would find plenty of work which would be reproductive. They very wisely set their faces against making work for the sake of finding employment only. If people are really hard up and are anxious to take work they should not be sqemish about the kind of employment offered. There is no disgrace working with pich, shovel, or axe, any more than in quill-driving, counterjumping, or doing mechanical work, and any person with health and strength can easily get into the use of the tools if willing. There is plenty of pick and shovel work, requiring to be done and as this kind of work is tha most profitable the country can possibly undertake -indeed it is crying out for roads from end to end whereever settlement is going on- there is no necessity to ask the Government to ftart any other industry for the sake of absorbing the unemployed, nor will there be any for years to come, for there is no fear of all the realy neces- . sary roads being made in New Zealand during the present century at all events. All that is wanted is proper facili- \ ties for people to take up land under \ liberal land laws, and the necessary j roads being constructed for the pro- ' fitable occupation of the selections, to j absorb the unemployed for years to come without Government entering into competition with private manufactures, which would probably only result in loss to the colony.