THE RIGHTS OF THE MAJORITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2626, 13 July 1904, Page 43

THE RIGHTS OF THE MAJORITY.

" Oriel," of the Argus, has received the following communication from "John Brown": — Me and the other fellows want a referendum on minority rule. There's more girls and boys than fathers, mothers, and teachers all put together ; and we're going to agitate for right treatment. We are going to join the Trades Hall if we don't get paid for going to school. Do

you know, Mr Orkl, that in this country there are thousands and millions (Tommy Smith says billions, but he exaggerates) of poor little white children who work at schools and never get a cent. That's a nice state of things. We might strike, but we don't want to be too hard on people, so we're going to organise. We're going to rise out of our apathy ; we're going to have our rights. And when we get our rights we'll have a shilling an hour for all

school work we do, and we'll make laws about having more holidays, and we'll put that man in Parliament who has the right views about boys and girls. There's ever so many more of us than there is of grownup people, and yet they rule us. It's one of the tyrannies of the age. There's a parliamentary fellow been talking about making going to Sunday school compulsory. When we have the power we'll make it compulsory for members of Parliament not to make

idiots of themselves. Tommy Smith and Ellen Jones and me made up this letter. Ellen helped because she's good at spelling. The questions in our referendum are: — Are you in favour of scholars remaining unpaid as at present?

Are you in favour of canes and straps? Are you in favour of four holidays a. week ?

Are you in favour of such legislation at. shall prevent the grown-up minority bully«ing the youthful major. ty?