LIBERALISM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 15079, 29 November 1919, Page 6

LIBERALISM.

ITS ASPIRATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS. ' (No. 2.) ! WAGES PROTECTED. Tho same principle of subordinating ail the abstract theories of Conservatiem to the general welfare was illustrated m the Truck Act of 1891. Up to that time, an employer could make money out of his men by forcing, them '.o take wages m part m. the form of goods that he sold or commodities that they helped him to produce. The Truck Act made wages payable m money only, and the men were free to buy where they liked at ruling prices. Naturally there was further outcry at his "interference" of Government with :he employers' "right" to cheat the wage-earner. But the champions of Liberalism had their answer always ready — i. was "government for the people." And so they went on to protect the wages of men working for contractors. In 1892 the Liberal Government passed through the Legislature the Contractors' and Workmen's Lien Act, giving 'he worker absolute security for his wages. SWEATING ABOLISHED. . Most people nowadays have forgotten that at that time — less than 30 years a^o — factories and # shops were conducted simply on a go-as-you-please system, and entirely m accordance with the employers' views and interes's. General- ' ly speaking sweating was rampant. Women and young persons were victimised by overwork, on a starvation wage, sanitary conditions depended entirely on the employers' tastes. Protection aga ; nst ace'dent from machinery was almost unheard of; hours were enormously long, wages -were for *he most part absurdly low. weekly half-holidays • were remarkably few. The Liberal Government be^an at- once the process of reform, and m 1891 it passed its first . Factories Act, applying m all its provisions the one invariable test of the people's welfare. It protected children and young people working m factories, limiting their hours within reason. Moreover, it fought for and secured sanitary conditions and a weekly halfholiday. ! In the next year it struck the shops, and aroused even stronger nrotests than before. It is well to remember this, for the thing was typical. Every attempt at change was met m that way, not only m the matter of factories and shops, but all along the line of Liberal achievement. | THE NEW UPPER HOUSE. Another matter that the Liberals took m hand m this eventful year was the reform of the Legislative Council. In those days the Upper House' was the main bulwark of Conservatism, chiefly because of the system of life tenure. The Liberals' first nominated a number of Labor members, then cut down, the term of office to seven years. This change was a real reform m the interest of Democracy. And Liberalism is Democracy, first and last and every time. j THE NEW LAND POLICY. i The framing of the Land Act of 1892 was the next important reform. This great and good work was begun, by Sir John McKenzie, the Minister for Lands m the Ballance Ministry. To encourage settlement, with security of tenure and help to all from +he State was the one great object at which the Act aimed. This great measure preserved most of the existing tenures, abolished some, amended others m the direction suggested by Liberal principle, and added new ones. Among these was the lease m perpe'.uity. which made the holders tenants of the Crown, under the control of the State, which insisted on residence, and fixed the conditions of cultivation. The disadvantage — it was the object of much hostile criticism m the beginning — was that the tenant .obtained the unearned increment. In the end McKenzie prevailed, after a tremendous struggle m the Legislature ■■--> : -><vdenfcs of which will be lone remembered. The result of his victory was the immediate spread of settlement. and it was encouraged later by the scheme of financial assistance devised by the Liberal Government for the benefit of the settlers. I BIG ESTATES BROKEN UP. I Another great achievement on the part of the democratic Liberal Government was the Land for Settlement Act passed m the same year, under which the State obtained the power of acquiring landed estates for closer settle ment compulsorily, on terms fair to the holders. The lease-in-perpetuity was the tenure applied under this system. Thousand's of settlers acquired good homes, millions of money were applied to the purchase: from the start to the present time failure was rare and default a negligible quantity. The triumphant, success of Cheviot and other settlement estates thus acauired remains a standing proof for all tame, of what can be done, m spite of opposition, by "Government of the people, by the people, for. the people." j . CHEAP POSTAL RATES. | In the first Ballance year Sir Joseph j Ward signalised his tenure of the Post ! Office, portfolio by passing the Post j Office Act of 189 i, which gave us inj land penny postage, and gave wider j uso to the postal note system. It was the beginning of a great career. In , bringing down that measure Sir Joseph, Jas Mr. Ballance's youngest lieutenant, was merely proving^ that Liberalism. like Democracy, forgets nothing, and neglects nothine that can be useful to the general community. This wasliui the first of the many' special achievement by which Sir Joseph Ward inst'fied his inclusion m the Ballance Ministry, and won his claim to be regarded as an indispensable factor m all Libaj&l Ministries for j the future, j (To • be continued.)