THE UNEMPLOYED DIFFICULTY.

Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 6, Issue 564, 25 November 1891, Page 2

THE UNEMPLOYED DIFFICULTY.

(to the editor). —When the Press assumes the role of censor, her strictures are invariably one-sided, and your leading article of the 28rd instant on the Makairo relief works is no exception to the rule. Without trying to flatter you, I must say you have produced an indictment against the Government which, if they are wise, they will take due notice of, and hand the control of the colony over either to the Press or the yeomanry or farmers, or the money-lenders of Lorahard-street. Under any of the three orders I have mentioned, the patient taxpayer would have all the ills his flesh ‘is heir to remedied, and his crooked path made straight. There will be no more iniquitous and scandalous Makairo road works. I n dealing abuses

like those you complain of, care should be taken to put the saddle on the right horse, and see where the fault lies. If tho Engineers who supervised the works failed to inform the head of the department of the unsatisfactory mode of procedure, the blame should be put on their slioulders for having failed in their duty.' But why, Sir. should you raise such an outcry against the unemployed. when you know it is a calamity we nor any other country cvn avoid. It should he our duty, I think, to provide work that will not only be remunerative to those employed, but it should also he of such a nature that the country will reap the benefit as well. We have got to support the unemployed somehow or other, whether we like it or not. If they do not support themselves by crime they must be supported by charitable aid relief, so you see it would be far better to have them at work, increasing the wealth of the community and trying to make them useful members of society as well. It seems strange that you should raiso such a howl against the unemployed and not lift your pen in condemnation of the robbery of £IO,OOO per year from the pockets of the taxpayers in helping to maintain the murder machines of the old country ; or have you ever said a word against tho system which allows vampires to suck (in the shape of pensions) the lifeblood of their fellow-men ? In conclusion I may remind you that there are other worlds besides ours, and there are also other units in our population who will have a say in the next election as well as the yeomanry and farmers.—l am, Ac., Observer.