Folks Say;

Southern Cross, Volume 5, Issue 36, 11 December 1897, Page 12

Folks Say;

That the finances of N’.S.W. are in.' a healthy condition. '

That there is a net cash credit balance of £120,000. That since Mr Reid took office he has remitted taxes to the amount of one million sterling. That of this no less than £828,000 consisted of surrendered Customs duties. That this is described by the Review of Reviews as the most da log stroke of finance in Australasian history. That the Seaward Downs dairy factory was opened on Monday. That to Miss May Campbell belongs the distinction of being the first milk supplier. That she arrived with milk at 4.20 a.m.. and then wakened the manager. That she is what the Americans call a “ hustler.” That in the political world indications are very unsettled. That according to one set of authorities Mr Seddon will g,o Home, Mr McKenzie go into the Legislative Council, and Mr W. P. Reeves come out from Britain and take up the running. That according to another set there is no foundation for these statements. That the Railways Committee have recommended the petition to extend the line from Orepuki to the Waiau river to the favourable consideration of the Government. That the Old Age Pensions Bill will likely be thrown out by the Council. That there is plenty of gold in Klondyke. That there are other things less desirable. That mosquitoes and gadflies abound. That they attacked a horse and ■sucked his dry. That there are 19,687,954 sheep in the colony. That there has been an increase since last year of 649,461. That of this increase the South Island claims 145,280. That there is a dispute in the tailoring trade in Dunedin. That the matter is before the Arbitration Court. That according to one representative of the tailors the pace-making system is in vogue, with disastrous results, morally and physically, to the workers. That the employer gets hold of an oxpert and very rapid worker, whom he makes the linger or pacemaker. That under him are placed a crowd ■of either women and boys or wage men and beys, who have to keep pace with the speedy man. That by this means the -workers are driven along at their utmost ■sped, and failure on their part to keep within measurable distance of the ringer means dismissal or a severe tongue-lashing from the employer. That one can imagine what this •means to a man getting up in years, who, though not so speedy as he was at one time, is just as efficient a ■workman as he was when he was a young man. That statistics show that females predominate largely over the men in the trade, and are gradually supplanting them. That the major porfion of those Temales are simply earning something to supplement their fathers’ wages. That this, beyond a doubt, baa a tendency to lower wages, and make the employers keener to employ such cheap labour. That this is termed “ industrial suicide.” That one employer said he employed seven females and one wages man. That be denied using the team or pace-making system. That he paid union wages. That he admitted that if he had to pay females the same wages as men he would not employ females.