Correspondence Condensed

Southland Times, Issue 19262, 28 January 1904, Page 3

Correspondence Condensed

, » Replying to " Sunup's ' last criticism, Mr Buxtoa goes at some length into tha Waterloo fight, pointing out that not a . single charge was made by any part of tho British army upon, any part of the V French position throughout the whole I clay, showing that Wellington. cliU not consider it advisable to play his army *• against Napoleon's, but kept his soldiers ' stationary, knowing that he could rely 1 upon the invincible stubbornness of the common soldiers, and that, Mr Buxton } declares, was the quality that won "W&ter- ' 100. With regard to " Stuinp'9 " refer- * ence to the " Premier of Makarowa," Mr ' Buxton says he did not contradict Mr 1 Ballance, and it was a matter of no con- ' sequence to him whether all the people ' in the theatre sided with Mr Ballance or , not. In speaking of sundowners or swaggers Mr Ballance had said that these men would become like other alien it given a chance, and Mr Buxton shouted from, tho body of the hall. " No, they won't." . When Mr Ballnnce had^ finished, George Crosbie called out. " Buxton to the platform !" and Mr Buxton went on the stage, and after taking a good look at the audience, pointed to Mr Ballance and said, " There is the Premier of New Zealand," then turning his thumb towards himself said, " Here is tho Premier of Makarewa." From tho way that Mr Ballance spoke about swaggers, Mr Buxton knew that Mr Ballance was but little acquainted with that class of people, while he himself had had a good deal of contact with them during boom times. Swaggers had come to him for work, and he had been much aggravated by taking them on, getting tools and cooking, utensils for them, and then finding that 1 they would only stop a few days. Then Mr Buxton determined not to employ anyone, aid so put his eldest son to mould the bricks, and himself wheeled the clay. Other employers of labour had the same experience as Mr Buxton, who says that John Murdoch, sawmiller, used to got half-cranky hunting for men after pay-day. Mr Buxton concludes, "It is the swagger class of people that are the old age pensioners now, and that is what the Ballanco-cum-Seddon policy has done for the colony. Such men know nothing i about working-men and work-a-dttS" life. jThey never did real work. They put gum boots on and brag about their digging days ; but it is only brag, and I would contradict such men with my dying breath."