POVERTY IN ENGLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 21, 25 June 1913, Page 6

POVERTY IN ENGLAND.

A CLERGYMAN'S IMPRESSIONS. Auckland, June 19. > The Rev. H. Mason, vicar of Otahuhu, returned to Auckland on Tuesday, after seven months' absence on a trip to the Old Country. On his way to England, Mr Mason visited Honolulu, and was successful in locating" bountiful supplies of good water for the sugar planters and .ranchers. Mr Mason stated that what impressed him most in the Homeland was the continued poverty-stricken condition of large masses of the people. There appeared to be quite as much abject poverty in England now as there was when he left it for New Zealand nineteeen years ago. "I was also much impressed," said Mr Mason, "by the extreme political bitterness generally prevailing. The Government's measures seem to have engendered personal'bitterness, which is very marked." The vicar next spoke'of the large number of people, the best' blood and muscle of the country, who were leaving Britain for the United States and the Colonies. "While this continuous 3tream of emigration is going on," he said, "large numbers of aliens are admitted to the country, notwithstanding the Aliens' Act, which is practically a dead letter. Very many of the aliens are Jews. In one parish in the East of London the vicar informed me that five out of every six of the inhabitants were aliens. The extreme Radicals are opposed to the placing of any proper restrictions on the alien immigration." Alluding to the women's suffrage movement, Mr Mason said that the disorder and violence were to some extent due to the the ineptitude of the Government, tf the women voters on the municipal

rolls had been placed on the Parliamentary rolls, a great deal of ill-feeling would have been allayed. Many of the sulfragettes were mentally unbalanced, and should be sent to a sanatorium rather than to prison. "All reform in Britain is extremely slow," said Mr Mason, "aiid this is especially noticeable in regard to the liquor traffic, and the abuses that are permitted. The whole matter is treated with an indifference which is surprising. A case which is feaid to be not uncommon came under my own observation/ A publican had taken a house next door :tc his licensed premises, and kept a woman there to look after children, while their mothers sat hi the public house drinking. This was an order to evade the recent legislation which forbids mothers to take their children into public house bars. Such {>, thing would not be tolerated in New Zealand." ' On his journey Home, Mr Mason went through Canada, and was shown what was being done in Ontario in regard to prison reform. The prisoners were put to farm work, and worked long and hard. They did not wear their prison clothes, and were treated as free-men. There i was no need whatever for handcuffs or cells. The only man in Canada who refused a tip from him was one of these prisoners, who dn>ve him in a sleigh to the station.