The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1891. THE SOCIAL PROBLEM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2163, 14 February 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1891. THE SOCIAL PROBLEM.

Chttech op England people in Sydney have in contenip'atiou a scheme somewhat similar to General Booth's for the amelioration of the condition of the working men of that city. We hava the greatest sympathy with General Booth's or any scheme which aims at increasing man's measure of happiness, but we cannot see that much good will result from all that can be done in the way indicated. Let us suppose, for instance, that all such schemes succeed to the fullest extent, and that etery one of the poor miserable creatures who inhabit large cities are reclaimed ; what then ? They have all been reclaimed we shall say; they have been made good industrious men and womeD ; they are fit in every respect to fight life's battle, but here the question intrudes itself: what are they to do ? ' Where can they find work ? In the Australian colonies? No.' The late strike proved beyond doubt that immense numbers of men are out of employment in these colonies already. Then we find that Mr Tom Mann asserts that there are 90,000 men out of employment in London alone. The Daily news says this is an under > estimate of the number of the unera-,

ployed, and, basing ics statement on authenticated, statistics, it shows there are 160,000 men and 80,000 women (who are entirely dependent on their own earnings) out of employment in the great metropolis. Mr Tom Mann says that men. women, and children are dropping down daily of starvation in London, and no doubt the position is the same all over the country. We have been told that during the month o£ December 600 people died of cold and hunger in London, and, if the truth were known, equally large numbers in proportion to population died in other parts of the country. It is useless to talk of Christianity in connection with facts like these. There is no Christianity in a country in which such social conditions exist, [t religions ceremonies, be they what they may, deserve no higher title than that of hypocrisy, and if, as we are told it is, the religion of Islam is making headway in England at the present time it is not to be wondered at, The Christianity of Edward the Confessor is a thing of the past, and there has been substituted for it the Christianity of the Almighty Dollar, the Christianity of the Political Economists, the Christianity of Cutthroat Competition, the Christianity of Gold-for-us-all-and-the-Devil-take-the-hindmost.

But returning to the palliative proposes referred to, their result could only be under the most favorable circumstances to elevate the wretched and cast back into then- places the poor creatures who are struggling to keep their heads above water at the present time. Let us suppose that through the influence of General Booth and Anglican Bishops the " redeemed" ones find employment it must be at the cost of driving those who are at present doing the work out of it, and they must sink into the emptied slums. There are millions idle in the world at the present time, and. yet the work of the world is being done in a manner thatjresults in overproduction. There is, therefore, no way out of the difficulty. but the one way; no amount of tinkering will patch up such, disjointed social conditions. So long as there is not work for all some must go withaut it, and that some must starve. The remedy is to find work far all, and that can only be done by regulatmg the hours of labor so that none shall be unemployed. All other schemes are of no practical value; common sense must show anyone that, and consequently all wko sympathise with suffering humanity ought to direct all their energies in bringing about a reduction in the hours of labor.