THE UNEMPLOYED—WHY?

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13928, 11 June 1909, Page 4

THE UNEMPLOYED— WHY ?

(To tho Editor.) Sir, Relative to the above heading and under the same of your paper of the 9th mst., we are informed that the Government intend to find emplnyment for the great "unemployed" by clearing 81)0 001) acres of bush land somewhere. Had this scheme beon evolved some yeavs or less ago, one might havo patted Sir Joseph and 00. on the back, but coining « hen "necessity necessitates," it's too late for that, and instead of using their brains earlier they now, as they should have done long ago, try and make it a platform in their policy. A sop to the working classes again! lam not saying there is no necessity for it, but if they go helter-skelter in accommodating every Tom. Dick and Harry on the job, it had bettor be left. How many genuine unemployed are there? By this Ido not mean the shiliy-ooatod gents who polish our verandah posts hourly, daily, and incessantly, in this town as well as others, but men who would bo prepared to take and stay on, say, 100 acres of tho same lands for the noxt ten years, helping to grass them and erect homestead-* on their hundreds, and giving them the right of purchase at some given date. How many, Mr. Tuli tor, would bo equal to the occasion ? Give it a trial and see the benefits resulting to themselves and the colony at tho end of tho term, besides relieving our towns of the industrious man : for whatever land evolution takes place, there are a groat many "black sheep" who will never go, in fact, should never have tho opportunity of sandwiching themselves amongst others to apain loaf. For tho honest man there is always room and plenty of work, but I have no time for the ''public house tippler" ; let him stop where he is and live by suction, and don't remove him to revilr others willing to make homes for themselves and their children. If some such scheme had emanated from Sir Joseph Ward or his friends there would havo been less need for civil servants being dismissed and asked, after living comfortably in towns," to turn on to the land and spend their little all. Few civil servants, or others who have boon constantly at the desk year in ancl year out, are able, though willing, to take the arduous duties which fall on tho man on the land. Habit is second nature, and I trust, Mr. Editor, that some scheme may be evolved for the benefit of the unemployed, but I do not think, since necessity made Sir Joseph Ward and his friends evolve this, that they should take kudos as the saviours of the working man in the dominion's present indebtedness. Go Home, Sir Joseph, and tell 'em that Wo Tinvp the mon. We havo the land. But don't know what to do. — I am, etc., COLONIAL.