Taranaki Herald. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1909. CHILD SLAVERY AGAIN.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14011, 16 September 1909, Page 2

Taranaki Herald. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1909. CHILD SLAVERY AGAIN.

Once more has the charge of child slavery been raised against the dairy farmers of Taranaki, this time at Xapier. At a meeting of the Hawke's Bay Land Hoard last week an animated discussion took place upon the rights of tenants. The board had, at a previous meeting, declined to grant v transfer to a woman on the ground that she would be unable to comply with the residential conditions of the lease, and last week the woman's husband desired to make a statement to the hoard in support of the application. He stated that he wanted the section because he wished to go in for sheep, as dairying was much too arduous for Iris wife. It transpired that the real reason why the transfer was refused was because it meant aggregation of land. Of course, the Land Board had a perfect right to. refuse the transfer if it believed the transferee was unable to comply with the conditions, but one member, in reviewing the chairman's statement "that the land was more suitable for dairying than for sheep farming, remarked that the Government and land boards were responsible for child slavery. This remark led the Napier Telegraph, in a leading article, to state that "child slavery is to be found in those districts, like Taranaki, where dairy farmers, instead of being fortunate enough to have •the State for landlord, have to deal with private lessors. These charge rents that in some cases Ate based upon a value of £50 an acre and upwards. Many of the poor people occupying land on those terms would be only too glad to become State tenants. They have to toil early and late, and compel their wives and children to toil early and late, in order to pay the high rents demanded from them." Concluding its ai> tide, the Telegraph says "the centre of wonian and child slavery in New Zealand is Taranaki." What a pity it is that the writer of such rubbish did not make himself conversant with the facts before so committing himself and so slandering a whole province. Woman and child shivery will, we suppose, exist in greater or less degree to the end of time, but it is no more prevalent in Taranaki than in Hawke's Bay, or among a dairying community than any other. There are women who are compelled to slave at I the wash-tub from Monday morning till Saturday night; others who have to ply their needles for long hours the week through; .md so also are there women who have to work very hard on their husband's farms, whether dairy, «heep, or agricultural farms. There are children of tender years »Ibo who are compelled to workhard and long at. various occupations^ It is untrue, however, f md' grossly unfair to say that Tvom.ui and child slavery is prevalent on the dairy farms of Taraaaki, either on freehold properties )T on those leased from the Crown or private landlords. Sturdier, healthier, and better nurtured children than those of the average 'lairy farmer of Taranaki it would be impossible to find, while the reports of the Education Departnent prove that in the matter ol intelligence they are not behind , chose of other districts. Teachers jometinies complain that in the •ummer months some of the children are sleepy and listless in school, and put it down Jo their having to be up" very early to hel] with the milking. ' That may bt so, or it may not ; but if it is where is the harm?,. The, children arc ;iot injured either physically or mentally, while they are being trained in the habits of industry and brOjUght/up to become sue-i-essful dairy farmers themselves,. And, as a class, the dairy farmer? of Taranaki compare favourably with any section of the New Zealand, community. The truth of the saying that it takes al ong time to overtake a lie was never better exemplified than in connection with this hoary old lie about child slavery in Taranaki. It is many years now since the Wellington Post first circulated it, and although it has repeatedly been denied, and evidence produced to support the denial, periodically ,it crops up again in unexpected places. But never have those making the statements been .ible to show authenticated cases

to warrant their charges. If child slavery exists why do nor those people come and show uh where. The Government inspectors have not been able to find it.