"WHITE SLAVES"

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13396, 20 September 1907, Page 2

"WHITE SLAVES"

DAIRYING IX TARANAKI. .. . " i | - CONDITIONS Oh' 1 LABOUR. < (Special.—By Telegraph.) . WELLINGTON, Sept. 19- - In the" House yesterday afternoon Mr Wilford. following* .up jv Cl.uestion put to the Minister of Railways by Mi" Okey regarding 'hardworked. stationmasters, drew the attention of the House to the "white slaves" of New Zealand on the dairy farms in the Taranaki - district. He said these poor little children had in the early morning't-o do the, milking and then travel to school where they fell asleep at their lessons. Why did not Mr Okey take up the cudgels for the white slaves of New. Zealand, the daughters and Rons of the farmers Le represented?, -It was t.'ie ctuse of these young children he Should champion. He did not know.what was going to Ikj the result so far as making a good class of individuals under such circumstances. • The hon. member could not deny the facts which had been proved in the courts of the colony, and referred to by magistrates and judges. He suggested that Mr Okey should start an open crusade against the white slavery going on in Taranaki. Mr Okey declared that there were no white slaves in Taranaki. They had children in a much woi'fe state in the City of Wellington. Mr Symes said he had listened with some surprise to the statement of ' the member for the Huh who could find a ten times worse condition of affairs- in Wellington. " . Mr Wilford : "Two blacks don't make a white." Mr Symes denied Mr Wilford's statement altogether. i He ventured to assert that- the children, in Taranaki were > the healthiest and finest in New Zealand, and these were the children who milked their cows night and morning. The member for Hutt had said he had seen children going to sleep over their desks. "I've seen hon. members go to sleep in this House," he added. He came from a district where dairying was the chief industry, and there they found a happy, well-fed and wellclothed lot of children. He knew it had been. stated by the Chief Justice that there were white slaves in Taranaki, but the Chief Justice knew absolutely nothing about it or lie would not have made such a statement.

Mr Jennings said he would not deny that there were some crses of hardship, but he did deny the general charge against the fathers and mothej-s of Taranaki that they had less regard for the welfare of their children than the parents' of other districts, and lie had had occasion to 20 amongst these people. Mr Wilford : '"Do you dispute the Chief Justice's word?"

Mr Jennings : "T don't se? that the Chiff Justice is to be taken as the bp-all and end-all of everything that takes place in this colonv." '

Mr Wilford : "The poor souls don't get a chance."

Mr Jennings : "Although the hon. membar knows a good deal, i especially about divorce, he knows very [little* about the school children of Taramiki. Mr Wilford : "A fading man in 'J";\ialiaki was charged with carrying on a process of white slavery/' : Mr Jennings: "He ix*dend. ' Mr Wilford : "That is why I haven't mentioned his name. He issued a writ against the proprietor of a newspaper for an artcile which had been published against him. The paper reiterated its [statements, backed up by evidence received after going round the district. The individual referred to then dropped his case." Mr Jennings: That might be the cave, but as a general rule there is no such thing as white slavery in Taranaki as spoken of by the hon. member and other people." Mr Okey point-?<l out that in Taranaki they 'had not children running in the streets at all hours as in Wellington selling newspapers. The lion, member should look nearer home. *