CORRESPONDENCE

Wairarapa Age, 19 December 1919, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE

MR. McLEOD REPLIES. Sir,—Mr W. 0. Tennent, in your issue of to-day, seems somewhat indignant that the workers should be misled by such men as Mr McLeod Since when is it that Mr Tennent has become so interested in the worKers that he finds it necessary to take up the cudgels on their behalf? 1 have for years past been closely identified with the working class of New Zealand, and I can find no record ivhere Mr Tennent has ever concerned himself about their welfare, and ] would draw the attention of th< workers to the part played by Mi Tennent during the election campaign just closed, and ask what interest hi has displayed in them? Might I ask Mr Tennent to tax his memory a? to the remark I used to him at mj meeting. I think I told him to hold his tongue, not, as he says, "Shut your mouth up." About that 290 persons and the income tax they pay. 1 stated that they paid income tax on £9,043,000 in 1918, and went on to say that if you look up the Year Book of 1917 you will see that the total number of factories in New Zealand in the years 1915 and 1916 was 4670. The total number of workers employed in these factories, male and female, was 57,823. The total wages paid to all these workers was £6,654,504, showing that 290 persons last year (1918) received in incomes Z\ million pounds more than all the workers in all the factories in NewZealand in the year 1916. Now, Mr Tennent, you don't need to worry about expressing sorrow at any attempt on my part to influence the unthinking Just do a, little thinking yourself. I invite you to do so by quoting some figures in support oi your statements. It is an easy matter to differ, but when we do so we should all be prepared to substantiate our statements, particularly whe:> they are made through the public press. In your letter of to-day, you have not advanced anything to justify your statements. When you have done that, I will give you some further revelations on the unequal distribution of the wealth of this country.—l am, etc., . ALEX. McLEOD. Masterton, Dec. 18th, 1919.