WAGES AND THE GOVERNMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5499, 1 December 1896, Page 3

WAGES AND THE GOVERNMENT.

[to the editob.] Sib, —In last Sa turday'B issue of your local contemporary a letter appears with the signature of "Beacon," who takes Mr Cameron to task for having condemned Mr Hogg and the Government for reducing tho wages of the railway workmen. " Beacon " should read tbe Hansard reports of the debate and will find that of all the so-called" People's members," MrEarnshaw was the only one who stood up for the working man. Behind him was Sir Eobert Stout, Captain Russell, Doctor Newman, and other Opposition members. Mr Hogg and other members like him voted at the hack of the Minister for Kailways, and the Seddon Government has been the first for many years to succeed in reducing tlie wages of the laborer. If Beacon is a Liberalhe should thank Mr Cameron for having brought the matter beforo the pttblic and the working manof Mastertou should ask himself is this a People's Government; or are Seddon and Co. only making use of the masses for their own advantage. Beacon also, says Mr Hogg ought to be .praised for having given the worker (when the Government would not give him employment) ati opportunity to go upon the land, and instances the lleform Special Settlement Block as an example of happy homes. I might inform Beacon that I was a settler in that block and had to forfeit my section. Out of fifty members forty have forfeited, Mr Hogg being one of them, and as for happy homes, if slab huts or ti-treo whares make happy homes I hope Beacon will always be able to get one. It strikes me that Beacon knows very little about the Eeform block and that his letter was written to order.-Yours, etc,, Puketoi.