The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1905. A SLANDER ON WANGANUI AND THE COLONY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11646, 25 August 1905, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1905. A SLANDER ON WANGANUI AND THE COLONY.

In every community there are unfortunately to be found a few individuals who entirely fail to adapt themselves to their circumstances - and surroundings, and whose chief characteristics are chronic fault-finding and grewling. If the sun shines brightly they complain of- the heat and want rain, and if the weather is damp they bewail the fact that there is no sunshine. They can rarely find any employ- J meat, for the reason that they either do not look for it, or that in seeking it they do so in such a way that there is little hope of them finding' it, and their chief ambition, appears? to be to din into tho ears of a few congenial souls their views of the rights or wrongs of the working man. There is Baid to be domiciled in Wanganui an individual of the type above described. Ho • has written an anonymous article to the Rochdalo Observer, England, under the norn do plums of "A Working Man," the contests of which article are of a very misleading character, and calculated to prejudice people against coming to this colony. In this precious epistle, written some months ago, he says ' that potatoes were - then selling in Wanganui at 14fe per cwt, and that everything elae is correspondingly dear. Apples ho quotes at 6d per lb, and oranges at 2d each. A decent suit, he says, cannot be purchased for less ,than £o, or a good pair of boots under £1, and these being of colonial leather are but poor stuff, "and a man cannot even get his- washing done except by Chinese, and these are notoriously unclean." "Trade has not. -been so alack," he add 3, "for a great ' number of years, and there are scores of people out of work and in distress here in Wanganui." It dees not suit the object of the writer to explain thab tho high price of potatoes (not the fictitious value he places on them) , is due to many of . the crops throughout the colony being' infected with blight, nor docs he say that potatoes are very cheap as a rule, and that fruit in season can be purchased- at less than half the price he quotes. While quoting prices for various articles he- also omits to mention that the rate- of wages is correspondingly high, and ignores the fact that , wages here "are ln much higher' proportion 1 to the cost of living than they are iv

the Old Country. The thanks of the 'community are due to Mr George E. Turner,, of New Plymouth, -for drawing attention to the misleading statements of the Wanganui pessimist. Mr Turner is a married man, with a wife and family, and has only been in this, colony about four years, having come direct from Manchester, but he has been resident in New Zealand long enough to appreciate the advantages of colonial life. In looking over some Home papers he was surprised to find the letter above alluded to, and he at once communicated with Mr A. Hatrick on the subject. He states in ono of his letters that he is very pleased with the conditiqns of life, etc., in this > colony, and ho is certain that a working-man is far better off here than in England, and he intends writing to the Rochdale Observer, refuting the statements of Wanganui's defamer. He also purposes sending a copy of the article to New Zealand's Agent-General, for that gentleman to deal with. The paper in question is one of the laTgest and most influential journals, published in the ' North of England, where the Government are trying at present- to arrange trade with and create an interest in this colony, and such reports are, if unrefuted, liable to-do great harm. Mr Hatrick replied to Mr Turner pointing out that the. Wanganui correspondent had grossly exaggerated the cost of food and clothing in the town *and in the colony, and stating that it would be no exaggeration to say that the lines mentioned — boots, apples, oranges, potatoes, and suits of clothes — could be purchased for half the price named in the letter. After combatting the statements about the people out of work and the distress, Mr Hatrick added that "poverty Biich as is known, in the Old Land is quite unknown in New Zealand." The ex-Mayor passed Mr Turner's letter on to Mayor Bignell, who also replied in a similar strain. One of New Zealand's greatest need 3at the present time is population, and it is to be regretted that such inaccurate statements should be broad-casted in v such excellent recruiting ground as the North of England.