RETRENCHMENT, AND NO WONDER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 3

RETRENCHMENT, AND NO WONDER.

Sir,—ln Saturday's paper I road that another batch of the clerks was to be "put off" »t the end of next month (June), and whilst feeling: sorry for thoso'iueri,'it set me thinking as, to whether or riot these men should ever.have becil employed, seeing how.liardup: wo must havo'been for years. Possibly these men,'like old shoes, have served their "usefulness, 'viz., .voted' the right way on gaieral '".electron day, and likewise at the second: ballot. It is quite time .that ,Sir I Joseph Word and his servile party received their quietus.;: We have had them with - us', for breakfast, dinner, tea; and supper, and I found them big eaters, and our pockots' cannot stand this system of'political gluttony., • -The late Seddon party came m on the -ship "prosperity,".' which thoy : handled; cleverly., Coming to tho'doings of Mr. Seddon's most advanced pupil, the only Wizard of viz.; the Hon; Sir J.'6; Ward, :etd-j etc.; the workers' political friend. What, pray, has:ho d6no, ana is he doing for us? Woll, I find,.sir, thanks to the Liberal and Labour party, of which he is the proud head, that jvo now, have a public debt of £70,000,•000; we also have,a public interest bill "of. £2,478,202, and if that' wasn't / distinction' eiipugh,' another, interest bill even larger than' that.. Sixty-five- million ."four, hundred and fifty-three thousand nine hundred and forty, .pounds has been borrowed in N6w. Zealand on the security of land, and the interest on that' is often. 7 per cont.:' Can' it be wondered at, that onr finances are in, such a sorry plight? '.'On Friday, last, 350/ persons left Wellington ' alone for Sydney. ' Then' in March of this year the Registrar-General, Mr. Von Dadelszen informs us that' about (I am .not 'quoting"exact figures) .700 persons more.left. our Dominion than arrived here, and'yet our. Master of Finance boasts about "things will adjust'themselves"* shortly," •; and other sricb, twaddler Some months ago at Christchurch ho'.made a:statement'that there were no un-' employed in the. Dominion, and on being, challenged subsequently qualified by making' another .statement,, .equally.:'as .true as the firsfc/'arid. Iroth'-.without, any foundation- of , 'fdet, "thatvthere' was plenty -of .work, for. ;.'tHbse .who '.wet'e willing: to work".; but. work of what-description?. -I read the otlier. day where' a' unionist'. gave 'evidence;' and. stated that his oxpenseis itfere 1 greater than his' earnings,' iiarid ! he is, no doubt,.' but' one. 1 of hundreds similarly; placed.' ,; And ' he is ' working, .consequently' a worker and Vnot a apolitical drone. ;;; .' I:wish I Were able to. follow this our mas-' ter of finance homo to the Old Country, when ■I,would bs armed with ; such things as photographs of the wharf entrance'at .7.55 a.m.—. men looking for, work. Then another ,of. tho :r6om'; where these poor unfortunates aro idling,; by , compulsion, and in their, hearts praying to God that something will turn up. ;Then,. sayj at 8.5 a.m. proceed to tho Public Library and take' a snap of the poor out-pf-works there .'who' have not' the pried of a bed, and; are consequently compelled //to " doss' ;put." Then, again; pay> a flying visit to the soup' kitchen in Buckle Street,' where a; •grand (?) . and' telling photograph' could be obtained," where persons - lining up for their soup at the soup kitchen; and yet-this Premier ;Doasts, of our- prosperity. .Has he ever known what it is to. he really hungry?, I mean' by : that, .'has he Ylike hundreds, aye, , 'arid : thousands in New Zealannd to-day) ever' been hungry because he ; has not ' had the wherewithal to : get '■ food ?'.■ I' do not believo he , has, arid hope not. But let.-'him prove himself true to ■ those who have, kept' his) fat salary: going l all these 'years.'and- not treit us like so many, ! mnseuia'exhibits; ; If. retrenchment must : be the'order of. the, day, well don't trample on the, man' 'at:the bottom'of the ladderi'.but lop a good .'substantial.:-;piece off ..Ministers', own' fat salaries, travelling; allowances, and . other extras. They. would never-miss a few hun-' ''■■■ Hoping that th 6 Hon. Sir 'J; G. peruse the-figures quoted by me, and read, .mark,- leatn, and inwardiv digest them,\and: that, you-.will "bo s<i]kind>as. to. plactf, .this ■ lengthy letter' in/print, arid';'enlignteir"a few. of ypur many Readers.— I^am^etciy/i.'^.j;': '< FEARNOUGHT Wellington, June 1, 1909. . - - ■ .[Portions of this'lettor have been omitted.]