CIVIL SERVANT AND CARPENTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 909, 31 August 1910, Page 8

CIVIL SERVANT AND CARPENTER.

Sir,—Hoping for a small space in your paper.' i I would- like. to say a few ..words concerning two debt eases'that hate lately, been before Mr. Haselden, S.M. Tho first one relates to a Civil Servant getting a salary of '£170 a ' year! In that case the magistrate makes no order:, only tells the debtor, to do what he oat). He also expresses his feelings very plainly 'in favour of | the : Civil Servant's position; at Hie.same time' saying that when he hod only .£l7O a year it; was hardly enough to keep. himself. Now, sir, on'-Friday there .was a carpenter in Court Jor the same charge: debt. That man'was only averaging . 355. per week, and has a wife arid children to keep. Yet Mr. ~ Haselden made; an order against hirii. Ho did not'tell'him to do what he could. 'No, he hound' him dqwn to pay a certain-sum.- Now-, sir, why did he-do that? Is it justice? Is-it ; right'to make such a difference? Both men work for their living.: Both men get sued for debt. Why not give the carpenter tho same •privilege as-tlie Civil Servant? . It' is'a pity ; Mr. ■ Haselden docs •' not . know the ins and outs of some of. the homes of: the Civil Servants, -md i compare them with some of the carpenters' homes. I don't think he would be' so ready to defend them; f have had" experience of both; as. my business has brought me in contact with different classes, and give me tho working man for honesty and paying his ; way when he is able to do it.

I aiii only a workingm'an's wife myself, and I know how they' feel over, the treatment shown in these cases. ; There are other cases' that could b'e' quoted, but these two are sufficient. Now, sir, it is only fair that' the -workingman should be- allowed to protest against such injustice, and as the paper is the . mouthpiece of, the- people it is through them we ought to be able, to defend ourselves, and- to ! protest against.such injustice,, for you can call it nothing else. I have. no fault to find with, the magistrate making an order for a just debt if he thinks it is possible for it to be paid. It is only the .way.'different"people'.are treated for the same offence. ' Considering the amount the Civil Servant was receiving and the small amount the carpenter was receiving, surely any man. or woman in any'.position of life must see plainly the injustice and insult'offered to the working man. If that is what is called English justice, well, it is time it was administered . differently. We, should , not have it said that we have one law for the rich and another for the poor. If those Civil Servants are so much above the workingman,, whjr do they demean themselves.by. running.intodebt tliat they, cannot pay? Why. not show a better example? After all, what are those Civil Servants with a <£170 per year? they not workingmen ? Surely they do. not get that amount of money for nothing? Well, of course, I am only an ignorant workingman's wife, so I suppose I do not understand all the ways of the better classesdid I'say better classes? Well, I did not mean . that, I meant the ones. I. was discussing, namely, Civil Servants. Now, sir, hoping that you will favour me with this insertion, and thanking you in anticipation—l am, etc., A WORKINGMAN'S WIFE: August 29. • - I