Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

A PIONEER SETTLER'S VIEWS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I havo read with tlio deepest regret of all the doings of tlio working' people of this country, once so peaceful and nappy, now influenced by political agitators, for their own purposes, aims, and ends. This is a free country, each individual has equal rights to work or not, as ho or slio likes, and is not to be dominated , by any particular body or class. There are those who claim the right to strike and upset tho whole country by their conduct, and yet try to prevent free labour. They are tyrants, or would be if they had the power; the law should deal with them, without distinction of class or position. ,The old pioneers, of whom I ani one, respected each other's Tights; the result is that thoir descendants are, most of them, well-to-do and respected people; from /whom the present day so-called working class would like to grasp what was, in tlio majority of eases, hardly earned, and has been honestly inherited. In a free country, with equal political rights, where there is 3io leisured class, there are no distinctions of class except thoso the people themselves mate. 1 The state of things just now is simply disgraceful and shameful, in a civilised, to say nothing of a Christian, country; tho Maoris even must look with con-

tempt on tho state of things. Tho «arly pioneers had very hard and ansioas (times belfore took tho country from tho Maoris, who, after all, wcro ouly trying to defend themselves, and to keep what was theirs. The present-day workers of New Zealand aro contemptible in that they fitrike for all sorts of trivial reasons, and object, in many cases, to make thomselves efficient to help in retaining the country their forefathers gained for them, although there are other people looking,-with longing eyes at New Zeat land. Do wo want to get Imperial soldiers^out again to Now Zealand because of tho supineness of tho j'oung 'men? Sixty years ago ; all young men and middle-aged became volunteers or militia men,.to bo ready at any time to defend their "property or homes if called upon—and now it is just as necessary to h» trained and drilled, but for all sorts ,of silly reasons, or no'reasons, objections aro offered.

i<c\v Zealand-is being disgraced in tho ejes of tho world by tho present-day state of affairs. With deep feeling I 6ign mvself, ONE OF THE OLD PIONEERS.

T'.S. —Tlio working men of tho early ' 'flays got loss than half of the wages they get now, and . yet out of tlieir small-earnings''thoy "managed to put l>y small sums at a time (two or three pounds),, and when thoy had saved ' enough to buy a few acres, to build a small cottage, and have a garden, they did so, and went on adding and adding, until at last they got a nice, valuable property all by their own industry. I cruld name many .. people individually who began in a very small way indeed, but whose descendants are now wealthy peoplo, all by ,tlieir own hard work and saving; but now the workers, who get double the amount of wages, both men juhl women, don't save a penny; tliey spend all 111 luxuries and pleasures, and are never satisfied,, but aro envious. of thoso who arc better off than themselves. They are at the, beck and call of any agitator -who wants to stir up Mischief for his own selfish ends. Slaves! who tyro led by tho nose or driven like sheep, without reasoning, and who listen to those selfish political agitators, with their mouths open, as if they wero listening to a god. I'oor human nature, and poor New Zealand, (to bo in the'lmnds of such people.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19131114.2.106.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1906, 14 November 1913, Page 10

Word count
Tapeke kupu
629

A PIONEER SETTLER'S VIEWS. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1906, 14 November 1913, Page 10

A PIONEER SETTLER'S VIEWS. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1906, 14 November 1913, Page 10

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert