Argumentum ad Hominem

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 35, 19 September 1891, Page 2

Argumentum ad Hominem

" It was with much regret—aye r disgust- - —that I learnt from Thursday's-Stab-that there was a liklihood of onr local ■ shopkeepers altering the hour of closing' from 6 to 10 p.m. during the week, and I &ope that it was merely'a rumour. If true, the persons who are the cause of such an injustice, as well as those .whoare weak enough to allow themselves' to» be led (or driven) like sheep, should be 5; heartily ashamed of themselves* -1 know not who the gsilfcy persons may be, nor do I care. In this enlighted and Chris' tian land the- idea of such a retrograde* •- step to little short of savagery, is preposterous. The reasons for thesercondsemna--. tionß must be patent to the greatest sin;nncrr r although he perhaps will not have- , the courage- and manliness to-adroit them. The prosperity of thra district ia a notorious fact, an* any shopkeeper with even a small amount of business tact, together* with common sense and ordinary civility, \ can make a good margin' of profit on hisoutlay without becoming a slave-driver.-The very success- of our tradesmen may make their greed! for gain- so fcnconWjjllable that in their blindness they wish to* lengthen the hours of labor of their servants for the purpose of gathering a-iew extra pieces of filthy lucre;' or, perhaps,, it is a dodge of the masters to make thepublic think they have to work extraor--dinarSy hard for small returns. People must have groceries and clothing, and it is as easy- for them to^ make; their pur-- > chases before 6 o'clock as after,- and It ? don't thinlt there are many people (if any) . [ who object to the present arrangements, jlf the? tradesmen are so busy that their 'staffs are insufficient, why not employ fextra, labor instead, of lengthening the I hours 2- The employees should have • the~ i option- of extra pay if their hours are [lengthened,, but I dtrabir if "they are {thought of. at all r being: mere tools in the' -hands of these " bloated aristocrats."' s Surely we have some philanthropic, if 'not Christian, tradesmen- in our midst, whowillset the example to " Live and letlive.." It ia a strange thing to 1 observe that-the-majonty.of masters, all over the' world,-have only a sham- considerationfor their servants,- although they are fel* r low creatures.- The rumoured' intension ' of the hotel keepers to apply for extention of' hoars toiaidnight,.should-have thedesiredt effect, especiaUy as the morality of our young men is threatened.-' If,, in- spite of these protestations, the hours-are lengthened I woul&urge-wives mothers and sisters* _not to forget the danger, but tp { do their before dark, and thus practically against this iniquity.' The cry' 'that the present short hours- (9»hours a--|day,-and in-some cases 10 and'even more) is ineonvenien* or ruinous, is all bunkum.The tradesmen? are all "making-money "" and what more do they want ? Thepeople of Feilding have gained- an^uhenI viable notoriety- of being- unable to pull i together. It - does- cot' matter what is- [ taken in hand, there'i&no end of suspicion* ; and distrust exhibited: between -the parties* ''concerned, I suppose tbis-wilLbe denied;}.' 'that it looks bad, to say the*least of it, to* see 'bo- many things fall through and so< much-dissension. If my fellow-townsfolk. ' werenot quite so perfect, things would go' much better.- 1 hope, Mr Editor, you/■will continue to-use-your influence in this* I cause, and-make the power of the press; I felt against these wrongs r in the interests- . ! of humanity. V-IGIIiANCE.