THE BILLY SEASON.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 108, 4 November 1895, Page 2

THE BILLY SEASON.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE STAB. Sut,— lf MrWilk's practical illustration of Protection was in every detail exactly as he would have us believe it to be, it would not be in the least degree alarming, nor would it disturb the balance of Bight. Whea we who labor bay other workers' products, we are, so to speak, exchanging our time for theirs, and we have . no moral right to demand two hours of their time in exchange for one hour of our own. Workers in one country who ..attempt such folly as this, imperil their own and brother workers' wage earning status. We must start industries and they must be strongly protected in their infancy. Mr Wilks may, like the Hon. Mr Pharazyn, think only of the consumer's interests, which may only be the interests of those whom the Hon. John Rigg calls loafers. It is the loafers' freedom to dominate us with their capital that Liberals must fight unto death. Liberals are not likely to forget that they must be free to legislate, free to do the right, and to speak tbetrcih— a thing that a great many Oppositionists are, apparently, not at liberty to do. If we place all workers on one side as a federated body, then shall|we see the meaning of this cry of cheap goods for the consumer*. Freetraders never draw this line, hence their arguments are misleading and confused. I heartily thank General Booth for bis " straight tip," on Freetrade, namely, low wages and competition with British manufacturers. Oppositionists mourn bitterly that Go* vernment can, and may, take their estates for the purpose of land settlement, and defraud them in so doing. Yet when Government does purchase a block they cry out " Yon gave too much' money for your purchase." Still, I believe the Minister of Lands can show a credit balance on his books under this heading. European Governments are breaking up their squatters' estates in much the same way that we are doing here and often at a pecuniary loss for a short time, but soon the gain becomes enormous: Mi Wilks is not alone in steadily proclaiming our increased indebtedness, and 'just aa studiously ignoring our increased - assets. Now that Parliament is prorogued, let us hope that the "silly season" of firing political pop guns' is 1 also at an end. At any rate lam now going to devote my time and attention to shearing four-legged sheep. I have already shorn all the two-legged Opposition sheep who trotted so gaily in the Stab, and remarkable poor fleeces they" have yielded, though cupped quite dose to the skin. - v I am, etc., ■■ „•,: Fabxeb Holdfast.