Hon. Mr Scotland.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 227, 3 October 1901, Page 3

Hon. Mr Scotland.

(To the Editor of Times.)

bin, On reading the Times of September iiOth I came across, 1 think, one of the most glaring bits of impertenance that it has been my lot to read. Mind sir, I have read from time to time hard bits of cheek, but this, to my mind cops them all. For a man in his position to utter such statements as Mr Scotland did, is almost beyond comprehension. Sir, it is a good thing that we all happen to know the hon. gentleman. The statements, he made regarding the departure of the First Contingent for South Africa, are well known, but the lie was cast back at him, for instead of “ loafers ” going for a trip, the llower of the country went, and did excellent work. Now, with regard to the present statement, lie lias come out of his shell. He wants cheap labor. He would like to clear New Zealand of the white man, and get, well, any other race, so long as the labor was cheap. He would like to convert the whole colony into a series of sheep runs. Surely lie comes from South somewhere,'may be Canterbury, the “grid-ironed Province. May be he would like the whole of the colony “ grid-ironed.” I heard he was Scotch, well that brings back to my mind another great Scotchman, the Fuke of Sutherland, who cleared the people oft' the estate to make a “ deer park,” and still another Scotchman, who is standing for this constituency told the good people of Patutahi that Patutahi was spoiled in being cut up, that it would have made a very decent sheep run. I would like to ask, sir, what would this hon. gentleman do if it wore not for the sturdy hard-working men, who were the pioneers of the colony ? Could ho, or any one else of his class, have got Chinamen, or Japs, to now down the bush, and fight as they did fight, for such as he? Was it not the young working men of Auckland in the early sixties who formed both militia and volunteers, and fought, and died, in the then unknown Waikato country ? 1 know of several myself who went to the front. Some died from disease, and some were shot. I could refer you to some who arc at present in our midst. \et this hon. gentleman has the audacity to stand up in our House of , Parliament and grossly insult the people of New Zealand by saying—“ lam con- ! vinccd that it would be a good thing for the colony if the working men were to pack up their traps and leave New Zealand in a body. ’ Again—“ Their place could be easily filled by Chinamen and Japanese.” Sir, people, especially the late i Sir George Grey, were often accused of “ setting class against class.” AVhatis this hon. gentlemen doing, but “ setting class ■ against class ’ ? Sir, if this class of men give utterance to such sentiments on the Continent of Europe, little wonder that anarchy is so rife. If it were not for such men giving utterance to, —well I must ] call it cruel expressions, or sentiments, employer and employee would live in a more perfect state of harmony.—l am, etc., i Worker.