To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 192, 16 September 1864, Page 2

To the Editor of the Hawke's Bay Times.

Sm,—l should feel obliged if you would publish the following comments upon the Editorial remarks in your issue of the 9th inst., with reference to the Military Settlers, for although I perfectly coincide with the truth of your statement that “ the enormous annual expenditure incurred in the maintenance of tiio Military Settlers in a state of utter idleness and uselessness is in itself an indication of the rottenness of the system pursued by the Government,” I cannot allow the inference that might arise, viz., that this state of idleness is congenial to, and one of the many advantages held out to induce a man to become, a military settler, to pass unanswered, for, on the contrary, the greater portion of us were induced to come over here solely by the assurances and misrepresentations of the accredited agents , who raised our corps in Dunedin, that there would be ample work and fair remuneration for the same in the Province of Hawke’s Day, and we are all now anxious and willing to work in order to relieve the dull monotony of the existence to which we have, for the last four months been condemned—a life almost intolerable to men like us, who have been accustomed to earn our daily bread by the sweat of our brows, in all the different phases of Colonial experience. But while we are thus ready and willing to work, we are at the same time determined never to submit to the paltry rate of wages offered for our acceptance by the niggardly policy of those who are thus vainly attempting to lower the scale of wages in this Province to such a degree that the poor laboring man would stand no chance of ever raising himself to humble competency, but would be forced to bow to the “great monopoly ,” and repress all those aspirations of becoming a small land-owner himself, which now forms so great an incentive to industry and steadiness. It is now palpable that the policy which dictated our importation here is identical in its object to that pursued formerly by Mr. Fitz Gerald, and unless a more generous spirit' is shown than has been apparent, I atnsure that a similar'result will be all that will be attained in the present instance, and instead of settling down, a general ex-

odus will take place. With regard to ‘the roads they certainly are all that you describe them, but not, I think, for the reason alleged in' the, latterportion of your remarks, “ for want of laborers,” but rather, as stated earlier, “ because there is no money.” As to our “ being called upon to do something else for our pay besides drill and dress,” I must remind you that under the special conditions which wo have now signed, we have a legal right to insist on our pay as long as-we are in actual service whether we work or not, nor can wo against our will be compelled to work. But this is a-question which we do not wish to raise, as v;o are all willing to work, and the only thing we want is that the Government should act in accordance with the Scripture injunction that “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” 1 am, sir, Yours, &c.. A MILITARY SETTLER. Camp, Puketapu, Sept. 12, 1864.