CORRESPONDENCE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 October 1911, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Out cfcttfesjpwid'ente , ofeiniobs are "theit oVro; tlhe leepoanbility « editorial onee makes sufficient ballast for the editor's sli»ulders.J

MR MASSEY AND THIS WORKERS.

IV) ttm Editor

Siry—Mr Massey, at Ins meeting at Levin on Wednesday -night, stated that iie was against the present Arbitration Award' system, ns it was unfair that a first-class man was compelled, to accept the same wage as '■£ nondescript! I wish to point but, for Mr Massey'e benefit, that thife it not the spirit of the Act. A minimum wage is set for the various trades: and workman unftble to earn thAt minimum is Allowed to work for lees % getting a permit. On the Othfcr hand no employer as debarred from paying Jus men over Arbitration fates, which some honest employers d» at the present time. Iho above art" was passed by the. present Government, and it would be interesting to know "What TVould Mr Ma«eyDo?"-Your l ,etc tagT "AN ELECTOR'S" VIEWS.

To the Editor

Sir,—l went to hear Mr Massey Yesterday at the Century Hall, and I want to say that, if any workman thought once of voting opposition he wont do so now. Mr Massey Raid tbiat the likes of us ought to be thrown ont of work—or words to that effect. He said. "Do away ■ -with pick and shovel, and introduce -machinery." Well, that means 'that either me or two of my mates .[gets thrown out of work, and that ,'jß seemingly no concern to the Conservative party in this country. T .B&y, sir, it's a shame to try to take "the bread out of our wives and children's mouths. No, Mr Massey, we've found you out at last.—Yours, -■ ' ELECTOR. I MR MAGSEY'S MISTAKES.

To the Editor. ; Sir,—The Leader of tho Opposition appears to hare made another inis:;take. Ho said last night in Levin fie would "explain the policy" of his ■party. He did not do so. As re- : garde "Reform of Finance," "Limited borrowing and economical expenditure," "Reform of fiscal system," '•"Reductation of taxation," "Lessened cost of living." the great "Land "question," "Facilities for workers * —which ar© ibis planks—we search in vadn through his speech for a 'single helpful suggestion on any of these subjects, to say nothing of definite lundertaking to carry out a specific programme if circumstaiiccs j&Quld make him Premier. Mr MasBey complained of the amount of the •public debt (which his vote has been giteil on every occasion to increase) Sut did not mention a solitary instance where a loan ought not to * have been sanctioned by Parliament of wheie the amount should ~ have 'Heea less. Nor, wilnat is more to the tloint, did he give the slightest guide ' "las to what he proposes. If he "means anything by "Reform of finance," what is his policy in reprd to ''finding money for public works? ■None! If the country decides to

'slacken off in its •borrowing—a proposition, by tlie way, wlncih 1 the ■Government of this young country hae -put forward in fairly concrete farm it can only indulge in tlie ''uxwy of smaller" revenue from taxation by •agreeing to a. policy of stagnation. Pernaps that is what the Opposition is after. This assumption is supported by the past history of the party; to wit, I mention only "two years of it, 1886, 1887. Soup •kitchens and working men getting "4s or 5s a day, and bread 6d a loaf. When the Old Age Pensions Bill was Before Parliament. Mr Massey said the scheme would "rob the wages fund," that pensioners ought to contribute, and that the State should refund itself by seizing tfreir property a't deatlß. Now he proposes a further raid on what he calls "the wages fund" by increasing the charge for pensions, letting the ladies get in at 60 instead of 65; and at the same time lie Would seize and eell the endowments set aside by the "State to ensure the stability of the •pensione fund. How is it Mr Mas"eey is so much in favour of this Bill •just on the eve of an election ? Is •6his not a vote-catching dodge? "Why did he not try it on two wears ago? He also would have us believe that a Conservative cabinet, with himself at the head, would lessen the - oost of living by alterations in the Customs tariff, but no indication is given of the direction such changes would take, or htow the revenue 'would be recouped. Would no reduce the taxation on food Then .why did! he vote to retain the flour He the Land question: Mr MasBey's idea is that when he lays violent hands on the Crown land and •brenke up the slowly and carefully Evolved system of holdings developed during the lost twenty years, he would retain the provisions against aggregation that Crown leases con"tain. Only his dukess prevents • Ihim from seeing the humorous side of this project. He intends to destroy the work of a generation with ihe exception of the restricted! proVision against re-aggregation, and calls it "Reform." On the same •principle, a robber who strips bis victim bare but allows him to retain •his shirt should be called generous. He offers the freehold with one hand and takes it away with the other. The-'owner of a free-hold alienated 'prior to 1907 has always possessed line unrestricted right to sell to whoever ne chooses. The owner of one bf Mr Massey's freeholds would not poeses euch a right. His title would have a tag which would prevent him selling to anyone who possessed more than a certain area of land. His opportunities of selling would thins be greatly diminished, and his tenure would not be so valuable.as that of a freehold property- so called. In fact, it ie questionable.is it Would be worth while for any man to conVert his holding on these conditions Surely he would be better off paying rent to the State and investing his capital in some other way. If restriction of this nature would be applied by the opposition to all the lands in the country our friends might to eay so, and say, too, exactly how':' t they would make the system .operative. . T defy anyone to obtain from his epeeeh even a slhadbwv idea of the sort of legislation Mr Massey has in contemplation—if be really ihms .any plans exepnt to endeavour, by a simulation of conversion to a spurious radicalism, to get hold of the public nurse.—Yours, etc.. P . ADVANCE LIBERALISM.