GOVERNMENT v. OPPOSITION

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 October 1911, Page 3

GOVERNMENT v. OPPOSITION

To the Editor

Sir, —I would like to say a few words to tho workers, as labour Daj is on Monday and the time is drawing nigh to tho general elections I will thank you to allow mo son 10 space to ventilate my opinion 011 the above subject. .First of all, it is not men, but principles, that the electors have to study. lie the Opposition: this is tho party that Messrs Monokton and Brown' adhere to; who, when they were in power (and would do it again, workers) did their level best to keep the labouring class under, by paying low wages, 5s to 7s a. day, with long hours; workers, who assisted the party that Labour D.ay (next Monday) represents, the present Government; don't forget this 011 election day. The Opposition kept the price of money up to rom 10 to 20 per cent., and placed all sorts of difficulties in the way to prevent the workers from occupying the land. As one of the party once stated when asked by ,a. worker to sell a. few of his acres of suburban land at more than over four times What moneybags had given for it. "I don't want the money, and tho land (not used) can remain ; it will ho more valuable by-and-bye. Tie did not consider working men should own land." I write this so that the new electors who are not "in the know" may well consider, and if possible read, mark and learn something of the Opposition candidate's views before casting their votes. There i,s no snob thing as a "labour candidate." The Govrenment candidate (.Mr Field) represents the best Labour Government wo ever had, and if we ca* applv the term to a candidate, Mr Field is the onlv representative of it. The labour party in this country who are trying to represent the electors are not organised properly ; their platform is a crib of the Government's, and if they got into_ power they could not help the working man one iota more thin the present Liberal and Labour party. Had not the present liberal and Labour Government come info office 111 1891 New Zealand would soon have been divided up into a few huge sheep and cattle stations, money-bass living in luxury on its products in the Old Country, and keeping but a few labourers ito look after their thousands of acres of land, whioh the Government has had to buy back at enhanced values for settle in ml- purposes: when they were in power they used to buy up the lajid. is fast as they could, at from 5s to 20s per acre, and vet tliev now irrunt. at having to pay the Land Tax. Now we come to the Government -side: What has this Liberal and labour Government f olic? Have they not raised labo-.t... ers* wages t 0 S, s j- 0 |q s nm ] morf , a day; shorteiu 0 the horn's of labour, reduced the price of monev 11:0 '•> than hair ol that- formerly ruling, bought anl cut up lands so that the worker-; sbo-uld have a. char,ce ol obtaining a r. 1 are of it. givi ig tho, , easy terms of payment- and gran tin it them loa.ns ,n a low interesc »» .tM which to start working it. Have they not g <: tly improved bo •.•- ing and fe-ling of shearer.; -i . | otti e; country h tourers, am! given them considerations they never ha | before? Then again, th« Furto-'os, Shop Assist,' rfs and oMrn - h.lo;'

.'cts have g.-.en the ;;;oii'ral labouring clash's impioved ; \j;'li:'o is and many privileges they did not enjoy before. Did they not give females the Iran oh is.": grant old age pensions; and are they not now passing a Bill through to look after widows and widowers with children, by granting thorn certain advances?

Sir. f could go on giving instances of improvements made by this "Liberal and Labour Government" in ■niany other ways, for the benefit of j the working classes, but it would occupy too much space. _ Sit/lice is to say that the Opposition are_ looking up the Government's lines .of progress in evasive P irases, and telling the electors some fine "fairy tales" for the purpose of catching votes. One of the principal pleas of the Opposition party is that ''The Government has ■been in office too long." What a ridiculous statement!' Whiy. I would ask. should the electors throw over an old and trusted ser-ant, who has done so much good for one and all. such as the present "Liberal' and Labour Gocernment," just to allow the Opposition to hold the puhlie purse, and have a turn at upsetting all the good work the present Government- has done? I can hardly think that, the electors of this Otaki electorate will ho so easily cajoled.

When the sessions finish, in about nine or ten days, our invaluable nieinbcir, Mr Field, will be in Levin to give you a full statement of <afairs, and you now electors', and old ones too, wiii be able to judge r or yourselves: we will also have the Hon. fiir Jamc-s Carroll, or Sir •Jo«spli Wardi here also, either one of these Ministers is coming to repiy to some of the arguments put forth hereby the Opposition; principil'y Mr Mnssey's Then will be the. occasion who i i -am sure the elorvo-s will sty. "Well done, thou good ri'id faithful serv.iit: for Mr Fi V, the Government candidate, shall -.ve cast our votes on election day." — Yours etc., WOR RTXGMAX.