COMMONWEALTH MATERNITY BONUS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 529, 28 December 1912, Page 8

COMMONWEALTH MATERNITY BONUS.

A REPLY TO "HYGEIA." The Editor. Sir, —In the Chronicle of December 14th there appeared an article by "Hygeia" on "Our Babies," and the writer injures the political character of the Commonwealth of Australia by repeating th 6 baek-biting parrot-cry that the bestowal of the benefit of maternity bonuses is a "bribe" for the sake of politics, as though the public men thereby taking State monies were even worse than those who take their private money for bribery. "Hygeia" talks about the "motive of the bonus." She should not be so ready to impute bad motives or to condemn a great State of our Empire without hearing proper evidence. If she had perused the Hansard reports of the speeches of the Commonwealth statesmen who advocated the maternity benefits, instead of being misled hy their traducers, I believe her to be so right-minded that she would not have aided back-biting newspaper hirelings and others in their fell pursuit of "speaking evil of rulers," and of damaging the tone of national life by instilling bad suspicions, and perverted judgment. It is deplorable, and a real danger to the State that so many of the public in most public matters should lose the sense of "British fair play," and judge parties without hearing both sides, and be so servile to the twisted, one-sided views of great conspiring newspapers. Our local paper, the Chronicle, is on a far higher plane; instead of poisoning the public mind it is fair, and wholesome, and endeavouring to build up the welfare of the country. Moreover, Mr Editor, I truly believe that your contributor, "Hygeia," is also doing that, and her incursion into politics is not nearly with so great error as many "mere men" fall into. Notwithstanding, many I mere men have clear, orderly, and general .views of edgenic matters, well-balanced by common sense and manly power over other affairs and duties, the ordinary farmer realises that in order to sustain the growth and reproduction of plant and animate life, he must provide supplies and protection to the great process. Surely, therefore, it is only natural that we should credit Australian statesmen with having like kindness and desire to protect those under their carp; The world punishes, and taxes the poor working man's family, and employers take advantage of them and very many boarding houses close their doors against children. It is the duty of politicians, and of us all, to show consideration, and acknowledge obligations to those who toil and suffer for the nations "quivers." Perhaps those poor, mean, men who have influenced "Kygeia" with their miserable insinuations, were once so denied a mother's full love, and the milk of human kindness, that they do not believe that manly men grow up with reverence and gratituda'to self-deny-ing motherhood. The stunted,, carping critics attacking politicians from ' ambush, seem like cowards reared on cow juice mixed as it is with the juice ofa variety of cow sores, and dust of the cow yard. The Parliamentarians seem to be a more humane kind than the dairj> feda. A writer in a big English paper argued that women should not have the franchise because they did not adventure their lives, and undergo the arduous tagks, and sufferings of war, as men do. Thank goodness, that Australian statesmen, and also our own, can recognise service and beßtow substantial medals, and are fair to the fair sex. But that scribbler must have been an ingrate, with the antiwowsers with their silly talk about playing loose with the laws and order of organic or corporal life of the Commonwealth, and of the spiritual realms. —I am, etc., M. PARKINSON.