FALSE AND TRUE LIBERALISM; OR, SELFISHNESS VERSUS JUSTICE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5763, 18 September 1879, Page 3

FALSE AND TRUE LIBERALISM; OR, SELFISHNESS VERSUS JUSTICE.

TO THE EDITOIi OF THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sib, —It ig interesting and amusing to observe how strongly Conservative our professed Liberals become as soon as their own fancied interests are touched. As soon as there is a likelihood of wages being lowered by the further introduction of immigrants, the cry is at once raised, " Stop immigration," as though, forsooth, those whom the country has brought here already had thereby derived a vested interest in it, and are by no means to be subjected to any inconvenience by giving to others in the old country the same opportunity which they themselves have already profited by. It certainly may be a question as to when and where immigrants are to arrive in this country; but there is no doubt that Mr. Macandrew is right in saying that immigration must continue steadily, if the prosperity of the colony is to be maintained; not that people are to be landed almost penniless on our fhores, with winter staring them in the face, as it was with the Sfcad Haarlem immigrants, but brought out in numbers that e\n readily be disposed of through the colony, aid at a time of the year when the abundance of work and good wages will enable them to make some provision against the approaching winter. • But our Democratic Liberals, forsooth, would rule the labor market so as to havo a monopoly of it, filling their own purses at the expense of the employer of labor, and of those of the poor of their own class at Home. So much for this vaunted Liberalism. Then, again, town land is not to be taxed in the same way as that in the country, because it is not cultivated. Here we have another specimen of this wonderful Liberal- j ism. Those who are deriving their living and wealth out of the hardly-earned profits of the farmer, and who, as a rule, get far more than their proper share of them, are to pay nothing for the land which the existence of the farmer makes valuable, by the increase of the exchange of commodities which he produces aud requires, and the consequent increase of the value of land, whereon such large profits can be made by the middleman. So much for this Liberal justice. But the great end of this system of protection for the Democrats of the town is that they may become the yeomen of the couutry, settled upon their nice little farms in the full possession of peace, plenty, and independence—when they get to their farms they will soon change their political and economical opinions, because they will see and feel from another point of view. The new yeoman farmer will cry " Give me cheaper labor so that I can develop my farm, and make my small farm go further." He will object to be made the milch cow, that is to be milked chiefly for the benefit of his former townsmen and fellow-Democrats, and begin to think that he should have the cream and not the skim milk, instead of his town agents. The relative position of labor and capital has in many cases in New Zealand been as follows :—Smith buys a piece of land aud stocks it ; Jones is employed to work for Smith at so much per week; Smith pays Jones for his labor until all Smith's ready cash is exhausted ; Jones goes on working for Smith until Smith's oattle, firßt, and then at last his land, become the property of Jones.

Now Smith sets to work and labors for Jones, and in the course of time cash, cattle, and land return to Smith as the reward of his labor, and so on ad infinitum. This may seem exaggerated, but it has often been the case, especially where the land has been naturally inferior, or improperly treated, and it is the tendency of the present high rate of wages which both retards the comfort aud enjoyment of all classes in the country, and makes work so often scarce, and so uncertain as to its continuance. Capitalists employ as little labor as possible, in many cases simply because they cannot get a profitable return from it, not even the bare interest of the money paid for it, yea, because in multitudes of cases they would be subject to a positive loss in employing it. True Liberalism is that which does fairly to all, giving to all their due, aud demanding from all their due share of service and Christian charity.—l am, &c,. Observer.