THIS FREEDOM

NZ Truth, Issue 1179, 5 July 1928, Page 6

THIS FREEDOM

P. W. Camps Compared With Prison - *\ (From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) When it comes to a question of social adjustment, there should be some line of demarcation between the self-respecting hard-working man who prefers freedom and the criminally-tainted, waster who plomps every time for prison fare and the attendant "prison stroke." Y E T there are some cases v/here such a dividing line is not readily noticeable. A case has recently been revealed m regard to one of the camps m Which are located men of a certain department of Government service.. They are what is classed as laborers, but upon their work, depends the convenience of a large portion of the community. The state of things disclosed to "N.Z. Truth" can be classified as nothing short of barbarous m . a Dominion which boasts, that it leads the way m democracy and education, and has for many years past allegedly given grave consideration to the conditions under which manual workers carry out their tasks. WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE In this particular case there ar,e less than twenty men' employed; -the region is one of the wettest m the North Island and the work is of such a nature that the 'men are often wet through before the .day is half through. Yet such is the consideration shown to the employ v^s that they are unable to dry tfreir clothes, their tents, which are pitched on sodden ground are minus board floors, ahd this m a district where the water often lies several inches deep and it is actually necessary to wade into camp. More amazing still, is. the fact that no privacy or cover is provided insofar as sanitation is concerned, and the matter of weather never appears to have been taken into account. Such a state of things might have been excused m an age when less importance was attached to such matters, or When the social and hygienic standard was on a very much lower grade, but . that a Government department should countenance their workers enduring such primitive discomfort m 1928, is almost inconceivable.^ This is only one instance, but, bf course, it .is by no means remote, as there are many such camps where the conditions are every bit as bad. Because men with the family instinct of self-preservation r.re compelled to accept laboring work m a country which is overcrowded with unemployed (thanks mainly to a haphazard"--policy of immigration), it is not reason that they should have less consideration than men who, for offences against the laws of the country are more-or-less comfortably housed, warmly-clad, sanely fed, and have a dry bed on which to pass the night. Moreover, the men who come within the latter category, are, per medium of various societies provided with an assortment of literature and funds, at times regaled with entertainments, or what might almost be termed petting parties, m order to lighten the tedium of their legal punishment. TAG OF MALCONTENT On the other hand the man Who has an ambition to at least do an* honest day's work, and willingly sho.ulders his responsibilities, preferring to keep out of gaol, might be, and very often is, tagged as a malcontent if he protests that he is not getting a fair deal when, he becomes one of a Government or relief works camp crowd. Most, of these men are of a hard school and do not expect pampering; they do not anticipate, that they will be conceded any lavish treatment, but they should certainly be entitled to ask why it is that all . the more essential comforts of life should be lavished on those who have actually offended against the laws of their country, and for the safety of the community generally are deemed safer behind prison bars? "N.Z. Truth" has yet to learn that there is any constituted body . which makes it theii? specific business to see that the workers m camps m remote, or out of the way places, are provided with any form of reading matter; that anything is .done which may brighten the long, dull, winter evenings m a .cold, rain-sodden camp." It has yet to learn that any cleric, or any philanthropic body of persons has made any concerted effort to improve their . conditions, or that any member of the Government has reproached himself with the things left undone m this respect. The State has not done its job by any means m simply finding men. work. Working conditions should not be on a ; grade iower than where those who have contravened the law are incarcerated, and It should be the business of social welfare workers to look into the conditions under which some men work. As the matter stands there is #.n astounding ladk of equity about the whole thing.