Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8909, 31 August 1907, Page 2

Rangitikei Advocate. SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

THE Wairarapa Daily Times scouts danger in the proposal contained in the laud legislation scheme to adopt the principle of resuming the possession of freehold property on the weird basis of a Government valuation. This principle, says our contemporary, if affirmed by the Leigslaturo, would ultimately bo equally applicable to town properties. We hoard, the other day, of a man who objected to his valuation—not as being too 'excessive—but as being “too law.” According to law, an objection of this nature ought to be heard in open Court, and this hearing would have been instructive, but the Department lias its own methods of blocking a

curious objection of this kind, and ( so it becomes relegated to secret ; archives.' If, however, the State j were given the right to resume free-, holds, in either town or country, on ! the Government valuation, owners would go on their knees to valuers i to induce those officials to raise | their valuations. Supposing a wealthy landowner possesses a hundred thousand pounds’ worth of land, which is likely to be resumed at tiiat identical figure, would he not say: 1 ‘ Put my property down at £IIO,OOO, and yon shall have half the over-plus.” A land vainer might make many thousands of pounds out of one such valuation. Should such a temptation he put in his way? We are quite in sympathy with a movement against the aggregation of large estates, and in favour of multiplying the number of moderate sized holdings, but is there not some honest way by which tills can bo brought about? The Government, at the present time, distrusts its own valuations, and will not advance money on the strength of them. Wo have seen ,iu Now Zealand—-(1) low valuations; (3) moderate valations; (3) high valuations; and we are drifting now towards (4) faked valuations.

SOME years ago a member of Parliament, in a jocular mood, introduced a‘‘Washers and Manglers’ ” Bill, with tire object of satirising some of the legislation thou being enacted. At that time no one expected that the * washers and manglers would influence legislation. But things have changed, and the principal reason for introducing an amendment of the Factories’ Act this session appears to he that the washerwomen object to Chinese competition. The amendment prohibits any Asiatic from working in any laundry more than 48 hours a week, or on any holiday, under a penalty of £5. It is surprising how eager the Labour Trust is to prohibit workiug or exertion beyond certain limited hours, and how readily employees respond to the call of “go slow!” In this country industry is fast becoming a crime, and the diligent and thrifty are despised and reviled. The amending Act also proposes to prevent any Chinese in future from registering his premises as a factory. The hated Chinaman, who is merely a human laboursaving machine, has a habit, extremely objectionable to the borntired factory hands, of working too hard and too long hours, for moderate pay. It really does not matter if the heathen works all night as well as all day so long as he is satisfied with the recompense. If ho is not injured no one else is, but on the contrary more than his own share of the world’s work has boon done by him. Apparently the Chinaman is satisfied with his recompense, even though at the outset lie starts with a debit of the £IOO we charge him before be may sot foot on our sacred shores or breathe the air in this laud of freedom.

IN Christchurch Supreme Court the other day Counsel advanced the opinion before Mr Justice Chapman that the obligation on a dork to pay £53 away on an erdor out of £3OB a year was a particlarly heavy burden, inasmuch as his occupation demanded that he should dress well and probably live better than he ordinarily would, because he had to reach a certain level of respectability on account of his position. “"Why should lie?” asked his Honour. “An engine litter or a carpenter with normal employment would caru about £3 a week, aud on that ho had to discharge all the duties of his position in life, incluidug the bringing up, clothing, and education of a largo family. Hero was the case of a man getting £4 a week, aud he did not sec that that man’s position was any different to that of a first-class mechanic. No doubt ordinarily he would dross better, but if he had a debit, should ho claim to live bettor aud bo on a higher level? There were thousands of persons in the colony who lived aud put on a really good appearance and whose faimly looked well in public on an income of £3 a week. Ho was not speaking of labourers or exceedingly stricteconomical persons, who'did wonders on less, but it was an everyday sight to see respectable mechanics, who did not always get £3 a week, who dressed well aud were independent. Why should the man in question claim to be any different merely because be worked with a pen instead of with a tool?” This sounds very sensible, but a clerk who dressed like an engine fitter would have little chance of obtaining or retaining employment.

THE Lords of Laziness evidently realise that the possession of an agitator who also acts on the Conciliation Board gives them a decided “pull” over employers, and they therefore resent the suggestion that the Board should be composed 'of impartial men. But it is absurd, as well as dangerous, to allow a stirrer up of strife to be one of the arbiters in disputes. If tiro Act cannot be amended to ensure the impartiality of the Board, then it will be preferable to abolish such a useless institution, and have all cases heard by the Arbitration Court alone. ’ Employers suffer long, but there are limits to endurance, and if the factory hands, who have used legal machinery to increase their pay and ■shorten their hours, are wise they will themselves invito Mr Andrew Collins to retire from the Board, or, if the amendment of the Minister is carried, take care that the Industrial Councils are composed of impartial men.