Rangitikei Advocate. TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9478, 22 June 1909, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 1909. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THE other day a Miinisterial supporter who received a purse of sovereigns from his constituents threw a sidelight on the position of impecunious representatives, and the danger to the State when its legislators are not perfectly independent. Whether the member’s statement strictly applied to his own case is immaterial. He declared, in effect, that financial help is always welcome to Liberal members, for they are mostly poor, and but for such assistance would not bo able to retain their positions. It does not need any argument to show that there is danger when such men hold positions in connection with which it may pay others to them. That is indeed the reason why the people agreed to 'pay members of Parliament, and one would think that the very liberal allowance of £3OO a year ought to place the member above temptations, and be sufficient for all his requirements. Bui ic appears that in some oases it is uot, and he has to rely either on gifts, or what ha can secure by other means. This, no doubt, accounts for some carious positions on which there has been cast Ja slight ray of publicity. But it does not conduce to the public safety that men should hold representative positions who are in fear of creditors nr who find it necessary to add ito their .income by means of facilities given by the positions to which they have hsen elected. One of the principal qualifications of a representative should be independence, and if our members cannot be independent on £3OO a year tbeir salary should be raised or payment of members should be abolished, so that only independent men oould afford to become candidates.

THE horn of ex-Minister Hogg should be exalted in the Socialistic Israel, for a branch of the bootmakers guild has solemnly recorded its agreement with its views, and its regret at his dismissal. There oould be no objection to this action of the union if Ministers represented bootmakers only. Rut all the people who wear boots, and who have to pay 20 to 30 par cent, more for every pair they require, simply to enable a few persons to carry on the bootmskiug industry in New Zealand, may well’ ask whnt riphr bootmakers hive t<> endorse Mr Hogg’s action as

though their endorsement voiced the opinion of' the public. The boot* wearers might put it as ' follows: — ‘‘Yon number only 5206 all told out of a population of a million, and the land-using and other classes whose interests Mr Hogg violently attacked are paying you over 12200,000 a year more thaw your products are worth —that much more than the sum it would cost to buy them from ethers. Do you not think that you should be silent, and be grateful that yon are peaceably allowed to extort this sum from the other classes for your useless “services? You ought to know that there is no really sound reason why yon should be employed in the factories at this extra cost to the people, instead of in the ijaatural industries pn which your exertions might be of some service to your fellows.” We observe that since the bootmakers began to 'sympathise with the ex-Minister a number of socialistic 'Organisations ate following their example.

IT is very clear the question of how -to provide work for the 'Unemployed will soon be a serious one in this country. The Socialists will endeavour to make the most of the number of those -who are ont of work in order to have the opportunity of irecommendinng some of their nosrums to public notice and will thus make the situation-more difficult to handle. There is no cure for the disease and all that can be done .is to apply palliative methods until returning prpsperity pots an end to the symptoms. There are one or two general principles which should be observed in all attstnpts to deal with the unemployed by means of relief works. The main bhiect of the system should be to provide work for those who really require it, but to avoid offering any temptation to those who can make a living otherwise from availing themselves of the opportunity of getting employment from the State or municipality. With this object the work should either be done by contract, or if day labour is absolutely necessary the wages paid should be under the market rate. This would ensure that only those who are in real need would seek relief. The experience of all the relief works in Britain of late has shown that the work done is most unsatisfactory owing to the fact that the knowledge that work can be had for the asking brings together all the loafers from all L over the country. In Bristol recently the out of works on the borough relief works demanded a half holiday in order to attend a football match. The problem will need very careful handling in New Zealand, and we do not feel at all sure that with Mr Oarroll at the head of affairs it will receive anything like adequate treatment.