WAGES AND DRINK.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 330, 2 January 1889, Page 2

WAGES AND DRINK.

Thb New Nation, commenting upon the labour question and drinking habits of many working men, says ; 'Improvement in the labourer's condition is impossible without cutting down his drink bill. No social arrangement which tnan oanmnkeca.n benefit people who get drunk. No mutter what whges you p»y a drinking man neither his condition nor that of his i'.imily can be improved thereby. There is no iuse in provide ing extra holidays for men who use them, \o get drunk. There is no use in cutting down the day's labour from ten to eight hours, if the two houiH gained are spent in a ru,in hole. There would be no use in making »rnitration compulsory, if oue of tho pui'Mes was likely to be kept from obeying the decision by liquor. There would be no use in, handins: over all the property in the world to working men, if they dunk a«» they do now. They would roou dissipate it and add nothing to the store,'

A Farmer in England, returning 1 home rather lute one night, discovered a yokel with a lantern under his kitchen window, who when asked his business there said he had only come a courting. " Come what ;" H»ked the furmety "A courting eir. Iee courting fluty/;' "But what do you want with The Inntftrn ?"«skert the firmer ; 41 I never wybAjffljp when I whs h voting man." tWjsMsi* i was the yo^cei'p reply, 4'4 ' I do^jjfimk you did, induing \jy -the 100-lip *M« J^i^su^."