THISTLEDOWN.

Te Aroha News, Volume XI, Issue 1726, 30 March 1895, Page 2

THISTLEDOWN.

" A man may jest and tell the truth.” —Horace.

Not having seen ‘ Equity’s ’ letter I was unable to notice it last week, and shall deal with it as briefly as possible now. First, as regards cockatoos cutting prices, anyone with half an eye could see that those I alluded too were not at all the class of whom ‘ Equity’ speaks,but'persons who took road work at starvation prices close to their homes. Though they have never come into competition with me I have heard the practice spoken of, often as the main case of the general cut in prices for such work. 1 think quite as highly as ‘ Equity’of the class he speaks/ of,arid I think they would be the first to condemn those I was driving at. Neither are they, I fancyjso effeminate ns to view a tent as he does, ‘ the paltry shelter of a piece of canvas.’

Re the other case ‘ Equity ’ is equally out. I give all credit to the man with the ranch for his industry, he is in fact one of the hardest working men t. khow; I like and respect him for many reasons, but what I objected to was his trying to prevent other men being industrious. Personally I may say I should never have thought of interfering in the matter, bnt half-a-dozen men bailed me up in half as many minutes with a request to tackle him, and as they had a good cause of complaint I did soi

By the way, my poetical friend commences by calling me a ‘ worthy correspondent,’ and ends by accusing me of ‘ selfishness if not vindictiveness.’ Most people would fancy he had thus impaled himself on one of the three horns of a dilemma, if I may be permitted a slight * bull.’ One who calls a selfish and vindictive a worthy correspondent must ordinary be thought either ignorant of the meaning or the words or deficient in inter eat or woefully depraved in morals. •• I fancy however it was ‘ Equity’s’ good nature handed him in this difficulty; he was willing to strike a blow for a friend but did not wish to hit me too' hard. He at least cannot accuse me of being vindictive In fact, if I know myself atjall, lam too indifferent, too lethargic if he likes, to be vindictive even where I.may have some reason, and in this case I have none. I don’t believe in pryiug into ‘ Equity’s’ identity, though- I fancy I recognize his poetical pen, and if I be right,;had to bear the responsibility for some epually spirited lines of his notlong ago. \ * ' ,>■ (

The Auckland Women’s Political League haveadopted a programme .which must commend itself to all sensible persons of either sex or any party. .It. is far removed as heaven from sheol from the visions of the wild woman. It condemns/borrowing, advocates raising the age of consent to 21, and demands equal wages for women, when they do the same work as riien. The most selfish considerations must urge men to back this last demand, as otherwise women will oust men from all work of which the former are capable. .1 can’t see, either, how it should cost less for a woman to live decently than for a man. She does not eat as much, to be sure, doos not generally contribute to the* customs or excise through beer or tobacco, but her clothes must cost far more. On the question of divorce the League is wisely against extending the facilities for it, but very fairly ask that both sexes should be put on a level footing, and that a wife .seeking such relief should riot have to prove adultery and cruelty while the first is sufficient for a husband. *. ' -» * *

I need hardly say that my sympathies are entirely with the milk suppliers in the new factory question. I fully recognize that their life is by no means an envious one, up before daylight to milk and fettered again by evening’s milting. My reason, however, is in favour of the Company —for the following among other reasons. New Zealand butter has not yet got any firm hold of the English market, partly from making a late start, partly from uneven quality, and partly from precarious supply. Messrs Reynolds’ butter is, I understand, even in quality, but we must remember the amount they send home is but a flea-bite out of New Zealand butter, and that but an infinitesimal fraction of the London supply. One bad case from Otago say, no one in Auckland of course makes bad butter, would damn the reputation of 999good cases if purchased by the same firm, who would offer only the price of that bad quality for the best New Zealand butter. Again, the Danes are 'making strenuous efforts to hold the market and will not stick at a trifle to do so. We have all heard of the Steamship Co., which carried passengers from Liverpool to the Isle of Man for nothing with a feed.thror n in, to choke off a rival firm. The Danes are working on the same line of policy calculating to easily recoup their losses by enhanced prices when New Zealand competition is crushed. They hold the weather gauge and we must fight them on ground of their own choosing, if we wish to beat them.

It is hard on the farmer I admit, but let him. consider for a moment how much, harder it would be for him to go back to the old plan of making butter for the stores and taking the price out in groceries Butter is gutted often in Auckland, as low as fivepence, and this when Messrs Reynolds now do an enormous lot to relieve the glut. What would be the price if all the cream they now take were put on the local market in the. shape of butter ? Again milking for a factory is by no means a lazy person’s job, but when butter-making is added it becomes white slavery. a o of a Co-operation may possibly be a remedy, but not if confined to siliglo factories. A year’s make inTe Aroha West, for instance, would not keep one decent- retail shop in London, and unless it would you would m ver got more than job lot prices. * ’Tis true, ’tis pity, pity ’tis,?tis -true.’ , lapyx.