A CRUSHING REPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 27, 1 February 1902, Page 2

A CRUSHING REPLY.

PEB PBBU JLMOCUTIOK. Adokund, January 31, A letter ha bean received by the Chamber of Commerce from the Premier in answer to a resolution regarding the dismissal of men from the railway works having forced tome traders into the Bankruptcy Court* Mr Seddoß pointed oat that when ft contraotor employed man by the da* or wtek he did not study the in tenet of traders or storekeepers in the vicinity of fchu work, and in tbe ease of oooperative woiks, the Government wen in exaotly the same position as a privats contractor who employed men when required, and disaiintiei them when necessary. He considered it qmteanewdootrine that |the incmats of traders were to be studied a» a factor ' in publ'o works. He retpec fully sag* f gesed that tbe Chamber had over* looked the fact tiat the losses in question were included in the risk* vf undo. Tbe Government bid paid tbe nteo, and concluded they wou.d -settle with the etorekoepere, acd if they bad not done so, it was surely too muoh to blame tbe Government for non-pay-ment of debts between private peraoof. • The ohairman remarked that the reply showed the necessity of being omlol as to what kind of letters they eent the Premier. '