"GOD'S OWN COUNTRY"

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 50, 17 July 1912, Page 6

"GOD'S OWN COUNTRY"

A TARANAKI MAN IN JERSEY,

Mr. Chas. Ahier, of New Plymouth, is '■i a visit to the land of his birth, Jersey, nil a copy of a local paper containing '-n interview with him has just reached us.

"I cannot speak too highly of New Zealand," said Mr. Ahier. "It is God'a own country, one of the finest in the world. I cannot for the life of me understand why you young men are content to stay here while countries such as New Zealand have so much to offer you, and want you so badly. We don't want old men. but as a young country we do want young men of energy, young men with 'stuff' in them. The great need is for farm labor, but there is plenty of scope for artisans of all classes. Miiid you, they will have to work, and work hard! No one need expect to find it'a country in which gold is to he had for the picking up. But at the same time the hours of labor are short—an eight-hours' day right throught the country—and the wages are high." Asked for figures, Mr. Ahier gave 8s to 10s per day for unskilled labor, while artisans can easily earn from 10s to 14s per day. These figures, we may add, are fully borne out by the statistical tables in the 1911 Official Year Book issued by the New Zealand Government. Mr. Ahier laid stress not only upon the eight hours' day, but also upon the weekly half-holiday established and stringently enforced by law. "Each province," he said, "is at liberty to choose its own day, but all business must he closed one half-day each week. At one o'clock the shutters must be up, and there is no working behind shutters and no back-door trade. The authorities keep a vigilant eye on such matters, and any infringement is punished by a heavy fine. The labor laws are good, the legislation for both employer and employed being very satisfactory. Strikes are very rare, and quite unheard of in my own province."

Another point is that Sunday is most strictly observed a3 the day of rest. "Don't make any mistake about it," exclaimed Mr. Ahier; "we are not any more religious in New Zealand than you are in Jersey, but we understand very clearly that the secularisation of Sunday means the introduction of something which will eventually destroy our day of rest. It is not a religious, but' a labor question. The working man is simply protecting himself."

This led to a comparison between the I electoral system in New Zealand and that I of Jersey, and 3lr. Ahier expressed himself very strong with regard to the limitation of the Jersey franchise to men possessing property. "In New Zealand," he said, "we give the vote to men, and not to property. When a man reaches the age of 21, he at once becomes entitled to a vote, because 'he is & man and a citizen. The consequence is that the country is governed by the people, and we have common-sense business laws. Our women, too, have the vote, and use ! it well, and I can't imagine wha,t you in ' England—and in Jersey—can be thinking of to deny it them so" long." Then Mr. Ahier fell to speaking of the 1 various great industries in Taranaki, which is the hub and centre of the dairying industry of New Zealand and has been described as the grass country of the Empire, and probably of the world. Towards the dose of a most interesting interview, Mr. Ahier added to the classes ,of employment which offer the best opportunities in New Zealand that of domestic servants. "If I could take 100 Jersey girls of the right sort back with me," he detlared, "I could And them good places without the least difficulty. There is always a great demand for domestic labor, at average wages of from 15s to £1 per week. A chance remark led Mr. Ahier to express himself very strongly on the liquor question, New' Zealand being rapidly advancing towards i total prohibition, of which Mr. Ahier is | a warm advocate. "It has not come j yet," he said, "but I am glad to say that our licensed houses are not mere drinking shops. They are all compelled to furnish moils, 'board and- lodging, as well as sell intoxicants, so that they axe really all hotels on a larger or smaller scale. Not only have we no drinking shops but we 'have no grocers' licenses." Concludes the paper: Want of space prevents us from dealing with the many other points touched upon, from the absence of a State Church and the fine character of the Maoris downwards; but we think sufficient has been written to show that Mr. Ahier has made out a strong prima facie case for New Zealand m a field for the emigrant.