WHERE LABOR RULES.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1919, Page 6

WHERE LABOR RULES.

' To the iEditorl ■ ®ir, —I have read the article of Vf. J. Poison, of Wanganui, on Australian legislation and. Queensland in particular. The first thing that struck me was that this Mr Poison was one of our hidebound Tories wjiois aspiring to politics at the next general election in the Tory interest, and also that the party he dreads most is the Lalboi), and hence his attack on the Labor Go'Vemment of Queensland. But if he was sent over there on 'behalf of Labor he could not haw done better to advertise the great progressive and labor policy than he has done. He tells us that they are going to abolish the Upper Bouse, which is a credit to their intelligence to rid the country of a party of old fossils who are put there for the benefit of their health at the country's expense. He saya they have their State cattle stations, State shops, State hotels, State coal mines, State sugar mills, State ore mines, State banks, State steam shipping, yet, s!s the result of his observations it is disastrous to the State and the people. But, of course, like all of Poison's kidney his vision does reach beyond the Tory, the shark and monoplist. They are Mr Poison's world. What a narrtw, selfish, foolish vision he has. By his own admission Queensland has attained a degree of progress in humanity and civilisation that puts it yearn ahead of any country in the world to-day. But the only thing that Mr Poison could not discover in Queensland was a mill for manufacturing eoncions. Of course, he left that mill m Wanganui—the miller Crompton, And the sub-miller, Wright of Kahotu. He tells us that the sharks are shaking in their boots and, in fact, contemplating clearing out. We were told the same tale in "God's Own" tyenty-seven years ago, when John Ballance contemplated making a reform in the state of affairs, and what is more reasonable than to think that the same -howl would 'be raised by the same, class against his countrymen in Queensland. Apparently anybody that protests against tyranny is either a Bolshevik, a Bed Fed, or an I.W.W I wonder if the great Poison knows what is a Bolshevik? I wonder if he thinks Washington was a Solslievik, or if the leadenj oi the French Revolution were Bolsheviks? If he does all I have to say is, "God bless those that give their lives to break the tyrants' chains." But 1. am quite sure if a few more Poisons were ■ sent from other countries to Queensland they would have the greatcat influx of emigrants to Queensland the world has heard of before, and why shouldn't they, under such ideal conditions? In fact, I don't think it will be to New Zealand's advantage to let Mr Poison travel again to a country with such ideal conditions. But the thing that horrified Mr Poison is that the police of the State should protect a working man against the domination of the rich and powerful. _ Long live the Queensland's legislators. Labor, bo of good cheer! Queensland is a good example of what Labor Legislation caa. do. They . dve achieved what New Zealand Tories reckoned was impossible I apologise for trespassing -,o much on valuable space—l am, etc., JOHN piGGDff Sth January.