VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1454, 14 January 1886, Page 2

VILLAGE SETTLEMENTS.

TO THE HEITOR. Sir, — Fifty years ago the workingman was no more thought about in political circles than the working-horse. To-day he appears to be the principal object of the politician’s solicitude and care. When reading political news, or listening to political addresses, one would almost fancy that if it were not for the good of the working-man Legislatures would hardly be necessary. He is written about, and spoken about, as if be were an animal ot a different species from other men, Assuming that it may not be uninteresting to some of your readers to know what are the opinions of a working-man concerning some of the proposals made ostensibly on bis behalf, I will tell you first what I think about Tillage Settlements. Five or six acres of good laud would be very useful to a man in the neighborhood ol London or Liverpool, or any large town in Britain ; even in the suburbs of our colonial towns a limited number of men, with tne perseverance of Chinamen, might scrape a living from it. In the outlying districts ia the vicinity of large estates, villages containing ten or a dozen working-men would be very convenient for the squire. The footman could be sent for two or three of them any time they were wanted, and, having plenty to choose from, wages would not be a very troublesome consideration, The idea would have been a first-class opo three hundred years ago, but education and radicalism have brought sad changes since then, We are beginning to have a hazy opinion that all necessaries and luxuries are the products of labor, and to think that it is hardly fair that the non-producers - the drones —■ should enjoy so much of the fruits of toil, and the workers so little,—l am, etc., Ww. L. Duncan. Kakabu Bush, Jan. 13, 188fi.