The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1887. OUTSIDE OPINION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1634, 15 September 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1887. OUTSIDE OPINION.

The following extract ia taken from a report of a meeting of the Protection League of Otago, which appeared in last Saturday’s Otago Daily Times :

A letter was read from Mr J. M. Twomey, and most of those prevent eommented in kindly terms on the debt of gratitude whioh all Protectionists owed t» that gentleman. It was resolvsd, tiy acclamation—'“ That tbs best thanks of the league be conveyed to Mr J. M. Twomey foe bis able writings and arduous services rendered on behalf of Protection in New Zealand, and that the league urge the friends of the cause of Protection to strain every nerve to further his candidature fora eeat in the House of Representatives."

The letter read from Mr Twomey was a reply sent to a request of the League to print 8000 copies of Mr Twomey’s paper on “ Industrial Development.”- : The League, it will be rememberedordered 20U0 copies of it some time ago, and two weekly papers, namely,, the. Dunedin Budget and the Otago Workman, have published the whole of the articles. The members of the League, however, have come to the conclusion of giving further publicity to Mr Twomey’s views on industrial development. With this object in view they have decided to print and circulate 10,000 more of them. Now the membership of the Protection League of Otago includes some of the ablest men in Dunedin; they have been studying the question for years, and when they have set so much value on those articles it is only reasonable to say that there must be something in them. Another remarkable thing is that Dr Fitchet, a Doctor of Laws, and and admittedly one of the ablest men in New Zealand, has adopted Mr Twomey’s line of argument, and uses not only the same ideas but the same language. Mr J. M. Verrall, a candidate for Ashley, has issued a publication called The Stockwhip, and he says:—

My first ideas of a Stats Bank wers derived from a letter headed "National Bank,” in the Lyttelton Times, written by Mr J. M. Twomoy, the editor of the Temuka Leader and Geraldine Guardian. Mr Twomey ie now a candidate for Parliament—for Gladstone. 1 heartily wish that be may get in.

And yet we are told Mr Twomey would haye no weight in Parliament. Now if Mr Twomey would have no weight in Parliament how is it that the Political Reformers, from their Chairman downwards, have thought it worth while to question and oppose him ? Does it not appear that they are afraid he would have too much weight in Parliament, and that it would be cast on the side of the people instead of the side of the money-rings? How is it the Political Reformers hare not taken the trouble to “ worry ” Mr Pranks ? They seem to like and appreciate Him, yet Mr Pranks has hardly an idea in his head which is not exactly the same as Mr Twomey put forth three years ago and has adhered to since. A full purse and an empty hesd may exercise influence over those who pant to pick up anything that may drop from such a very desirable friend, but a Parliament composed of representative men of ability and independence of spirit would weigh men from altogether a different point of view. Pew men ever exercised greater influence in Parliament than the late Mr James Macandrew,andyet he was only a smal farmer; Mr Turnbull, of Timaru, has attained a very distinguished position in politics; he is a poor man. Mr Seddon is a poor man, and he was not long ago very near being taken into the Ministry. Mr Bracken is also a poor man, and yet it was said there was not a more popular man in the House. When Mr Ballance entered the House about 12 years ago he was only proprietor and editor of a small evening paper, and he has exercised great influence. He was only three years in Parliament when he became a Minister. The greatest objection we hear against Sir Julius Vogel is that he has no stake in the country. They dare not say he has no influence. How is it Sir Julius Vogel has great influence and no stake an the country ? The answer is, it is not wealth exercises influence amongst intelligent men, A bad speaker is never listened to in Parliament, members walk out into the lobbies the moment a bad speaker is on his feet, and the moment a good speaker commences to address the House they return. Mr Wakefield is a poor man, but a good speaker, and he never speaks to empty benches. The late Lord Beaconsfield (Disraeli), Mr Gladstone, and others were not wealthy men when they commenced their career. Mr Broadhurst, a member of M r Gladstone’s Cabinet, was a stonemason by trade, and helped to build the offices in which he officiated as a Minister of the Crown. But what is the necessity for multiplying instances of poor men exercising great influence, and moreover it is not necessary to say they always exerted themselves in favor of the poor. Pew are the iustahees of rich men leading anv great political movement to emancipate the people from the thral dom of monopoly; the poor men have always done this, and it is poor men who will benefit the poor of New Zealand if ever they are to be relieved from the blighting influence of money, lenders.

SQUATTERS AND SHEARERS. The desire for cheap labor, and cheap goodsj is not peculiar to the squatters o£ New Zealand. The last mail news from Australia brought the following interesting items of information : The proposal of some Canterbury equation to introduce Kaffir shearers has besn eolipisd by that of the pastoralwta in the West Coast and Gawlsr Ranges, South Australia. At a recent meeting it was urged that, as shearing cost considerably less in South America, being done by women, 15s per hundred sheep was a fair pries, considering the times; that, if it wore found necessary, a central Committee in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand, should take united action for 1888 to introduce a sufficient number to start work in South Australia, finishing in New Zealand in January, when they would be shipped Home. Two batches ot shearers haye been despatched from Adelaide for the northern stations under the Stock Breeders’ Association rules, viz., 15s per hundred, with rations. At Burke 15 shearers havejbeen fined, with the alternative of imprisonment, for breaking an agreement. Notice of appeal was given. At Deniliquin a similar charge against 14 shearers was dismissed. Many of the sheds are working shortbanded, while in others a start has not been made, the men refusing to begin except under Union rules. At Port Augusta several ahearers were fined £2 each for breach of contract, in default 40 days’ imprisonment. The Magistate expressed an opinion that the shearers should bo radiated for conspiracy.

Here is “ conflict between labor and capital.” We wonder would the same Magistrates say that Banks and Money-lenders ought to he indicted for conspiring to keep up the rate of interest. This is the class of people who hope to get the votes of working men now.