The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1887. THE RIGHTS OF LABOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1648, 18 October 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1887. THE RIGHTS OF LABOR.

We learn by cable that continuous demonstrations are being held by the unemployed o£ London —that a party of them marched to the Mansion House with a black flag, on which were inscribed the words “ Bread or work” —and that hundreds of them rushed the Bow Street Police Court to get parish relief. Not long ago a terrible riot occurred in London, the object of which was to draw the attention of the authorities to the miserable condition.of the poor. The attention of the authorities was drawn to it, but what steps have the authorities taken to give the poor relief? They have perfected police and military organisations, so that if the poor shall at any future time take any forcible means of drawing attention to their hardships and miseries the authorities shall be in a position to shoot i them down like dogs. No one has thought of such a thing as to provide the poor with the means of living; no one seems to realise that the inequalities of wealth is the cause of the discontent. The G-overnment has since been very busy in framing for Ireland the most tyrannical code of laws that it would he possible to conceive; also, in spending untold wealth in jubilee celebrations, Colonial exhibitions, institutes, and so on, but no one has thought it desirable to do anything to improve the poor man’s lot. That is the last thing a G-overnment of rich men will think of, and so long as poor men pander to the rich so long will their own rights be trampled on. There has been in this colony for the last three years a Government which did its best to improve the poor man’s condition. The Stout-Yogel Government never had fair play. The cry was “ Keep the Ministry in and their measures out”-—yet in the face of all this they worked wonders in the way of improving the condition of the poor, and if they had been allowed to continue three years longer in power—the colony would be differently circumstanced as regards the unemployed. On the whole we have no right to complain of the working men of this district with regard to the way they gave their votes. Seventyfive per cent, of them voted for the Q-overnment, and that is satisfactory, but we have reason to complain of their actions in other parts of the colony. They voted for turning the Ministry out, and out they have been turned. No one will suffer so much as the working men, and yet, poor dupes, they never consider this at election times. For some paltry consideration they sell their votes, and say “ it does not matter who goes in.” It does matter a great deal, but it will take the pinch of hunger to make them see it.