THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MAY 6, 1907. WORKERS' DWELLINGS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8435, 6 May 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MAY 6, 1907. WORKERS' DWELLINGS.

It is generally the fate of all Governments, that are in office for any consideraDle period, to undertake, in the interest, more works than they ever accomplish. With an enterprising and energetic Government it is practically inevitable that such should be the case. No cause for quarrel lies here—it would be absurd to quarrel with what is only natural, and in defence of any Government that [has undertaken and has, to any extent, fulfilled its promises, it may be truthfully urged that better work would* have been accomplished, and that that work would yield a more beneficial result, were those directly affected by the operations' of the Government in more sympathetic accord with the desires of their administrators. Why should there be this lack of pronounced sympathy? We have no hesitation in saying that it is the result of lack of knowledge, the result of a failure on the part of the people to realise how much it is possible for them to ameliorate and to control the conditions iii which they shall live, and to shape and to mould the destiny of a country, which, admittedly, is theirs. In 1905 the "Workers' Dwellings Act" was passed—it is now 1907 and it cannot be said that the Government has made any special effort to confer the benefits of this piece of legislation upon those throughout the land in whose interest the Act was passed.

The Government are riot blamed altogether, though one cannot [help thinking that when they passjegislation, which they claim is especially in the interest of the workers, they should make some effort to let the benefits of such legislation be generally known. In Masterton, at the present time, there is a movement on foot' to induce the Minister for Labour to erect workers' dwellings for those who are desirous of securing them. A petition to the Minister has been prepared, and has been signed by.sixty-two workers. The petition reads as follows: — We, the undersigned residents oi Masterton, are desirous of acquiring homes under the provisions oi \ the "Workers' Dwellings Act," and would respectfully urge that you give effect to our petition. We are landless, and are rentpayers, and can see no reasonable or immediate prospect of acquiring homes for ourselves, unless we arc enabled to take advantage of the provisions of the Act. Suitable land can be .acquired adjacent to the borough of Masterton. We understand that the Act was passed to benefit workers in country towns as well as in othei places, and we, therefore, ash that jou will favourably consider our petition. We understand that the Minister foi Labour has expressed his intention of taking action, prov; led he i 3 satisfied that there is a sufficient demand among the workers in Masterton to justify his doing so. It is certainly safe to state that the sixty-two names attached to the petition are not representative of a)} those in this town who would be glac to secure a home under the Act mentioned. Arrangements are to be made for a meeting to be held at ar , early date, and, no doubt, the whole question will be then thrashed out.

THE "STONE-WALL" NUISANCE.

MrR. B. Haldane, British, Minister of War, performed a great feat in the House of Commons, last month, when he spent over fifteen hours on the Treasury Bench and pushed his Army Annual Bill through in face of an organised "stona-wall." The sitting lasted twenty-seven hours--the longest for twenty-five years. It arose very simply. At two o'clock in the morning the Government announced that the Army Annual Bill must pass the Committee stage in that sitting, and the Opposition set up an organised opposition on the principle that discussion on such a Bill should not be stifled. The struggle continued until nearly six o'clock next day, the Bill being closured clause by clause. The great numerical strength of the Government enab led their whips to keep relays of men on duty; and all members had to do was to go to sleep and let Mr Haldane apply the closure. • The Unionists found it much more difficult to divide the work, and had to be alert all the time to keep the opposition going. Through it all Mr Haldane was alert, calm and fresh. He made fifty-five speeches, and engaged in forty-three divisions. The whole; affair was distinctly a reflection on Parliamentary methods. The Opposition cordially approved of the Bill, but thsy resisted it for fifteen hours as a matter of principle.