Notes and Comments.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 128, 26 March 1901, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

New Zealand’s Conciliation and Arbitration Act is, on the THK civil whole/ an excellent service, measure, but West Australia, in framing a i similar one, is making a very important addition. This is, in effect, that all Government services shall come within the provisions of it. It is notorious all over the colony that .while the Government are enforcing, ancTWghtly so, the eight-hour system* they are breaking this law themselves every day. The Premier is never tired of restricting private employers to 48 hours, or less, a week, and then allowing Government employees to work over 70. It is well known that clerks Chd ethers .working on tlie Governmen%rail ve to work very long-hours, a'^d,||n addition, are the worst paid of on State official*. The present is a Liberal Government in most respects, but in this matter it is most illiberal. The colony as a whole is pjost prosperous, and though business is increasing very rapidly in the Railway Department, very few additions are made to the ranks of the railway workers. This .state of affairs does not accord well with’ a >2400,000 prospective'surplus, and’ the sooper it is ended the bet.ee.

Mr Chisholm, the Mayor of Dunedin, appears to be endowed

municipal with all the progressive progubssion. instincts of the best of his countrymen. With befitting pride he, when the tramways were taken over, pointed out that Dunedin has now its own water supply, gasworks, abattoirs and tramways. il All that was wanted to make an ideal city was to own the whole property and become its own landlord. He said it in all seriousness, and did not care if he was called a Socialist of the deepest dye.” This sentiment may appear to be somewhat remarkable, but it is sound from every standpoint. If it be proper and advantageous to the citizens to possess in common such minor things as Mr Chisholm enume-

rated, it would be still more so to

municipalise the area over which they have jurisdiction, so that it, too, might be administered more effectually for the general wellbeing of the commu nity. Under such an arrangement i would not be possible for speculate to levy blackmail on their less acquisi live fellows. The rentals demanded in the chief towns of the colony by lucky owners of important sections are such as to arouse the public to resolve that private ownership of the land in our cities shall cease. The whole people bestowed the increased values in the performance of their duties as good citizens, and they should enjoy all the advantages.