THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1902. DEPENDENCE OF INDEPENDENCE?

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 273, 23 October 1902, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1902. DEPENDENCE OF INDEPENDENCE?

The British and the New Zealand working man are widely different in their ideals, and a comparison does not always show our representative to he the superior of his British brother. In New Zealand it has come to he part "f the working man’s doctrine that the Government is a sort of hand of guardian angels called together for his special benefit and protection. The State, is to he a superintending Providence to fix wages, determine hours, set apart numerous holidays and settle all disputes. The British working man, on the other hai d, prefers to manage his own a flairs. At the lost annual Congress of British Trades Unions, a proposal to refer trade disputes for arbitration to the State was rejected, over seventy-five per cent of the delegates voting against it. It is hardly necessary to point out which method is more likely to help develop independence and strength of character. Legislation ia often blamed as the cause of this state of affairs existing t but legislation is, after all, merely the reflex of the opinions of the masses, or rather of those of the masses who have energy or selfinterest enough to blazon abroad their opinions. In other countries a worker with more brains or more energy than his fellow, uses, and ia encouraged to use, his gifts for hia own advancement. He works to the best of his ability, steadily keeping in view the day when he himself will become an employer and will make money. Under present labour conditions in New Zealand, all workmen in any trade are paid at the same rate, whatever work they may do, and there is no encouragement for a man to do more work than his fellows. In fact, a man who shows his superiority over his fellow workers is looked on as a traitor in the camp. All differences of energy and capacity must be blotted out and a uniform amount of work with

a uniform wage must obtain. Socialistic ideals are all very well, but no great, vigorous nation ever rose on such ideals. A uniformity of work and wages must be abolished and the best workman encouraged to put forth his best effort if New Zealand is ever to become a second Britain.

Another flagrant example of dependence is to be seen in Government grants to local bodies. Look, right at home, we find the Waimate County Council obtaining grants from the Government, amounting in some years to hundreds of pounds for public works. The Waimate County, we are all proud of declaring, is one of the best agricultural districts in the colony. In no part of the county are the settlers very far from good roads, and no part can with justice be called unopened lands. And yet, year after year, this most favoured county makes demands for Government assisantce for roads or bridges. The rates in the county are light, much lighter than most other counties, and a small increase would not press on the people, and yet would render us self-reliant and independent of Government aid. We can understand counties with a great extent of unopened back blocks asking for, and really needing Government assistance to open up tjieir lands for settlement, but Waimate County’s demands are indefensible. Everyone, whether in a public or a private capacity, takes every opportunity of milking that good old cow, the Treasury Department, and though the cow has been able t« supply all customers in the past, there is no guarantee that she will always be in milk* And if the day comes whan she rgns dry, the body that has learnt to rely qn local supplies alone will be best off. One other objectionable feature in connection with these grants is that tho M.H.R. for the district is always called upon to get the grant placed on the estimates, and his failure to do so is looked upon as a heinous sin, for which punishment is to be given at the election!.

People are too apt to look upon an M.H.R, aa an agent seat by the electorate to get as much in the way of grants as possible, and an unlimited number of billets for the children of electors. Hia functions as a legislator are almost entirely disregarded, and as long as this state of public opinion obtains, so long will the position of M.H.R. be a burdensome honour, not greatly to be desired.