The Wairarapa Daily WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 563, 8 September 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1880.

Working men have io put up with many hardships at the present time. There is, however, one disability under which they labor, against which they should specially guard themselves, and that is, working for persons who have neither the means ncr the will to requite them for their labors. We propose to tell our readers this morning a little story —a true one—which illustrates what we mean. A little more than three months ago a poor foreign lad, an extremely hardworking, honest, simple fellow, engaged himself l;o dig for a certain honorable gentleman in this district so many hours a day at so many shillings per week. For the first week or two the contract was carried eut faithfully on either side, but for some twelve weeks which followed the lad did his digging, through wet and dry, earnestly and faithfully for his master, but received no payment in return for his labors. At last the poor fellow found himself starving, his oily

clothes hanging on him in rugs, and then, and not till then, he pressed for his hard-earned wages. He had on many previous occasions been put off with promises, but his condition was such that he could no longer afford to take verbal assurances, . and so he pleaded for some mol'e support. He got it in the shape of ah order on another person for £3, When he presented that order it anyone be surprised to hear and he stood penniless, friendless, half naked and starviug. Witii iio means of redress, He did liofc Understand our beautiful legal syfjteta, under which every wrong is supposed to be righted, and, if lie had done so, where would he have found the fifteen shillings necessary to take out a summons for his wages, and supposing he had raised the fifteen shillings, it does not follow that ho would get his money. This is a case in which a great aud cruel wrong is done by one who is entitled by law to be considered an honorable gentleman to a poor foreigner who puts faith in his master's word. There are many cases of this character occurring from day to day, and we cite this one simply because it has come under our notice in a special manner, and we are certain of the truth of what we have stated. It is time that public opinion was brought to bear on certain members of the community who, though they may be " honorable gentlemen," act as if they were wolves and vultures. It would not be a bad thing to organise in this district an " Anti-Bird of Prey Society," or an " Association to Protect the Working Classes from Honorable Gentlemen." We shall be very glad to do all in our power to promote the success of any such movement.