The Wairarapa Daily THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1882.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1012, 2 March 1882, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1882.

It Las been suggested in this district that some of the most vigorous opponents of factories and labor-consuming industries are selfishly interested in bringing about a state of stagnation, so that the laborer, may be at their mercy. The practical application of this assertion is undoubtedly the disinclination evinced by the large landowners of Wairarapa North to invest in the proposed Woollen Factory at • Masterton. This class' in our community certainly declined lo invest capital to any appreciable extent in this particular industrial enterprise, but the members of it did not hold back for the reason which lias been assigned, nor have they deserved the very unjust accusation which has been brought against them. Hie object of tbe attack was evidently to excite the working classes in the Wairarapa to regard the large landowners as.^.tiei^feature! enemies. We have, however, too much faith in the common ;sense and intelligence of the employees to believe that they are likely to be misled by the" red rag" which has been waved before their eyes. The position of the large landowners in this district, is not clearly understood. They are popularly represented to be in a condition of affluence, men of substance, local millionaires, settlers who wallow in wealth and roll in riches, and. so they are held up ■ as objects of envy to settlers with small' means. Would that such were'the case; but those who know the true position of these settlers as a class represent. them in a very different light. In nineteen cases out of twenty they have not sufficient capital to work their properties to advantage. Instead of being independent they are in many instances-the slaves of Wellington merchants, who, in times of depression have been known to swoop up'their stations and turn them adrift. As a class they are struggling against difficulties, straining every nerve to keep themselves afloat, and working early and late for a bare subsistence. They have no money to'

one or two occasions when tliey have clubbed together for some movement which has been directly connected with the pastoral interests it has been painfully evident that.their power fo find the sinews' of war' has ■ been extremely limited, and that without the co-opera-tion of other, closes in the , community , .could accomplish' yery little. The! plain simple truth is that large'landholders have no money, to spare' for industrial enterprises. If they, had we believe they would j contribute" it, because any. movement which increased the general prosperity of,the district would necessarily enhance the value of their properties. What money they have is spent in wages and goes to the List penny into the hands of the Wellington merchants. The reproach of absenteeism has even been brought against thein as if a single one of them was in a position to live for any lengthened period away from his station. During the past few years, what with rabbits, scab, and the Property Tax, our pastoral lords have been very heavily handicapped, and it is absurd to expect them to bear the burthen of of industrial enterprises until they are in a position to do so,' We haVe 'given plainly the true reason of their inability to encourage such a movement as thoMasterfcon Woollen Factory. The alleged reason—the wages question is a very weak one.. Would" a woollen factory compete with stations for labor, would the bushfaller and fencer lay down their axes to spin yarns, would the ploughman turn wool.'scourer, or the. shepherds and shearers forsake their healthy outdoor avocations for the indoor drudgery of,factory Hvorlc? .It is well kown. that if a faefcorv were started here skilled labor to work it would have to be imported, and that the ordinary labor market would not be disturbed by its establishment to any appreciable extent.