The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1883, STRANGLING PAUPERISM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1318, 9 April 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, APRIL 9, 1883, STRANGLING PAUPERISM.

Mr Green ,M.H,R has followed Major Atkinson's lead by propounding a scheme to strangle pauperism, He also comes before the public as a free lance, but has not that reputation for wisdom and experience that the Colonial Treasurer enjoys. The Major is a big gun, and the" Dunedin demagogue but a small pistol, yet on this occasion we think the more insignificant weapon has sent a bullet nearest to the mark. The cardinal remedy' of Mr Green for pauperism is a. limitation of the drink traffic. He adds to his proposal some suggestions for tho development of local industries, and for the localisation of village settlements, but as the latter contains nothing new, the briefest reference to them is sufficient. He starts, however, his project of.'a [temperance reform, by asserting that drink is the main cause of poverty !in the - colony. Anyone reading Major Atkinson's analysis of the causes" which lead to pauperism would hardly come to this conclusion. Intemperance stands' a head and shoulders above all other instruments for devastating the resources of both the individual and the community, and it was not a feather in Major Atkinson's cap that in bringing forward a project to annihilate destitution be did not give this consideration 'the weight to which it was entitled. Mr Green' guages public opinion moro accurately than the Major, for he candidly admits that it is adverse to his own views which are in favor of stamping out the drink traffic entirely. This is his specific for strangling pauperism. He does not at the present stage venture to urge the extinction of intemperance, but merely to limit the amount of alcohol consumed by changing the ditions under which it is vended. He would diminish the number of licensed houses to about a third of their present total, compensate and relieve of their offices the existing private owners and lessees of hotels, and hand the control of such establishments as were retained, to local corporations who would employ men at fixed salaries to conduct them, and would apply to their ordinary revenue any excess of receipts over expenditure on the sale of intoxicants. Wo do not know whether Mr Green has made any estimate of what the bill for compensation would amount to, but we can scarcely believe that it would be less than £500,000. If public opinion were ripe for a scheme like that which Mr Green submits, it would be cheap to .the colony at a cost of even half a million. We do not regard his project as impracticable like Major Atkinson's, because more stringent and difficult limitations of the drink traffic have been achieved in other communities.': In this case it is ■the wHlatidlii>Hhe way that is wanting, The people of New Zea-j land do not. care to havo prohibitive measures on such a delicate question. In social legislation of this character we are a long way behind even a semi-barbarous country'like Russia. Mr Ghees possesses the conr fidence of a large section of the working classes in the city which he represents, but we fear that on this particular question he is more enthusiastic than his constituents, and that if our drink bill in New Zealand is £2,500,000 this year, it will be next year. When the House meets we venture to prophecy that neither the Government nor the Opposition will be able to bring forward a practicable and reasonable scheme for mitigating pauperism. The Assembly will not follow on this question either Major Atkinson or, Mr .Greek Pauperism is not to be put down by a coup d'etat, All wise and honest legislation will work in .the direction of limiting poverty, but it is idle to hope that Major Atkinson's specific or Mr Green's nostrum will cure evils, which have been rooted in the Anglo-Saxon race for centuries.

Mr Shaw, Solicitor, denios the rumor that he hub withdrawn 'from the Inangahua'cnntest, and states that he Uayea Wellington for the coast this afternoon.' Mr Cleghorn, the contractor'for the new ■Courthouse:.ls'-.'placing"timber this raovning on the oW top hall site, and will we understand immediately proceed with the erection of tho''.building, ■•..

A general meeting of the members of the Wairarapa Oouraing Club is convened for 'Wedueßday. 18th inst at theiOlub Hotel, •Masterton, atßp,m, The Poflt learns on good authority that ;he "fatal fourth" has passed off very "aliufastorily in Wellington this month. Bills have generally been, well mot, and there in a marked improvement in trade. There are also distinct indications that money is about to become much easier ihan it has been of-.late.. , The Peoretary of the Masterton Town Lands Trust has received a letter from the Government, stating that the offer of this body to sella site in Hall St, is accepted, and that a bill will be prepared to.legaliae the transfer. In the interim the Trustees are asked to give a lease of the site at £24 per annum, which will be revoked when the purchase money is paid."

A somewhat painful scene was witnessed in the E.M. Court Masterton this morning. A man and his wife who both appeared to he outwardly respeotable were ohareed with being drunk and disorderly on Sunday. The wife when she answered to the oharge banded a little boy of two years old lo her husband, and the husband in his turn gave back the youngster to the wife when lie was called upon to plead,

Thehalf yearly meetineofthe Masterton Opaki Jookey Club was held at the Club Ootel on Saturday evening, when the Hon Treasurer, Mr R, J. Futon, submitted a very satisfactory statement of accounts which showed a credit balanoe of j£3o, and an aaaot consisting of outstanding subscriptions of about the same amount, which would give the club a credit of ±'6o with which to commence next season's operations. The report was adopted and the following bourse committee appointed: -Messrs Elkins, T. Chamberlain; Jas. Macara, and J. lomß.

Tenders ore invited by Mr Jame'i Madam for clearing burnt flax and digging five chains of drain, • Messrs Lowes & lows announce the firat sale of plants, bulbs, &o„of the aoaßon for Saturday next, by the instruction of Mr W. W. MoCardle.

The Maßtertun Footballers opened the season on Saturday last with a special practice, the first club practice being fixed for Saturday next. About thirty rolled up and two hours hard work was done, both at Harrow and Rugby game. A mealing will be held on Saturday evening next when the colors of the club will be decided on,

The Masterton Amateur Minstrels assisted by Horace Bent, played to a, moderately fair house at the Public Hallj Carterton, on Saturday evening. The programme was almost a duplication of the firßt night's performance here, and ttw various pieces nn which we then expatiated teem to have been especially favorably received by our southernneighbors, the local hits of the raw correspondent being peculiarly happy, and well reoeived.

On Sunday the Church Parade of the Carterton Volunteer '.Rifle Corps took place, Captain Bennett and Lieuts, Crawford and Reid were the commissioned officers present, but the attendance of the rank and file web small. The band played on the march to and from Church. On Wednesday the Outpsare to parade for inspection and exercise at thß Pubho Hall at 7.80 p.m.

On Wednesday, next there will be. a special sitting of. the Court at Carterton, His Worship the R.M; have given Messrs Bandilanda and-Gray a special field day to themselves to contest) the orqss summonses Davies v Sage and Sage v Davies, Mr H, McMaeler has fold to his brother, Mr D. McMnster, all his pure-bred Lincoln ewes which he imported some three years ago. This is another addition to-the Tuhitarataflocks that will probably increaso.the reputation their owner merits on the expense he fails not to incur, as opportunity offers, to increase the reputation of his pure bred stock. Af l«r a v«ry long dry and warm stretch of summer weather, it is but reasonable to expeofc a somewhat severe winter. The "oldest inhabitant" prognosticates it, and the unusual severity of the last winter in hi the Old Country leaves no doubt but that our turn will come next. To ba. foreWarned is to be forearmed.. Don't forget' your blankets. We can Bupply you well, as we hold one of the largest stocks in Welling, ton, impurted direot from the manufacturers We can not only give lsigo variety, but excellent value, no one better, if so well. Whatever make you want (and we keep all the best) we can give you firatclass value in English, German, lloslyn, and Kaiapoi manufacture, and in sizes to suit the cot of the infant, the swag of the bushman, the single bed of the bachelor, the double one of the benediot, and some that might almost be large enough for the Groat Bed of Ware. We have also a very large range of prices,' varying according to size and quality, from 7s 6d to 50? per pair, Customers will find a great advantaga in purchasing from an extensive, well-seleotod, and dire ;tly imported stock of blankets, such as they will Bee. at James Smith's Te Aro House Wellington. —Advt.