The Wairarapa Daily THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1889. The Representation Bill.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3265, 25 July 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1889. The Representation Bill.

The first struggle of the present session ha? jn a victory for the Government, which has curried the second reading of the Keprescntntion Bill in spite of all opposition. This measure gives a margin to country electorates as against city ones, and the representatives of the chief centres of the colony have naturally done all within their power lo block it. Our old friend Sir G. Grey was especially bitter in his opposition to the Bill, on the ground that its effect would be to increase the political powers of largo landholders and that a man in a city was as good as a man in the country. Mr George Fisher made, perhaps, a better point [ against the Bill when he said it is in the interests of conservatism, There

is a good deal of truth in this couten: tion, for the colony has been frightened bj the ill consequences of democratic failures and is at the presetit time decidedly conservative, Sir Harry Atkinson is only giving effect to the wishes of the majority of men residing in this colony in bringing down a conservative Eepresentation Bill. Some years ago he was instrumenta in carrying through a democratic' measure of representation—a measure which brought in its train demoralisation and misgoyprnruont, It is only right that the Premier should now to a small extent redeem his former error. Mr @. fisher says the measure will destroy dpraflcr'apy in New Zealand, but it would perhaps he fuirer to declaro that it will kill some of the fouler growths in it, such as the democratic professional politician. Under the new Eepresentation Bill citjes gain one advantage, viz,, an amalgamated electorate; bub on the " quota" question they sustain most unwillingly a certain loss. The quota, which .constitutes an electorate is so tijio/} that seyen.ty-tf ve men in a country district lijtp jiffstertpp have as muchvDtjng power as one hundred men bathe pity of Wellington. But though 'the sevenly-uvo men have on this a decided advantage over their fellow electors

in the city' they are. practically 011 a political equality; It is easier It) pgj) yotes in a compact town eleoL iC'o) 'ban in a wide, scattered and badly roadcd wptry jelectorate, The law;of compensation conies In by, giving the latter a more advantageous quota, The country members just now have an ascendency in pai jianient, ' and tbey'have acted consistently by! taking advantage of their power to secure that in future electorates it; will not be possible;for city representatives to override country members in the political arpna, It is a matter of notoriety that the ibfg towns of New Zealand , Lave, .jn. the ,jWßt,j developed more rapidly than . the J country distfipti! which tbey serve, That they have severely su/fered from this overgrowth during'the past! few years of depression, and in some instances are still so suffering is also, very evident, The members who have carried the second reading of the Eepresentation Bill have, fiODßCjously: or done much towards restoring a healthy equilibrium betweenjto/synaudcountry. The broad acres of Now #ealaa<J bjve to bear all 'burdepJs,'"Bs it is"in tjtem that the Colony must eoek,recuperation,

The organ of benevolence is very stroug in our'local contemporary, He is always ready to advocate a rise in

wages,,the erection of a public building,- or tlio constvuotiou - of« locul railwny in liis own district out of the HuUUc purse. In his list'issui lie kindly gives teaoliors a lift in; the following terms : On tlio other hand ii Mr Buchanan wishes to do something really kind and generous, and noble, and manly, lot him take up tlio the oudgcls against the miserable starvation wages paid to teachers with wives-and families in some of the country schools under the Wellington! Education Board. When the screw was placed on the tailing start all round not very long ago, and a miserable 1 , wagcs:'gi'inding system inaugurated, we did not notice that Mi- I'.uchanan M.HJI., attempted'.to interfere. We know of cases in which salaries of £l5O to £2OO have been reduced by; £3O and £-10 within the last year or so, and wo' believe we could pick out for Mr Buchanan's edification male teachers, with wiveß and families depending on them, fully qualified, highly compctent.and performing important work in our schools, who have. to straggle to exist on less than £2' per week doled out by tlio Wellington Education Board. If Mr Buchanan wishes to deal with the salaries paid by tlio Board let' him look at■• tlio miserably inadequate : ' screws' paid to assistant masters awl others and try and bring about something approaohing equalisation. . :

Now, teachers wages are low, but it may be said that, they are; 50 per cent higlior than they were in the old Provincial days, but as contrasted with salaries paid in other pursuits they will heat' comparison,- We would ask our contemportry whether it is not within his knowledge that printers and members of journalistic staffs are in many instances, worse paid than school ' teachers, In this district, pressmen and compositors are employed at less than school teachers wages, men with wives and families'dependent upon them, fully qualified, highly competent and performing important work, who are receiving miserably inadequate screws. We are sorry ourselves that depressed times compel educated men to accept reduced wages, but we should be still more sorry to upbraid members of the Education Board for economies whioh every private employer of labor is notoriously practising,