The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY, JUNE 20. 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3837, 20 June 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily SATURDAY, JUNE 20. 1891.

In the fairly moderate proposals of the Government we are not face to face with the real demands which the labour party will make. These will include the abolition of all freehold title in property, the bursting up of existing estates, and State meddling in every man's private affairs. The proposals of tbe Government are a step in advance toward this goal. Therefore the labour members will support them, but, when once the half-way house is reached, at which the Hon. Mr Ballance would be disposed to rest and be thankful, tbe labour members will insist upon him "moving on."

The new department of industry which the Government are organising is to consist of an office and a clerk in eaoh of tbe four principal centres of population. A man who can work and wants work in a Colony like this does not usually require tbe aid of a department of industry to assist him. The department will poßsibly be useful for the registration, distribution and aggregation of the men who cannot work, and who are not particularly anxious to get employment. A bureau of this kind will almost create an unemployed class since a man may be disposed to throw up bis actual employment on the chance of getting something better through the bureau. The Government, before they have done with it, will enrol a brigade of firstclass loafere.

The new Electoral Bill may be a clever piece of machinery, which will do no great harm by taking away the last vestige oipriv'dege, as some people have it, or right, as we would put it. We have universal suffrage and Mr Hogg for our member, and if we canaot realise that universal suffrage is a dismal failure it is because we close our eyes, nose, and ears. An electoral reform is needed that would sweep away the bastard suffrage, which is degrading and ruining the colony, and replace it with a residential qualification, so &£$ the settlers of New Zealand, the men who a#a still allowed to pay all the taxes of the country, should have the control of it.

Fkmale franchise is talked about I Now would an} decent woman, who remembers say, the late Masfcerton election, and the hooting, the yelling, and the stone-throwing that accompanied the process of voting, care

to possess tbe. franchise or dare to exercise it ? Our contemporary writes about the graces and charms of womanhood, but these graces and charms fail to protect the owners of them from insult on the part of some people, and this being the case we regard the proposal to extend the franchise to the other sex as a safe piece of political bunkum. The women of New Zealand have too much self-respect to desire such a gift.