Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4221, 17 September 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1892.

Being the extended titie or the Waibabjm Daily, with which it is lOKNTIOAL,

Moftu labour bills have been passed in the United States than in all the other countries pul together, Persistent labour legislation has been characteristic of the home of Democraoy, and what is the result? Cables continually arrive, giving us returns of the labour war in America and of the success of the capitalists. Tho Pittsburgh labour riots arc quite a revelation, showing, as tbey do, that when a Government endeavours by artificial methods to regulate wages in favour of the worker, it signally fails. Hard-headed, intelligent men of business grasp the conditions laid down by labour laws, and turn them to their own advantage. The able Editor of tho Catholic Times admirably illustrates this aspect of labour lugistation, by pointing out that the wealth of M. Carnegie had been largely increased by the McKinley tariff, a national measure framed ostensibly largely in the interests of labour. Instead, however, of the men in this particular case reaping a benefit, the big employer swept up the pool provided by the Government, Can the employer be blambd ? In oarrying out his business hHad a hostile legislature which desired to sacrifice his interests to those of his employes, Do turned the tables on his opponents and the spoils went to tho victor, Is it a wonder that in any country where capitalists are regarded as enemies to the commonwealth, they, in their turn should not be sympathetic with the labour party. The. main consideration is this, that when a State legislates against capital it usually finds that it has made a blunder and that the capitalists do not fail to take a merciless advantage of every legislative mistake. In no country in the world is there so much bribery and corruption as in America, and this because tho men possessing money find it necessary to accomplish by questionable means that which they cannot procure by fair methods. Politicians and newspapers are bought up on all sides by men possessing brains and meanswhohaveanobjeottogain. The same state of things will probably be brought about in New Zealand, The kindly feeling, whioh was so characteristic in former days of the relationship between mau and man, will give way io suspicion and mistrust, The weakest will go to the wall and those who are worsted in the struggle must not expeot pity or forbearance The worst thing that ever happened to New Zealand was tho successful Attempt made by the radical party to set class against class, The war has begun, but before it ends those who threw down thegauntlet, those who led the attack,will be denounced by their own followers as having injured them. The oleverest leaders of the Labour party in New Zealand are necessarily not nearly as sharp and keen-witted as the more successful settlers in this Colony. They can talk, but in matters of business they arc mere babies, They will, even parade their poverty in this world's goods, forgetting that their want of wealth is a very strong indication of their incapacity to manage their own affairs.;, 'When the New Zealand labour legislation takes effect, it will be found bfcre an in America that the rich will become richer and the poor poorer, The men who have hitherto made money in New Zealand have been the men with brains, and no Act of Parliament can destroy this advantage whioh they , possess or prevent them from lising it. Shuffling a pack of cards may 1 alter the chances of a game,'but it • cannot so affect, it that in the long ; run the better players will be beaten. | By and by we shall see the better! players winning under labour legisla- ! tion. ;