A VOICE FROM THE BUSH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 8 March 1894, Page 3

A VOICE FROM THE BUSH.

(From an Occasional Correspondent.) Things arc notsexaotly what they should be in the Forty-mils Bush. The atmosphere is smoky; business is dull and work, scarce; added to which wages are low nnd thn demand for work high, Settlers are depressed, and the general outlook gloomy and unpromising, It is,not difficult to assign rather mauy reasons—for this state of things. The immense amount of unskilled labour that has been nltraoted, and is being daily attracted from the other Colonieß -meo entirely without means or tf>e knowledge nicessary to enable them to obtain work with any advantage to themselves, are literally crowding the highways in the vain endeavour to obtain- employment at any price, Wonderful are the stories which Borne of those men tell as tithe impression of New Zealand, which obtains amongst their particular class in some of the other colonies, One of these iten told me that in the part he came from it was a generally accepted belief that in New Zealand, the contract system had been entirely swept away, and that all men were employed by the Government on Hib co-operative system at eight shillings a day, the men being their own bosses. And when he was informed upon his arrival here, that the coutraot system still flourished and that only a comparatively few men were employed on co-operative works, and that of those not all were making satisfactory wages; and further still that a circular kad just been issued by the Government announcing that all men engagedon co-ope'aiive works were to be turned adrift except those, who could plead a large and increasing family, he at once wrote to his friends in Aostralia to beware of false prophets I Ho told me that he felt • sure that the experience would do him good, but, that he had seen quite enough and intended to go baok to the place- from whence he came and when he did get back he would "bang the head off" anybody he heard talking favourably ofNewZealadl "There has not been even a' blooming ' earthquake since I landed hero" he remarked as he shouldered bluey and turned kis face to the south leaving me to my reflections. It is not a great whilo since the Premier "circulated" through the Forty-mile Bush, and while he wob knocking about Eketahuna in company with Messrs ■ Nis Lund, Eli Smith and others, lie told tkeni that the unemployed difficulty was practi-. oully at an end; that men would soon forget the dark past, and " voiling their eyes press onward to tko glorious futaro." After wkioh tke company joined him in singing the old refrain, "Hard Times Come Again No More I" Just now that 'i glorious fotnre" seeniß a great way off-further off in, fact tkan it has seemed for many years. In tke face of the general depression; in tkefice of tke hordes' of hungry meii seeking in vain for work which they cannot find; such utteranpcs sound like mookery, the'orDel irony of which is accentuated by the fact that Eketahuna is one of the very centres affected by the . fiat whioh has' gone forth from'the Government, only a lew days since, against the cooperative workmon. Other causes of course pombiuo to produce the depressing which exists throughout the Bush district. Those settlers who could afford to employ labour during past years are beginning to look for some return for the money sptnt,a"nd aro consequently reducing hands, while;other6-r-who have already completed tkeinmprbvements-bave no need for. labour if they could afford to pay for it. But to whatever causes tbjs undesirable state of things may be' attributed it will.lw .severely felt during the coming autumn and winter months, were for ; the" moat part Very Hte| j io getting gcotj boros, and

when tbeproßort drongbtbreaksgrass seed sowing will b'o at once proceeded with, which woik should give a few days: employment' to some of thej fltragglers. .• '. <; ..