SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1894. THE COMING WINTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4691, 10 April 1894, Page 2

SECOND EDITION Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1894. THE COMING WINTER.

The stress of poverty in New Zealand must be serious when, in these autumn days, a journal like the Lytldton Times which worships at the shrine of the Minister of Labour and holds it working man's millennia) has been gained, adviocs its readers to make persistent and systematic efforts to provide for the coming winter's crop of destitute persons. Belief works are to he established, municipal money must flow, charitable aid must be forthcoming not for the present trouble in Ohristoburcli but that greater misfortune which is expected a couple of months later, It is bad for this Colony when destitution is accepted as a matter of course and a community is called upon both publicly and privately to prepare for rescue work, In old days when there were no Labour ministers and no labour organisations of a political character, such a condition of things was unknown. There was work for all, and only a man who would not work had to starve. To-day in Now Zealand, every idle man could be profitably employed, even througli the winter season, if aettlers had confidence in the Gov. eminent and fair conditions for. the conduct of industrial enterprise Hundred of thousands of pounds worth of necessary and desirable improvements are suspended simply because people are afraid of further political changes. Men will not invest large sums in land when the security of their tenure is threatened by cumulative taxation and ultimate state resiimpiion. Hundreds of thousands ot pounds are laid up in the bank?, which, under other circumstances, would be expanded on labour. What is needed ia not relief works and charitable aid, but a return to a free and unfettered labour market and a free and unfettered land tenure. The Goveihment have made slaves of the industries of New Zealand, and these must be emancipated before they can prosper. Thb next downward step taken on the path which tho Government have been treading will be the establishment of workhouses, Already we have a few such institutions under other names, and soon therewill.be a demand for genuine and unmistakeable poor-houses.to be established in every county of the North and Middle Island, Even the Lyllelton fines admits the existence of paupers, and speaks of them as if they were a necessary and essential part of our political economy, There ought not to be a single pauper in the 1 rail!.