Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1895 WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAVE DONE FOR THE PEOPLE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4940, 13 February 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1895 WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAVE DONE FOR THE PEOPLE.

Tin; Hon. Jlr Beeves lias made an eloquent speech at Christchurch to show what the Government have done for the people, and perhaps his summary of what lias been accomplished is the best Ministerial statement which has yet been delivered. We gather from him Unit the typical working-man—we will call him Tom for brevity—is no longer ruled by Conservatives. This, no doubt, is a great gratification and solace to Tom, tyut we question whether it enhances his material comfort. Then again Tom lias move franchise than formerly, but even this is not very fattening, Tom, too, lias better laiul laws now, for he can take up a big bush section without capital, bum his fingers and drop it, losing some time, some labour, somo wages, and all hope in the process. Another point in Tom's favour is that he can, through a paternal Government, get liis neighbour's land, though some of his friends who have secured slices of Cheviot and Pomahaka. seem to be sickening on their bargains. Once more if Tom sends his wife or daughter to work in a factory, lie can secure a scat for her while slio labours, The Tom of old never thought of sending the women of his family to such employment, but the Tom of to-day is often obliged to do so. If Tom bo a factory hand be lias better accommodation and if he be a bush hand hois no longer bled under the truck system, but probably travels tho country with a swag looking for the work which is no longer obtainable, There are hundreds of men now in tho country who would go on their knees for a chance of work under the obsolete trucksystem. Then again Tom is told that lie .can get his wages now weekly iu cash without deduction, l»it he is not told that his wages are now about a third less than they used to be, He is also informed tluit be is no longer at the mercy of a defaulting contractor, as contractors are now abolished, and with them has disappeared half the available labour that was open to Tom, Then, too, Tom has now a. weekly lialf-lioliday, sometimes a good many weekly halfholidays, and lie longs for work much moro than hohasevoryoarnGil for jilay,, Tom now jiossesses everything

bul plenty of work and good -wages. These have been abolished, but still, after rending Mr Reeves' speech, ho ought to be happy, He rules the country, or at least pays Mr Reeves' to rale it for l\im. The Government have done much for him, but Tom cannot help thinking that if be had done a little more for himself, and trusted less to the kind offices of Mr Beeves and his colleagues, he would be better off than be now is.