NOTES NOW AND THEN,

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2984, 29 August 1891, Page 4

NOTES NOW AND THEN,

What is to be the result of the closing of the country mills of tho Kauri Timber Company ? Will it increase the exodus from the colony, for which the present Ministry blame their predecessors but havo shown themselves totally unable to check ? or will the men thus thrown out of work settle on the land ? As many of them have had constant employment and good wages, they should have sufficient cash to keep them going if they took up land on deferred payment or perpetual lease, and, us they have been accustomed to hard work, they would not have the constitutional disinclination for it which characterises the "dia employed," as W. G Uarrard used to call them, of the towns. Of course, they must know that fanning means hard work, "from early morn till dewy eve," and rather longer, but, if a man owns his own farm and has got it into a lair state of cultivation, he has a certain living, as he can grow almost all that is requisite for food and clothing. People now-a-days, and in this country, do not seem to realise that they can provide themselves with clothing practically without outside assistance. The farmers here grow good wool, sell it, and with the proceeds buy shoddy clothing. It is not so in th« United States, in those districts in which they devote atteu« tion to sheop-farming. There the farmers' wives mako the wool into homespun tweed, and of that tweed they made dresses for their daughters and themselves and suits for their husbands and sons. The result is that their clothing costs practically nothing and it_ is roally useful and comfortable, not rubbish that you "can shoot peas through," Of course, many people, in this age of borrowed millions and free education, think we have got beyond the age of homespun. If we have, the sooner we go back to it the better. Indeed ! we ought to be more self reliant in every way. It makes me feel inclined to use bad language when I go into a grocer's shop and see long shelves laden with tinned fruit —from VVaikato ? Oh I no—from CaliSoiuia. This cannot be attributed to excuss!vo railway freighters the Californian tinned fruits have had to be conveyed by r.iil to San Francisco, and thence by ateamer, the freight by which is very high. It must be either because the locally produced articlo is inferior to the imported, or because the consumer has not the soDSc to see that it is to his interest to encourage local industry. Some, however, of our local industries are not worthy of support. Some time ago 1 required some jam. As a matter of course, holding tho opinions that I do, I bought aoine which purported to have boeu made in New Zealand. In order to to get a variety, I took six tins, each of which bore a different label. What did I find on opening them ? That they did not contain jam at all, but a, mass of wretched sweet " muck," evidently no tiling but fruit pulp, imported from Tasmania, and falsely labelled "New Zeahud jam." In a country like this, where there is so much good fruit grown, an imposture such as this is unpardonable ; but I suppose it would be very difficult to prevent it by legislation. Even if it were possible, our noble legislators have no time to sparo for such trivial detail? as affect matters of every day life. Their time is taken up with matters pertaining to the " unborn millions " and striving to apply the one-man-one-vote to county council elections. Truly we live in a great country, and are represented by a noble self-sacrificing lot of members ! Self-sacrificing mem-bera?—-Of course, they are. Look at their noble conduct in the matter of the Payment of Members Bill. They feel very strongly that while they arc drawing £150 per annum in the shape of honorarium they are helping themselves to far more than most of them are worth, or could earn, in their usual avocations ; they know they were all elected on the express understanding that they would reduce tho cost of Government as much as possible, compatible with efficient provision for the requirements of the public. But it was shown to some of Miom that it was essential in the interests of true Liberalism that members should be paid £240 a year. They uobly sacrificeil their own feelings, the wishes*of their constituents, and the interests of the colony. They waited on the Premier and requested him to bring down a Bill providing for the payment of the modest sum of £240 per annum to each member. The Premier, fueling that ho would not be a true Liberal (New Zealand pattern) if he did nut comply with their request, promptly pi-uuiiticd to do so. Not only so, but he agreed to have a clause inserted in the Payment of Members Hill, providing that if any wretched butcher, baker, milkman or other tradesman was so utturly deficient in Liberal (?) principles that he would not provide members with all they required frue, gratis and for nothing, he should uot be able to attach the payments due to such members. One trifling omission has beeu made, but doubtless it will bo supplied when the Bill is in committee ; that is, a clause exempting our honourable (?) members from the provisions of the Abolition of Imprisonment for Debts Act. If that is not inserted, some of our magistrates, wbu do not probably appreciate Liberal measures, may take such an extremely absurd view as that an honourable (?) member, who in in receipt of £240 a year, should cither pay hia debts or go to prison. Akakana.