The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3069, 17 March 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

JEqual and exact justice to all men, I 01 whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or 1 political. i THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1592. Mr McKenzue, in the course of his address at To Aroha last week, complained that we had blamed the Government for issuing contracts under tlie co-operative system immediately previous to the harvest, and had in consequence disorganised the labour market, and not only attracted the surplus labour necessary at that period, but had in addition caused many to throw up their situations and make a bid for employment at a scale of wages which farmers could not pay and earn a living for themselves. The above are facts which neither Mr McKenzie nor any of the supporters of the Government will have the hardihood to deny. The Minister did not attempt to do so, although he was, it is fair to presume, thoroughly instructed in the matter by his supporters. That Mr Seddon had publicly announced that he would stop co-operative works, if a scarcity of labour .existed in any district during harvest time, we learnt for tho first time from the speech under notice, and we believe that the farmers interested were in the same happy state of ignorance. Tho taunc, therefore, that the fault was that of the sufferers was in bad taste. Considering in addition that the men employed were under contract with no stipulation expressed or understood that Mr Seddon should have this power, the promise, if made, was an idle one, and impossible of fulfilment. As we have thought it well to notice the portion of die speech which referred to ourselves, we will take tho opportunity of noticing one or two other matters therein alluded to. It goes without saying that he made what has now become a stereotyped excuse for the stumping propensities of Ministers—that the Press generally was hostile to tho Ministry and unfair in its treatment of the.n. We will quote his words as reported : " They have been accused, not only of doing things that will injure this fair colony and of sins of omission, but also of sins in antici-

nation, the Conservative press having actually found out that the Government were going to do things that would ruin the people of the colony." As regards ourselves, we were prepared, when the Ballance Ministry took office, to give them every support in our power in carrying out the policy of retrenchment on which they were returned, and further hailed with satisfaction the defeat of the Atkinson party, because they had declared that the safe limit had been reached in this direction. We refrained from criti cising their measures, having this tendency and deprecated a contrary policy on the part of others. We were then, and are now, prepared to deal with any measure on its merits. Unfortunately, we have been compelled to condemn their system of land taxation, not a land tax, but a lund tax with an ascending scale, as being a breach of contract, and consequently disgraceful to the colony. The double taxation of bondholders, who have lent money to companies carrying on business in the colony, we have also condemned, as has the majority' of the Press of which Ministers complain. Mr Ballance has been brought by this means to see his error in this respect, and has promised amendment. We have also condemned any restriction on the acquirement of freeholds, for the reason, in the first place, that we believe such restrictions will retard settlement, and in the second that if the perpetual lease system is largely availed of, the holders under this title , will bring sufficient political pressure to bear, at an early date, to compel the granting of freeholds. The system, therefore, is in reality only a blind for the eyes of a section of the Government supporters. As regards the co- : operative system as applied to pub--1 lie works Mr McKenzie said ;— " The object of those who find fault with the system and who cry out against it is to reduce the price of labour to the very lowest, and to have all works done by contractors who will grind down the labourers." For ourselves we must emphatically deny the charge. What we object to mainly in th 6 system is that as administered it has a tendency, and has to a certain extent given an artificial value to labour. So earnest are we to see the land of the country settled that we are strenuously opposed to Protection as it has the same tendency; in addition, the policy causes the land occupier to pay more for his imported necessaries, and therefore punishes him in two ways. It must be noted also that the higher consequent wage does not benefit country labour to the extent it injures those who employ it. Living is more costly to the labourer and the farmer is handicapped for the severe race he has to run in the markets of the world. If a government is to fix a standard of wages, the basis should be the possible average earnings of labourers and occupiers of land. That this is not the case with regard to the co-operative contract system is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the earnings of the men have in some ca3es ranged from 7s to lis a day. That the Government has been condemned for sins in anticipation is entirely their own fault. Mr Ballance is mainly responsible, he has talked about Land Nationalization and the Single Tax as goals to be aimed at. What more natural, therefore, than that the Ministry of which he is the head should be blamed for holding such crackbrained and revolutionary fads. Surely to believe in the sincerity of a man or body of men should not be an offence, and believing, to condemn their aspirations cannot be logically considered unjustifiable or in any sense unfair. Would Mr McKenzie have us believe that his chief was only joking. We have hitherto carefully avoided criticism of the Ministerial mode of carrying out retrenchment, we were prepared to wait for results. As we pointed out soon after, the Ministry took power, they would have to avoid using retrenchment as an excuse to dismiss officials and replace them by those who had shown activity as political supporters. The appointments of Mr Duncan as Supervisor of Assessors, and Mr Bust, as a warder in a gaol, give us reason to think that gratitude for services rendered has had something to do with these promotions to the Government service. We do not mean to say, because we have no means of judging, that the active member of Radical Associations, Liberal Associations, and such like institutions, will not make a good supervisor. Neither do we insinuate that the ex-trade unionist agitator will not make a good warder. We do say this, however, that we are confident that there are many men who have been retrenched who could have performed the duties well, and a common sense of justice should have led to their being given the chance. Mr McKenzie has himself afforded as strong or perhaps stronger reason for want of faith in his Ministry than any urgod by the Press he maligns. Wo quote from his speech, as reported: "They (the Ministry) intended to govern the colony solely in the interests of the masses.'' This fact has been so long manifest that the condemnation of the Press is, we maintain, justifiable if on these grounds only. Unfortunately for all concerned, their policy has the direct tendency to kill the goose whicli lavs the eggs for the masses. The Press have tried to avoid the disastrous slaughter, and prevent a verdict being returned : " Died of fads, and the jury is of opinion that tiie Press of the colony is greatly to blame."