Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-06-08

ITldl EmdHCIpdtioH Ill .NeW Lcdiduu,
which no doubt will be read widely with
great interest. 1t can hardly fail in
that, so remarkable are the statements
of fact made therein. The history oi
the industrial achievements accomplish
a story Of romance.
As the writer says, and as the more
intelligent members OF the public know,
New Zealand, during the last twenty
, five years, "has been the workshop OF
social and political experiment.
Almost everything bearing char
acter OF this sort which political econo-
mists of the old school have been dis
posed to regard with extreme aversion,
amounting almost to horror, and to
pronounce dangerous, have there been
put to trial; and, what is more, after
periods of temporary failure, which
needed notifications introduced in this
direction or that, have resulted in un-
questionable success,
And thing which will very certainly
strike the reader as most remarkable in
these experiments of an industrial and
had their origin and outworking
by reason of the often uncomfortable
pressure OF tlabor conditions, so well
known in older parts OF the world, and
have not sprung up as the result OF
social agitation, but have had an al
together different source.
The seed of the evolutionary growth
has been entirely of another kind. New
Zealand is not manufacturing country
in any proper sense. The spring in the
movement forward in labor lines, lead
ing eventually to the industrial emanci-
patton witnessed there today, took its
rise in the first instance from very
simple condition of things.
The government itself had, from
necessity, from the poverty of the
people or the lack of capitalists, to do
the first railroad building in the colony,
and then to operate the roads after they
were built.
1t was government ownership from
the start; government management or
control from the halting initial step on
ward-hence, government employment
of labor, government regulation of the
hours of labor.
And so on, little by little, the move
ment proceeded, but so great have been
the advantages found in connection
amounting almost to a benefcence-
that today we have in those islands at
the antipodes what is represented as
almost an industrial paradise.
The article here referred to shows in
detail what is thus noted, carrying the
reader through from the small and
tentative beginnings to the full out
flowing OF the conditions prevalent
today, when legally the hours of q
weeks labor in New Zealand are forty
four, and a system OF old-age pension
has been established for all who, havin,
reached the age Of siXty-fve, are with
; out sufficient means of support.
Mr.. Lusk, with eloquence and pardon
able pride, closes his article with thes
words:
1t will be evident to every reader tina
= at each step in this legislation tn
Q parliament and people of New Zealan'
t have ignored deliberately the recognzc
canons of economic science. They hay
laid themselves open to the oft-repeate
charge Of destroying the spirit OF sell
reliance and substituting one OF stat
dependence in the mass of the people
They have done everything which coul,
well be thought of to incur the ban O
the economists and to draw down upo
their country the doom Of an industrial
, decay.
IL 10 lutol lcsbinn, IL ouiy dS Lndupcl u
curiosity, to note that these hagran
economic sins do not as yet show an
signs Of calling down upon them tn
expected punishment. New Zealan,
today is flourishing, and, strange to say
is growing wealthy year by year, il
spite Of all. Her workers appear t.
produce, in spite of their short hours o
labor, notwithstanding their half-holi
day weekly, more remarkable produce
than the workers OF almost any othe
country in the world.
Last year they sent away produce
; for the most part agricultural, equal il
value to S75 head for every inhabi
tant of the colony. They had lant
in cultivation equal to moro thai
fifteen acres for every person il
the country, sheep to the number o
twenty-six for each inhabitant; and cat
tie to the number of more than one an,
half for each. The ordinary banks o