Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-07

members of mems unions. We have 'wo-
man suffrage and our feminine electors
exert steady political influence In certain
directions-such as temperance-but their
Industrial position does not seem to need
interference.
The Eight-Hour Day.
Does eight hours increase drunkenness?"
ut would certainly be a SANDER on our
working classes If any one accused them of
drunkenness. There is more drunkenness
in Glasgow or in Moscow in night than in
New Zealand In year. To say that an
eight-hour day leads to drunkenness and
loafng is rubbish. The overtired man who
has worked too long is he who Graves
stimulant."
After eignt hours of active and often
strenuous labor leisure is not loafing. and
very bad grace from people who are either
idlers themselves or engaged IN predatory
industry.
1.-THE vices of the colonist are not drunk
enness, but gambling and devotion to low
ideals, the worship of the race horse and
of the foot ball
ut is not probable that any shorter work
| ing day than that of eight hours will obtain
for several years. but hope that as ma
chnery takes the place of sinew. and when
the machine is owned by the man VINO
works it, plain living and high thinking
may help to very few hours day nav
| ing to be necessarily worked by any one.
| Exertion on loved and fancied line OF o.
rection is, of course, under different condi-
tions. and time so spent VIII never De
measured.
Short Hours and Old Age Pensions.
Does not the eight-hour day encourage
| extravaganza"
"As to extravaganza, the shorter working
| day has had If anything beneficial effect
| in the direction of economy. If the saw
| ings banks statistics be accepted as a test.
| Personally, hate hearing thrift preached
| to persons of low incomes. Below GER
| tain wage line every penny saved is sin
| against the workers family, depriving
| them of some necessity of life. 1t is
| enough of thrift for such a one to be m
| sured, or in a friendly society TO guard
| against sickness or accident or death- Inc
] working father or mother who has brought
| up a family has, at the cost of thousand
| self -denials and deprivations, performed
| a most valuable duty to the state, ana
| should be provided for In his or her ola
age by the state whose future has been
| thus nourished, even If it means heavy tax
| alton of those who have had better oppor-
| tunities of acquiring money or property py
| Sinking the responsibilities OF fostering
| large families. In New Zealand, through
| our old age pensions, we partly meet our
| moral and national liabilities, but much
more will yet have to be done by the En-
| glish-speakfng peoples II they WISH 10 hnahe
L
| than mixtures of mongrel Aliens
| Emplovment Bureaus for Uncle Sam.
Concerning your question as to the en-
| ployment branch of the New Zealand labor
| department., and whether such an office
| would succeed in America, consider 1t mas
! been success here and see no reason why
| 1t should not be useful in the states. Since
| 1891 we have assisted 81, 49, men, and these
! had 20, TO dependents, so that lO3,lo2 per
sons have been benefited. This does not IN
| clude the thousands who take aaVahlase
| of our informat ton offices all over the ooun-
| try-the figures given above are OF those
| who received actual assistance in railway
/ and steamer fares, etc, in order TO pfinS
| the work and the worker together.
| Our clients receive no charity or none
| tary assistance; we only find hard work
| for them The expenses of transit nave 10
| be refunded, and, contrary TO the belef OF
| the pessmist they are refunded, in the
| large majority of cases No better test of
| the value of the work so done can be given
| than by the way the operatives and labor
| ing classes stand by us: it is dangerous
experiment in New Zealand to abuse It's
labor department in public"
Chances for Young Men.
.rWhat does your government offer to
| immigrants and what are the chances for
Young men to make fortunes in New Zea-
| land?''
1.-THE government offers no special induce
| ments to immigrants, and it has not done
| so for many years. Last year we had d
| surplus of 1900 arrivals over our de-
| partures but of these 10000 were Austria
| lians, driven out by the drought in their
| own country Most of the people who come
here, excepting the tourists stay with US.
New Zealand is a lovely land, and it is full
of attractions 1t offers a good field for
steady, honest living. Young men have
many opportunities to secure comfortable
fakf mi al N
dependence. AS to the probabilities of
| their becoming millionaires, l am glad to
| say they are nil
what is the condition of New Yea
| land?''
1.-The country has been for years pro-
crossing rapidly, and in spite of croakers
against labor as king, we flourish more
and more. The hands in factories have
nearly doubled in number during eight
years; they rose from 29,S19 in 1888 to
50 047 in 1903. Agricultural and pastoral
employnents have also been in prosper
Gus condition as shown by the value of our
exports chiefly wool, frozen meat butter
etc., advancing at a leap of f3,0l6,1l3
(about S14 800 0O0l in 1903 over those of the
previous year. The private wealth of the
people rose in value from f152. 600 in
1892 to f229, 600 in 1901, lie, a rise of
1887 coo 900 in nine years. L will not weary
you with more figures.
How Government Ownership Works.
Does it pay you to have the government
run the railroads."
New Zealand through taking over the
railroads, telegraph lines, etc, national
property has won great advantages. Such
action secures the people against combipa-
lions in regard to oppressive prices for
fares and freights, prevents 'discrimina-
| tons and gives back to the people the
| profits made through the use of railways
| and telegraphs by the people. On its be-
| --- -
WHAT SHE OUGHT ]