The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-06-06
GERTRUDE BOME
DELIVERS GRAFTON

The following Grafton was delivered
ty Gertrude f. Bcwe at the gradual
ing exercises of the Hood River high
school on the subject of the The
Leader of Nations"
In the last few years many social
and economic questions have come up
in the United States upon the wise
solution of which depends the future
and prosperity Of our nation. These
same questions have been met with
aud answered by other countries
among them being New Zealand
which has solved the problem Of Gov
ernment ownership. New Zealand is
the one nation which enjoys peace
and prosperity, while all other coun-
tries are engaged in social war and
strife. Here there are no riots, strikes,
boycotts, panics, poverty, slums,
trusts, monopolies, and fraudulent col
porations. Here no places are found
where people cannot enjoy light, fresh
air, and sunshine. Here one can see
no old unsanitary tenements, no noisy
crowded back streets, no idle men, NO
tramps or beggars.
New Zealand did not always enjoy
such conditions. Only sixteen years
ago it was no better than any other
nation. 1t was then ready to create
paupers and starve them, ready to
create millionaires and adore them,
ready to do the things that generate
misery, and splendor, privation and
luxury ready to do the things other
nations have done and are doing.
The great change was brought about
by a strike in Australia In July 1890,
which had nothing to do with New
Zealand, but in month all the mar.
atime laborers Of that country had
left their work to help the strikers.
The people of New Zealand could
understand why men would strike for
a cause of their own, but 1t seemed
an outrage to them that men would
imperil property, cripple trade, stop
all industry, and cause such distress,
merely because twelve hundred miles
away men were dissatisfied. They
tried in every possible way to breake
the strike, which was costing an en-
ormous sum of money for 80 small q
country, but to no tvail. Finally a
certain class of thoughtful men who
we're interested In public affairs, was
that the strike could not continue in
this way, that no matter who won
victory would be too costly and emp
ty. They understood a sympathetic
strike because they could understand
how, when men feel sense of strng-
gle against common injustice, they
might be drawn by the ties of fellow
ship into a battle In which they we're
directly concerned. But no matter
what the cause was, they knew that
a strike would not in any way aid the
progress of nation, and must be
abandoned everywhere, and FIRST of
all in New Zealand. So they drew
together some of the labor leaders,
and organized party, which began
a campaign to improve labor condi
tions. In the election, which fol-
lowed the next year after the strike
Jonh Balance was elected to head the
new government, and things changed
for the better.
The men who came to power were
unlike men who had ever ruled in any
English colony. They we're not OF
the governing class, bnt had earned
their bread through toll, and knew
what labor meant. They did not be-
lieve in palaces and slums, wasteful.
ness and starvation, or wealth and
poverty They knew it was not an
impossibility to establish place
where slums did not abound, public
service need not be corrupted, and
labor need not not be considered no
disgrace. They knew that kind of
government would bring about better
conditions, and give more help to the
poor and unfortunate than it gave to
the rich and eminent. They believed
that most OF the evils of the world re-
suit form the unjust distribution OF
wealth, and that something ought to
be done to distribute it more evenly.
The campaign of the new govern
ment started with bills to improve
health conditions. They declared
that wherever persons were employed
there must be light, fresh air, and
good sanitary conditions. If the
workmen ate theii meals on the prem.
ises employers must provide dining
rooms, with tables, chairs, and means
OF heating water so that there need
be no more eating OF cold lunches
from tin pals while seated on their
work benches. Inspectors we're pro-
vided for to see that these regulations
we're enforced, and heavy fnes we're
laid upon employers who neglected
them.
Next they passed law declaring
eight hours, and no more, o days
work, and providing for weekly half
holidays for the employees in all
trades, industries, and business. A
child labor law was aslo passed stat
ing that no child under IA years of
age could be employed anywhere.
While the government was thus bet
tering conditions for the working
man, it was also destroying the land
system which existed. Here, as in a
great many other places no settlers
we're coming into the country because
there was no land TO attract them, 1t
being mostly In the hands of large
holders. To dispose OF this system
two methods we're tried. First, the
government passed an act under
which IL was authorized to use the
public funds with which .to purchase
estates and throw them open to settle
ment. The government offered the
owner OF piece of good land fair
price for it, which was usually refus-
cd. Then it appointed an arbitrator,
and the owner appointed another; the
two then chose third, and the three
decided upon the value OF the land.
Five per cent was added to this val.
ne, which the owner was obliged to
accept and leave the premises. The
land was then cut up into small farms
and offered to settlers as homesteads.
Meantime John Balance died In
office, and Richard John Seddon arose
to fill his place. During his admins.
tration riots and strikes we're dispos.
ed of in New Zealand, by referring all
labor disputes to board of concjlia.
tion, which was to take testimony
and render a decision. IL either side
was dissatisfied with this, an appeal
could be made to an arbitration court
whose decision was final and binding.
Both sides of the labor dispute were
compelled to abide by this decision
under hea " penalties. That is why
New Zealand now has no more costly
and harmful strikes. It has been esti.