Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-10-23
LABOR CONDITIONS IN NEW zEAL
II. c hillard Writes Interestingly,
Far off Land.

bulk OF the people, Is quite interesting.
Ii keeps me thinking seriously all the
time. So many things are looked at
from the exact opposite view point TO
what have been accustomed to. There
is one idea | can't get away from. The
tendency here, in this Socialistic coun-
try, is to more and depend on and look
to the government for guidance and
management of all the affairs of life
This is natural outcome produced by
laws enacted to regulate the every ae-
tion from the time child reaches the
age of fourteen. or has passed the sixth
grade of the primary school,. to the
day of his death or removal from the
country. The people are not free and
independent in one sense but are, or
seem TO me to be. but tenants. know
there is a vast difference between one
of our farmers and farmer here, and
between a laborer who owns house
and lot in the United States and a
lahorer here. They are but servants
and haze no incentive to Independence
of action. In fact the laws effectively
kill all that. He is affected by this act,
that act. and many other acts, compel
ling him TO do this an6 preventing him
from doing other things, till | can't
see that he has any liberty of action
whatever IN the prosecution of his busi-
ness. In conversation with a baker,
who owns the house in which he lives
and has his shop, and who employees a
shop girl, servant, journeyman baker,
an apprentice and two carriers, he tells
me that he comes in under six different
acts, with inspectors constantly pop
ping in to see that none of the numer-
ous provisions are being violated. He
mentioned one instance where an in
spector of the factories ordered a sink
that was under cover, but outside, and
was used to wash the utensils, removed
inside. He had it changed at "a consid-
cradle expense. In few days along
comes an inspector of the health de-
partment and orders it back, and back
it had TO go. He is native born but does
not believe in socialism and would like
to sch out
Upon arriving here the first thing
that attracted my attention was the
passing and Keeping TO the left of all
vehicle traffic, though pedestrians are
supposed to keep to the right as with
u.s. Nearly all the traffic is done by
cart. They are on the wide tread and
If more than one horse is required, used
tandem. The horses are fine bred, well
kept, and magniticeutly equipped. The
load is limited hy law to one ton per
horse The next thing is the width ef
side walks called foot paths here.
They are extra wide and are covered
by permanent AWNINGS before all busi-
ness houses. That is good custom de-
signed to keep off the sun in summer
and the very frequent rains during win
ter sC on. This city is about as far
south Of the equator as San Francisco
is north of It. and the climate is similar.
though owing To the configuration of
the coast and influence of the ocean,
am under the impression the records
show this city has chs more equitable
climate The past summer and fall
was certainly fine, but the present win
ter, while il has not been cold enough
to frost b6t once or twice, has been
very wet. IL rains more or less five
days out of every seven. II can get up
d shower in the shortest time and on
the least proyocation of any place / was
ever in. The southern part of the
country is very much colder and at
places the snow affords sleighing for
week ut a time.
The large number of hotels located
all over the cities and even in the
strictly resident parts attracts your at
tention They all support some high
sounding name such as Royal. Prince of
Wales, Victoria. Kings Arms, Grand.
etc. Come To find out there are no
saloons here. but each one OF these ho-
tells is in fact nothing but saloon
designed erected and operated as such,
hfs
than so many beds IN each and every
building where liquor is sold. They are
called Pubs" and it will puzzle you to
get into one OF them without running
up against the bar there il the pub
lic bar, private bar bar parlor, and
finally Off TO one side tucked away is
small room with no one in attendance
called the office. Eventually you viii
find woman who is the mistress and
although llhe may have a husband, she
is the boss Of the hotel part, and with
her must all arrangements be made for
bed ard board The bars are all pre-
sided over by young, good looking, un-
married women, called barmaids, but
in point Of fact as ! have heard it as
serted by public speaker and com
hrmed by every man spoken TO on the
subject, very few if any were maids.
If 1 should live here for a life time
never could get reconciled TO the idea
of female presiding over "A liquor bar.
The brewers, however have too strong
influence and prevent law being pas
ssd to abolish them. On every occasion
since | came here | have protested
against the locating Of these Pubs"
outside the business partsof Ii cities,
But at same time as matter Of fact
there are very few strictly resident
streets, there are buildings classed and
used as factories and retail shops every
where, they are usually on small scale.
In travelling along a street, If ii angles
any IL is liable to have two or three
different names before you reach the
end Of il. There are no house numbers
except in a small section comprising the
business part Of the city, but many Of
he residences are named and SO the
delivery Of mail Is made easier for the
carriers. There are no large retail or
department stores All retail estab-
lishmcnts here are called shops and as
"A rule are on a small scale, but they
have a ku8rH Of arranging very at
traetive W ndow displays IN the mat
ter of meat shops the display they make
beats anything ! ever ssaw, and 1t po-
sitively makes person hungry to look
at them. Candy stores are called lOllie
shops and il | should make guess OF
how many there are in this city would
say two th, usand. As near as ! can
find out the D. ference here between the
wholesale 'p~.Ce Of merchandise and
what the consumer pays is two 10 four
. ts,,,,.. ..sls,t a ia at home beligVp