Tbe Opposition would, no doubt, admire the oourage of tbo famous poet when, in condemnation of the wrongs that needed resistance, he ponned those well known lines —"The Song of the Shirt "{ but they blindly shut their eyos to the fact that it h this very same evil the present Government are legislating against. The foots as brought to light in Wellington are ouly another proof of the state of things known to exist in other large cities and towns in New Zealand. Yot Captain Russell and others look upon the Labour legislation of the Go vernment as an infringement of the liberty of the subject, but all right thinking men and women will agree that the infringe ineut of liberty conies in in oaies similar to that above quoted, whore thepowerful alaeiea grind- 'down those dependent on them till life becomes a mere drudgery, and simply an existence. If ia ylaoo of Sir BobertStoutdevoting himself to his diatribe about impurity of government and unjust legislation, he would state bis convictions as to what benefits tbe present Government had bestowed on the working classes, and how little the Opposition when in power had done to ameliorate their condition, his words might meet with a re-echo in the hearts and minds ol his hearers. But when he is straining every nerve to oust those who have devoted their Jives to benefit their fellows, little wonder is it that his high falutin' falls fiat. According to Captain Buisell and many of the Opposition suoh things as sweating do not exist in this colony, and therefore labour legislation is unneoeisary, yet tho tailoresses of Ohrint ohuroh propose "That the Government bo asked to amend the Faatory Act to tho effect that all work be dove on the premises of workshops or a faotory and that any contravention of this enactment be a pnnisbable offenoe for both employer and employe." We have beard of cases not 100 miles from Wanganui where work is let out at starvation wages, and unfortunately pur chasers Ms too readily found who little dream that the artioles have been produced under similar oiroumstances to those that caused Tom Hood to write— Stitch, stitoh, stitoh, In poverty, hunger, and dirt Sewing at onco, with a double thrend, A shroud as well as a shirt.
