The Press. SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1891.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7805, 7 March 1891, Page 4

The Press. SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1891.

Oncb more the cry o! the unemployed ia heard in the land. In Dunedin the other day a deputation waited on the Minister of Lands representing that there were a considerable number of men out of employment in that city, and urging that unless something was done it would be a very hard winter indeed for them. The Minister listened to the representations made to him, and promised to bring the matter under the notice of the Minister of Public Works, who would, he said, "be alive to the necessity of doing something in the matter." This was practically all that the deputation got out of Mr. McKbnzie. He also went on to deal with the general question of the unemployed and the land. The difficulty in his opinion "should be met, to a certain extent at any rate, by getting the working men to get on the land." He had given instructions, he said, to amend the village settlement conditions, •* by which he hoped to be able to give laud bo that men would be able to go on it for two years for nothing." The greatest difficulty, he went on to say, "he had was the want of land." The land being sold near settlement, he " was looking round to see where land could be found, and he had come to this conclusion: that, in order to meet this question properly, Government would have to buy land for the purpose; and that, of. course, opened up the question of finance. Land could not be bought without the sanction of Parliament and without providing funds for the purpose." He then added that " the deputation might rest as- " sured that he ..had a scheme in " connection with the matter thought " out which, with the sanction of Par-. " liament, he would do his best to " carry out," and he would ask ParI liament to assist him by voting him funds for the purpose.

Those in the colony who believe that the Government will be able to do something practical in connection with unemployed and the land, will derive but scant comfort from the above announcement. It will be seen that Mr. Mcr-BNZi- assures the unemployed that be has a scheme in connection witb the matter thought out, which however, -requires- ' "the sanetioft',-' ;*6l Parliament. But as that body is not to be called together till May licit, and as it will probably take two or three months to deal with the business, the winter will be well over before the unemployed will have a chance of taking advantage of Mr. McKenzie's well " thought out" scheme, assuming that he.succeeds in carrying it. Now we would ask : Whose fault is it that all this delay should happen? If it be true that the whole condition of society can be ohanged by a Bill, who are to blame for keeping the unemployed waiting all these months'? During the late session the Government were urged to agree to a shore adjournment, and then proceed with the ordinary business of the country, but they declined. They preferred four months of freedom from Parliamentary control to attending at once to. what they represented when out of office as urgent business. They were warned in the plainest possible manner that they'were making a great mistake. Mr. Scobib Mackenzie drew the Premier's attention to his own opinions on the subject, and pointed out that if he was earnest in his desire to see the remedies applied he would seize the first opportunity of doing so. Mr. Ballancb, during the contest, was emphatic on the urgent need of preventingthe exodus Of population. He led us to believe that a simple Act of Parliament was all that was needed to turn the tide. Yeb be grasped at the opportunity of getting rid of a troublesome House, regardless of the consequences to the country. Instead of asking for a few weeks in order to prepare the measures which were to save the country, the Government held out the bribe of a doable honorarium, which was eagerly jumped at, and dismissed the House. By this means, four or five months' of undisputed tenure of office was secured, but the Labor Bills, the land measures, and all the other schemes of which we are now hearing so mnch, were set aside as of no pressing, need. The great object of the election had been secured.* The Ballance Government were now in office, and these measures would have to wait.

We do not wish to be understood as affirming that by mere legislation it is possible to restore the colony to a state of prosperity. The causes of the lack of, enterprise the, absence of confidence, and the general distrust which prevail are not likely to be touched by any legislation promoted by Mr, Bau-ancjb. Thia will certainly not be the. case if his legislation is of the character sketched out in his platform utterances. This, however, does not remove tbe responsibility for delay from the shoulders of the Government. They believe, or profess to believe, that their measures are capable ef doing all that they promise on their behalf. Mr. McKbnzns told tbe Daaedia deputation tbat lie had a scheme in connection with the unemployed difficulty in his head*. Why should that scheme have not been considered before this ? If there were anything iti it, and Parliament approved of it, it might have beep in operation in April. Owing to the action of the Government that scheme cannot be discussed till June, and it may, as wo have said, be delayed for months after that before it can become kwr. Ia the ■ meantime

►we shall probably hear that* some plan of grant iag. eleemosynary assist ance has been devised, which in the [ nature 1 of things must be more or less ! humiliatiag-to those who are the re-cipienfa*-of it. The scheme of the Minister of Lands, having for its object the prevention of the recurrence of unemployed difficulties, is postponed, simply because it suited the I convenience of Ministers to have four months undisturbed possession of office. '