A SEDDONIAN EPISODE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 29, 4 February 1910, Page 3

A SEDDONIAN EPISODE.

The Daily Chronicle is responsible for the following: — The Governorship of New Zealand will soon be vacant. Lord Plunket, who will be 45 to-morrow, has held the appointment since March, 1904. Lady Plunket will sail for England next month and his Excellency will follow later. Lord Plunket's arrival in New Zealand was signalised by a remarkable piece of stage-management on the part of the late King Dick Scddon. Had there been any interval between the departure of Lord Ranfurly and the arrival of Lord Plunket, Chief Justice Sir Robert Stout would have been sworn in as Acting-Governor. Mr. Seddon and Sir Robert were old political rivals. "King Dick" was determined that Sir Robert should not be his "'boss" even for twentyfour hours. He therefoie so bt ranged matters that when Lord Ranfurly was steaming out of the harbour of Wellington Lord Plunket was steaming in. The episode was unique, but quite Seddonian. TOO MANY LEGACIES. Mr. a prominent politician, who recently committed suicide in a Croydon Hotel, disposed of about £100,000 by his will, but his estate has been valued for probate at only £3038. He left £35,000 to found an "Emigrants' Colonisation Trust Fund' 1 to assist the emigration of deserving artisans to the British Colonies, and gave elaborate directions for its administration. The trust was to be continued until the Government undertook similar duties, and then the money was to be applied to some scheme for furthering the welfare, stability, and unity of the Empire. PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND. The correspondence columns of the Nottingham Daily Express have boen devoted this week to the problem of unemployment. Sir John Turney. who has lately left the Liberal Party to become a Tariff Reformer, because bb wants to help to banish unemployment, started the discussion by announcing that something was wrong with tho Old Country and his adhesion to the policy of Tariff Reform. Mr. A. B. Platt, of CarrinKon, replies to tliis, stating that bir John nas not gone to the root of the matter. He asks if Sir John has studied the progress of New Zealand, which in many kinds of legislation is a long way ahead of Ensland- He adds : — "In addition, the State, or more accurately the Commonwealth, owns the railways, half the land of the Colony, most of the banks, all the ' telegraphs and telephones, sanatoriuma, gas and electric plants, etc. One can afford to smile at the bogey of Socialism now being raised in this country, and which Lord Bosebery described as the end of 'all. things, for' with, all this Socialistic legislation individual enterprise has been stimulated, the character as well as the comfort of the people, has been improved, and they are earnest, independent, law-abiding, hard-woriring citizens." He refers to the wealth of New Zealand per inhabitant, and attributes these benefits to the beneficent legislation of the Dominion. NEW ZEALAND FRUIT INDUSTRY. -* month or two back a dismal letter on life in general in the -Dominion appeared in The Scotsman. The sequel is now forthcoming in an interesting contribution from a New Zealand lady who, single-handed, conducts a fruit farm, and who evidently is satisfied with the prospects. She says that the poor man's liver must have been in a bad state when he. wrote to The Scotsman. While admitting that the Dominion is far too deeply in debt, she thinks that the country is not hopelessly so. There is no need for pessimistic opinions ( on the fruit trade, and if New Zealand as yet does not grow sufficient fruit for her own requirements, she is working to that end and over it.