MONDAY, JULY 31, 1893.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10103, 31 July 1893, Page 4

MONDAY, JULY 31, 1893.

upon what we have advanced regarding the doty incumbent upon a political Opposition to place the claims of country above those of party, we would remark that a similar duty rests upoa every colonist in exact proportion to his position and power to influence the affairs of the country in which his lot is cast. The obligation in the case of a private citizen is not so clearly defined or so imperative as ia the case of a political leader; but none the less it ought to be the rule that the partisan should never obliterate the patriot, just as in a wider sense the cry of “ Our country, right or wrong,” should never be allowed to obscure the sense of justice or make men indifferent to the claims of humanity. There is only too good ground for believing that the narrow party attitude of the leader of the present Opposition is to a large extent reflected in the attitude of the people who disapprove of the policy of the present Government. The interests of the country are flagrantly ignored, and the necessities of men are unblushingly traded upon, if thereby a point cau possibly be scored against the party in power. Men ia search of work who in other days were wont to get odd jobs and cordial help on their way, are now sneeringly told to apply to the Government for employment, and Conservative partisans are known to be secretly inciting tho unemployed to make impossible demands upon the Government. In other cases, settlers make the taxation policy of the Government their excuse for curtailing expenditure on their properties. Mr Bruce told the House the other day of a friend of his who bad sent five men “ e wagging ” because of the graduated Land tax. This man, according to Mr Bruce’s own account, had made a fortune out of New Zealand land, no doubt largely owing to past immunity from taxation, and now, when the burden has been adjusted so aa to make him contribute his fair share towards the expenses of government, be retaliates by doing his best to embarrass Ministers in their policy. The inhumanity of the proceeding is what calls for special condemnation, though its unpatriotic nature is also very clear. How widely different an example is set by various local bodies who are initiating public works ia order to assist tho Government in its endeavours to relieve the winter congestion of labour. Our own City Council, the Selwyn County Council, the Avon Road Board and the Linwood Borough Council deserve every praise for their efforts to reduce the “ unemployed” difficulty by spending money on necessary or desirable works. We hope tho day of relief works and soup kitchens is past in New Zealand, and that tho true democratic treatment of providing honest work and wages for willing hands will in every instance bo pursued. Wo do not expect private individuals to start special work in order to save their leas fortunate fellows from misery or dependence; but we do expect that every humane and patriotic settler will at all events not close his purse-strings and suspend his ordinary operations, in order to make it appear that the Government Labour Bureau is a failure or that it is a wicked interference with the designs of Providence to attempt to come between Capital and Labour in any way. Wa hope soon to see a hatter spirit animating the opponents of the Government both in the House and outside of it, and that tho policy of injuring the Colony lor the sake of jbhe indirect.injury so inflicted on the

Liberal Party will be abandoned as unworthy and unjustifiable.