The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1895.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 98, 27 April 1895, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1895.

In a speech in the House of Commons on February Bth in reply to an amendment to the Address-iu-Reply, Sir William Harcourt dealt with charges which had been made against the Government, that it was to blame that it had not prevented the depression of trade, had not brought forward measures to (leal with it, and had not provided work for the unemployed. He maintained that the depression was due to a general fall of prices with which the Government had nothing to do, and said that in former times it had -never been proposed to displace a Government because there was distress in the agricultural interests or among those employed ii manufactures. If the Government were to be responsible for the prosperity of all trades the Government itself must be the only trader. Tthe Government must undertake all the .trade of the country, and that trade must be conducted at the expense of the taxpayers. This is not contemplated by any party which is likely to be in power in England for many years to come, though in this coluny several of ,the labour associations and their friends profess a desire to see the btate.assume the control of industries now in private hands. Mr Seddon has frequently made a complaint similar to that of fcir William Harcourt that the Government is blamed for evils with which it has no more to do than with the tides. He is perfectly Correct in saying so . He and his colleagues have made many bad laws and have been guilty of a good deal of bad administration, but tho colony is ho good a one that its prosperity depends little on its rulers. Jf wool, grain, and frozen meat wero to go up to the prices of a few years ago the harm which Ministers and legislators couJd do would be small, bo long as they did not plunge the colony too deeply into debt. At all,eyents whatever party may be in power we shall have law and order, and with these a country can stand much and yet prosper. In times of trouble Governments and Legislatures may aggravate the evil in their ignorant and clumsy attempts to cure it, atid this no doubt haa been done of late years in fcew Zdaland. Though there is no absolute justice in blaming Mr Seddon and his colleagues for the bad. times there

is something like poetical justice. " With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again." No one was more persistent than Mr Sedilon in blaming Sir Harry Atkinson's G-overameut for all the evila which existed in its Gay. The exodus of population to Australia was his nover-failing text for denouncing those in power, and great was his rejoicing when after he went into oflice men began to pour back into Xew Zealand. Now, however, things are changed. More people are leaving the country than are entering it, and Mr Seddon now sees clearly that a Governmont is not responsible for all the great bluo flies, and that post hoc does not always imply propler hoc. That his five years of office have taught him so much shows that he is at all events to some degree teachable.