THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1894.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9495, 26 April 1894, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1894.

The Government are now brought face to face with the unemployed difficulty, and are very much puzzled what to do with it. All the talk of Mr. Seddon and Mr. Tregear to the deputation which interviewed them on Tuesday amounted to this, that the Government could do nothing more than they were doing. The Premier made the somewhat singular remark that the Government could not go on " continually relieving the surplus labour of Melbourne and Sydney." The fact is that of late there. has been a, considerable flow of working men back to Australia from New Zealand, in the hope of obtaining employment on the new goldfields.

We do not care to make the unemployed question a party weapon, but it is impossible to refrain from, some reflections on the Premier in this matter. When he took office 011 the death of Mr. Ballance, his staple topic throughout the colony was that the want of employment during the Atkinson Administration was simply owing to the policy of that Government, which was so adverse to the working wan. At our own City Hall he declared that his "blood had boiled," or that his "blood had run cold" (we forget the precise extreme of temperature), at Sir Harry Atkinson standing by and contemplating the exodus, and looking with calmness at the results of his fatal policy. The new Government came into power when the exodus was exhausted, when trade was recovering, and when an influx of population had OOimMNttrwA w ir. mm*,. *t*w - Australia. But Mr. Seddon would hear nothing of all this as an explanation. The exodus under Sir Harry Atkinson was Owing to his malevolent policy towards the working class, and the revival and reaction were owing to the liberal policy of the new Government. There was no allowance to be made on one aide or on the other. The audience were told to look on that picture and on this, and mark the contrast. It is impossible for the Premier to escape from the application of his own argument. Here he is face to face with deputations of unemployed as numerous and as bitter as ever assailed the ears of Sir Harry Atkinson, and he has nothing more to say to them, and nothing more to give them, than Sir Harry Atkinson. Mr. Seddon's great point was, that the Government of Sir Harry Atkinson were responsible for the unemployed, and must accept the disgrace and infamy ; and that he was entitled to the glory of inaugurating a better state of affairs. He cannot now escape from the position that he is responsible for the present state of affairs throughout the colony. If at the- present time the Australian colonies were suddenly to become as prosperous as they were during the premiership of Sir Harry Atkinson and employment at the building and other trades were to be as plentiful and as well paid, we should now have as great an exodus as ever took place, and Mr. Seddon's blood would have either to boil or to run cold, as his fancy dictated. The Premier cannot possibly get away from the dilemma. Sir Harry Atkinson did all that Mr. Seddon is doing. Every exertion was made to open and settle land, and all the work that the Government could give was given. V. But' indeed the argument that Mr. Seddon has caused the present want of employment may be fairly used against him as it never could be used against Sir Harry Atkinson. At the present time, there ought not to be want of employment. In Sir Harry Atkinson's time we had just ceased borrowing, and were suffering under the collapse. Now that has passed away. But Mr. Seddon has struck repeated blows at the very source of employment. His policy.may be called the "unsettling" policy. Every mad who possesses any capital is threatened in Parliament with "another turn of the screw." There is no fixity about anything. The Labour Minister boasts that he has eight labour Bills in preparation, which he hopes to pass into law. What these are, and what their effects will be on trade, no man can tell. But at all events they cause b, feeling of uncertainty which is most hurtful to all business enterprise. The Government last session introduced a Bill which gave them power to take away any man's home, at what might be to him no compensation whatever. We shall again have that Bill, perhaps in a worse form. When the constant unsettling and succession of threats ceases, then we may look for a revival of employment throughout the colony. Capital cannot exist under threats, and when wo have something like rest from unsettling legislation then we shall have a revival which will put all hands to work.