NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11058, 9 May 1899, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND POLITICS.

I. [BY F. 0. EWDI'GTOS.] "The man who, expending his energies wholly on private affairs, refuses to take trouble about public affairs, pluming himself on his wisdom in minding his own business, is blind to the fact that his own business is made possible only by maintenance of a healthy social state, and that he loses all round by defective governmental arrangements. Where there are many like-minded with himself; where, as a consequence, offices come to be filled by political adventurers, and opinion is swayed by demagogues; where bribery vitiates the administration of the law, and makes fraudulent State transactions habitual, heavy penalties lall on the community at large, among others, on those who have thus done everything for self and nothing for society. Their investments are insecure, recovery of debts is difficult, and even their lives are less safe than they would otherwise have been." Herbert Spencer was quite correct, The first thing that strikes one who ponders over the political situation here, is the deplorable apathy of so many able and prosperous men who could guide the destinies of New Zealand, but will not. Let anyone think of it, and ho cannot but conclude that the main reason appears to be selfishnesslove of gain or ease. Bank and insurance staffs, merchants, and tradespeople who serve, or hope to serve, public institutions, neglect the duties of citizenship because " business might suffer." Many of the Civil servants and school teachers, comprising a good proportion of the intellect of the colony, abstain from politics ; so do an immense number of ministers of religion. The polico force cannot, at all events openly, take part in politics, any more than the Civil servants can, unless they vote for the Government, when, of course, they can. _ Thousands of persons are too occupied in keeping the wolf from the door to spare any time or thought for politics. Thousands of others are too utterly unacquainted with history, economies, and political philosophy tc know what to do. Many capitalists are so given up tc a life of ease," that they fail to realise how insidiously the political situation is jeopardising all which to them makes lifeworth living, and could assure the future of their children. Hence it follows that politics fall to two parties— strong, tho other weak.

The stronger comprises the organised, coherent Government party, assisted by a section of the Civil servants, who, being subjected to espionage, are simply afraid to do anything but assist the party in power, some of. them, it is said, even laying aside their paid functions to canvass for the Government candidates. Then tho old age pensioners, with all their friends and relations, moved by self-interest, also help the Government.' Add to them the Government co-operative labourers, the trade unionists, who think Parliament can give them success and prosperity by mere legal enactments, and there appears a formidable phalanx. But that is not all. There are the clubs that are being formed throughout the colony, on which it will pay the Government to lavish money freely if Ministers can but. get another lease of political power; and there are tho various social organisations to which Ministers ally themselves to rido them for all they are worth. These, acting under central control or direction, are a formidable party, compared with the incoherent public, who resemble camp followers more than a regular army. Only the brewers and licensed victuallers are adequately organised to resist such a phalanx.

But is it wise o; thißO who stand aloof from politics to do so? Even on the very lowest, basest grounds, does it pay them? It is vain to talk tc the timid and selfish about anything so lofty and intangible as patriotism. So taking it on its lowest ground : Does it really pay them to shirk the duties of citizenship 7 Do they really, as they certainly think they do, save money by abstention from politics ? Do they not see that their substance is being sucked away in expenses of political fads and experiments ? Do they ever think of what thenapathy has already cost them, and is still costing them ? Do they not see that they have lost all controlling influence on politics, and that the governing party simply ignores them 7 Do they not know that by their own political effacement they have thrown the political leaders into the power of those who look upon land and capital as legitimate resources for experiment 7 Are they blind to the trend of politics, which regard old ago pensions as a right and the taxation only of land values as a virtue and necessity 1 Let those gentlemen who have so much to lose, bear with one who has nothing to lose or win, and will soon bo resting in a peaceful bed or six by two; while he reminds them, in no intentionally offensive, but forcible way of the necessity for breaking tho withes of political indolence and doing the duty of electors. In violation of the ethics of citizenship they have stood by in guilty silence, while hardworked non-unionist labourers have been prevented by law from selling their labour to willing buyers, until unionists have had the first chance ; while certain employers have been compelled to give 24 hours' notice to unions before they were allowed by law to engage fresh liands ; while innocent boys of parents of the wrong colour have been persecuted for the political principles of their fathers, despite of the Civil Service Act, 1896; while the State has revived the old economic fallacy of fixing the rate of wages ; while farmers have been sacrificed to tradeunionists; while the Speaker of the House of Representatives has been deprived of some Parliamentary rights; while an organised attempt is threatened to have an elective Government, to abolish the Upper House and nationalise transit, and the unearned increment of land-values; while Tammany has been Inaugurated and spoils divided to the victors ; while Government has interfered with elections, private persons were attacked in Parliament, Sessional Committees unfairly packed, Government liability foi legal costs wickedly evaded, the Bank of New Zealand threatened in Parliament, the judges browbeaten, freehold tenure jeopardised, the Supreme Court superseded, the lav. violated in the appointment of the Sergeant-at-Arms, suppression of information needed by the Opposition, camps of co-operative labourers removed fiom place to place to swamp bonafide voters, and a majority vote of Parliament was ignored by the 'Government. Have they acted wisely in remaining dumb whilst a Minister of the Crown—the Hon. Mi. Carroll— a public assembly in Auckland that labour and capital are deadly enemies, and that one must destroy the other—a doctrine which the Star denounced as "vicious and nonsensical;" while Parliamentary representatives were intimidated, as was the Hon. W. Jennings; while public contracts have been unfairly manipulated, like that at Waipapa; while tho Minister for Justice- prostrated his office before the clamorous union at Wellington; and while a persistent attempt is being made to force on an unwilling Parliament a Masters and Apprentices Bill that would throw 5000 boys out of work? Do they not see that their political apathy in not even registering their votes and voting is costing them more than political zeal would cost them? as is proved by excessive taxation, class-government, administrative extravagance, the restriction of trade, the threats of compulsory State fire insurance, a State bank, over-government, the uncertainty which has left so much unutilised capital in the banks, and the army of public co-operative workers which makes it so difficult for farmers to get labourers at reasonable wages. I humbly beg pardon if these lines should wound the sensibility of any persons who are merely waiting until it is prosperous to be patriotic; because I only wish to respectfully remind them that if they persist in enjoying all the benefits of citizenship without discharging its duties, they must be prepared to bear without a squirm the expense of all political experiments made by less able and cultured men who, despite of their clumsiness, perhaps honestly try to guide the destinies of New Zealand-' '