"LABOUR" IN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12696, 26 October 1904, Page 4

"LABOUR" IN POLITICS.

It is a. matter not altogether devoid j of political significance that even those whose extreme views have so largely dominated the legislation of the country are now beginning to mutter. Mr. geddoh has experimented to his heart's , content, and darkly hinted lately that he would go to mysterious lengths when the time was ripe, but in the meantime nobody is satisfied with the fruit of his administration. The Political Labour League inaugurated at "Wellington is asserted to have for its purpose "to show the workers' dissatisfaction with the existing state of politics, which had been the J means of increasing enormously the cost of living since the Government took office," We do hot know that the League will directly improve matters, but it will indirectly do good if it assists in arousing the country to the maladministration which goor* times have helped to conceal. It nas long been pointed out that mucr of the so-called "progress" to which Mi. Seddba calls public attention, and lor which he claims public commendation, is nothing "but running round a vicious circle. Arbitrarily increased wages and; arbitrarily enforced industrial conditionb have ; greatly increased the cost of production and consequently th. cost of living. , While the neglect of the Government to assist in developing settlement and fostering the agricultural industry has further restricted true progress and retarded natural expansion. It is therefore inevitable that there should be growing and widespread dissatisfaction with the Seddon policy, even among unionists, who had imagined that they would benefit by any legislation that struck at employers and discouraged enterprise.