The Otago Witness, WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 43

The Otago Witness, WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY.

{WEDNESDAY, JULY SO, 190,' J.) THE WEEK.

" Saoauam illud ntiurt, ailud ••nifntla dlxlt."— Jotixil.

The latest illustration of Mr Seddon's convenient memory is in the The Premier form of the following disaiid claimer. which has been The Purse. issued to the English, pre^s :

"Mr Seddon requests Reutei's Agency to slate that before his departure from New Zealand, a report, which he finds has also gained currency on this side, was circulated to the effect that he had been presented with a sum of money in recognition of his services to the Empire. This report is unfounded. The presentation which actually took place was that of an illuminated address, signed by some 20,000 New Zealanders. As a matter of fact, there was a movenienc in the colony for presenting the JPremier with a turn of money, but at Tiis request it was not proceeded with." Clearly we have all been dreaming, and the many articles which in March and April last v ere \\ ritten urging Mr Seddon, for his own sake and for tho sake of the colony which he lepresented, to nip the '"National Purse" project in the bud need never have been written, for right in the teeth of the testimony of our senses we are informed by Mr Sedvlon himself, per the medium of the faithful and veracious Router, first, .that. he Mas ni-Aer piesented with the purse, and ■second, that at his own request the pioject was not proceeded with. But in the midst of the perplexity into which the Premier has suddenly precipitated the colony, whilst we grope after something solid upon w hich to rest, only to find everything fading away, there is one material fact which does not, vanish, and that is the puui of money, amounting to £5000 or thereabouts, which, by dint of vigorous canvasMiig, was collected from numerous individuals up and down the colony, and is now lyinj; to the credit of the Testimonial Committee, awaiting a final destination. Up to within the last week, it Mas currently supposed th<it that final destination was to lmve been Mr Seddon's pocket. But now that th.it gentleman, with a fine assumption of belated dignity, has cried in effect :

" Take away that bauble,"' the question nafuially ;u-i i-esi -es as to what purpose the mom v -hall now be devoted. The su^gcj---lion h-is been Kinde that the National Pnr-e <-lnll <ro to ;>id Lord Ranfurly's Veterans' Home scheme, and providing that the subscimeis offer no objection, it is difficult to see how this suggestion could be betteied.

But this disclaimer concerning the National Purse project atfouls further Th CO Million proof that the Premier's Uoldrn triumphal progress in EngSoTereigrns. land is receiving a series of

serious checks ; or, in other void-, th it the English people are not c\.i tl\ iiu lined to take the Right Honourable Hkh.ird Johu at liis own valuation. Ju'licioiis advertising is a capital thing, piovided that ■when put to the test the uitu-le advertised proves to be good value, otherwise the bubble soon burst*. Evidently Mr Seddon, during his brief sojourn in London. Jihs not gauged the keenness of the criticism to which his utterances would be subjected, a-nd, getting out of his depth, he lias, given his opponents ample opportunities to pepper him soundly. Especially luus tins been the case with his pet preferential tariff <-chcme. There is a large amount of delusion current as to the nature of England's commerce with foreign countries and the colonies, and it is freely averred that Great Britain is buying too much from foreign nations. In this delusion, Mr Seddon seemt- to share, for, speaking in London, ho actually declared that the "ba!ance of trade against England was so great that she had to send out of the country 160 mil-

lion golden sovereigns, every year to pay fop her excess of imports." The colossal ignorance of this l'emark provoked cries of "No! No ! " even from some of his friendly audience. But k serves as a sample of the kind of arguments which are being used concerning the foreign trade of the Unitedf Kingdom. As a matter of fact, England imports more gold than she exports, so that it is quite certain that her imports are not paid for in gold. What really happens is that England does service for her imports, whether in the form of manufactured goods or coal or freights, or else she receives them as interest on her enormous capital holdings in foreign seciu-ities and enterprises.

Has Great Britain, then, any real cause for alarm in her dealings From au with foreign nations, that English Point she has need to take refuge of View. i n a purely colonial trade'/

For instance, can it be said that America does England any harm by, selling her £40,000,000 of raw cotton every year, seeing that that raw cotton keeps millions of England's population employed, in» addition to which the British exports of cotton goods every year amount to £70,000,000, to say nothing of the value of shirtings and sheetings and other cotton goods used in Home consumption. On the contrary, if the 40 millions paid for cotton goods could be increased to 100 millions, it would mean a richer Lancashire — the very country where Mr Seddon -was bom — and a richer England. And what is true of cotton is true of timber, iron ore, copper, lead, indiarubber, and many other things which England obtains from foreign countries. It is exceedingly unlikely, therefore, that the Imperial Government will ever seriously contemplate levying a duty on foreign imports, which consist chiefly of food stuffs and raw material, even though the averred object be to favour the colonies by admitting their goods free. The argument might hold good could the colonies undertake to' send to England the cheapest supplies of food and raw material ; but this they are not in a position to do. It would be unwise for the colonies to press- the Home Country, as Mr Seddon has shown some, desire to do, to barter its national position in order to do us some little benefit. Mi* Keildon. according to latest cables, has now shifted his ground somewhat, and talks about Great Britain assisting the colonies with steamship subsidies and bounties. The first proposal is perhaps practicable, "bub the latter is likely to have short shrift at the hands of the Trade and Labour Councils.

And not only is Mr Seddon doomed to disappointment as regards his Mr Setldon preferential trade proposals. Stands hut, despite Mr Brodrick's Aione. backing, he stands alone amongst the Colonial Premieis in his proposals for Imperial defence. And in the same proportion that Mr Seddon has altogether failed to grasp the average Englishman's deep-rooted dislike to anything savouring of protection, so, apparently, does he altogether miscalculate the decided objection of democratic colonials to have thrust upon them anything in the shape of a standing army. Loyalty to the Empire in time of danger does not necessitate, as Mi- Seddon evidently supposes, the establishment of mounted militia reserves. The development and bringing up to date of the volunteer forces on the lines indicated by Sir C. Barton and Sir W. _Laurier is clearly all that ought to be expected of the colonies. No objection can be taken to the adoption of uniformity of training according to British army ideals, and to the adoption of the Imperial standard of arms aud ammunition Indeed, such reforms would be gladly welcomed by tho volunteers themselves. But Mr Seddon has much mistaken the temper of tho people of New Zealand i? he thinks they will tamely submit to any project which would tend to reduce this liberty-loving colony to the level of the oldworld Europenn countries, who groan under tne burden of an exaggerated militarism.

Al! political blunders have their certain Nemesis, and, right on the The Blue Star top of the recital of ' the Prospectus. Premier's bungles in the Old

Country, we are reminded' once more of the great bungle he perpetuated before leuvini; for London by the appeal ance in print of a proof of the prospectus of the world-renowned Blue tStar Line. Even though the people of New Zealand should never reap any benefit from the Bine Star steamers — even though not. one ton of Xew Zealand produce should ever be carried by this service to South African ports yet it will be great consolation to know tiiat Mr Seddon's protege, Mr H. C. Sleigh, has bepn enabled, by means of the promised subsidy of £30.000, to publish a, prospectus which provides, in the event of the company being floated, that the said! Mr U. (.'. Sleigh shall receive payment at the late of £50,000— £20,00 in cash and' £30.000 in fully-paid-up shares in the company. And tins is as it should be. The people of New Zealand will now realise that? they are aiding a deserving and enterpiising individual like Mr H. C. Sleigh to earn a decent income on the strength of their Government's- subsidy. It matters little that the steamers to South Africa might have been running months ago, for then Mr Sleigh would have been left out in the cold. The mistake which Mr Seddon made wa? in Ins announcement. Evidently what he intended to say was that the Government proposed to subsidise to the extent of Jt500,000 — not a direct service to South! Africa — but Mr H. C. Sleigh. Such an announcement would have made perfectly clear the whole situation, and much needr less misunderstanding would have been avoided. But as with the National Purse, so m this instance, the lapse must be put* down to Mr Seddon's convenient memory.

Now that the Coronation date has again*

been fixed, it is fervently to The King's be hoped that the King's Health. health will stand the strain of

the ceremony. It is somewhat alarming to read, on the authority oS

1^ r fia& London Standard," that the King has not yet got npon his feet, noi has the wound healed, and though the prospects of hk ability to Tindfirgo the Coronation on the 9th are improved, he can «nly be exrpected to do so as an invalid. On the "Other hand, Lord Lister has stated that no indiscretion has been committed in fixing Jthe Coronation. It would be too great a calamity to calmly contemplate were the jCoronation ceremony to be postponed a second time. However, the auspicious event His- now near at hand, and all doubts will soon be set at rest. Fortunately the difficulties- concerning the local celebrations have Ibeen settled, and all sections of the comanunity have agreed to keep the holiday on Jthe Saturday. Despite the fact that all celebrations inevitably suffer from yet there are evidences that ithe colony will rise to the occasion and keep the Coronation holiday in loyal 'fashion.

'Among the many difficult problems awaiting solution in South Africa

The now that the war is over. South African one of the most pressing is L»b«»r the supply of the necessary Problem. labour for mining, agricul-

ture, and general out-of-door purposes, with especial reference to the position to be assigned to tlie native tribes. ,The Johannesburg correspondent of the ■London Times has suggested, as one way out of the difficulty, the utilisation of the transports for the purpose of bringing -400,000 unskilled English laboureis to the ra,nd. giving tlieia a free passa-ge, on the jgtound that the experiments already made jwrith. white labour have convinced the mine managers that the new departure has in ir jfche elements of success. But such a sugjgestiou, whether practicable or not, does not deal with the real question — viz., the (employment of native labour. It must at the outset be conceded that what we may (term the " White- Austi alia " principle is Impossible of application to British South (Africa. The conditions obtaining in th<it (country would probably be considered prohiIbifcory of unskilled white labour, were it not for the somewhat unreasonable jealousy of what they consider "unfair" — that is to /Bay. cheap — competition which seems to liave taken possession of white working Srren all over the world. Sir A. Miller, disSdiseii«sing this very question m the Fortaiglitly Review, remarks :— " Where the alien labour is really competitive, as in the case of Cliinamen in California, this jealousy is intelligible, if hardly reasonable ; but where, as in this case, and in the present cry for a 'White Australia " — the probable effects of which on an important mdusiry in Queensland 1 need not here discuss — there is no berious rivalry to be apprehended, it appears to me to be both uiifpatriotic and short-sighted. But it has to be reckoned with, nevertheless. Loid Cftey tells us the amazing tale t-hat for advoc.iting the continuous employment of natives in tke Rhodesian mines, he has been accused ©f seeking to rob the British workmen oT /opportunities of- obtaining employment at »high wages. The cry, 'We are ruined by cheap labour ! ' is not confined to fthe comic poet's page, nor directed exclusively against the Mongol."

It appears that under the allurement of the present rate of wages, the Horn* inhabitants of Basutoland Important have developed a spirit of General commercial industry which is Principles. em:nentlv desirable. and

which leads, to a hope th.it nnder favourable circumstance& the other native tribes of British South Africa, tor some of them, may in the Suture prove less impervious to the jtinnuences which make for civilisation than the experience of the past •jwould lead us to expect. But. however ifcbis may be, it is clear that, whether by hnducement, coercion, or otherwise, eontmutpus employment of some sort must kn some manner be provided for Und accepted by the na-tive population if jßritish Government in South Africa is not Jto prove a ghastly failiue. Sir A. Miller, JOB the article already referred to. leeoniapends the following general principles for {consideration as helpful to the solution of Ifcbis Labour problem :—"(1): — "(1) The Administr-.i-feion ought on no account to make itself directly or indirectly, for the «upply of labour. Inat duty ought to be iithrown unreservedly on the employers, and ifche action of Government should be condoned to such supervision as may be possible for the protection of the labourers. tond a rigid enforcement, as against both parties, of all proper and equitable contracts of hiring. (2) The native population cannot be allowed to drift into the condition so graphically described by Lord brey as 'the creation of a numerous class of idle who will use their womankind tas slaves, and who will become a hindrance land a menace to the whole community.' Whatever fteps can be taken, short of violence or physical restraint, to lead, drive, or {push the natives into habits of industry and order, ought to be adopted boldly and carried out unflinchingly. (3) Seeing that the demand for organised labour is greatly in. excess of the supply at present, it should Sbe our anxious care to ensure that no unreasonable impediments are thrown in the way of employers who may seek to supply Ithe deficiency by importation. "Sir A. Mil&ler contends that "a policy founded on such Sines as these will be far from 'heroic' ; it ■■will please neither the ardent utilitarian reformer nor the humanitarian enthusiast ; •it will not turn Africa into Europe — or -even into Asia — in the third or fourth generation ; but it will, if resolutely and energetically persevered m, lay the foundation of tbai slow but steady progress which ought to be the goal of our endeavours.''

The Imperial Conference, after much dis

cussion. have toiiie to no Commercial decision with regard to the Relations of much-debated question of the the Empire, commerca 1 relations of t!ie

Empire. Mr Seddon. how ever, still sticks to his guns, for. speaking at the Marine Engineers' Association dinner., he said that hs. iewed the MptheirLuui

did not realise the extent of her dependence upon the colonies, or how much the colonies contributed to her commercial supremacy. The London Stock Market Rsport, in an article on the Imperial zollverein. says: — "We are undoubtedly in a condition of economic flux. We are prepared to admit that the fiscal policy is quite well worth reconsideration in the light of present knowledge ; but we are not so ras,h as some are in concluding that even under the altered circumstances the national standing will not be injured, or that it will be maintained by experimenting with fighting tariffs. No great cause ever made progress in this world without someone being ready to make "a sacrifice — to conduct the preliminary and experimental tests. It may be that there is 'a man for the moment' who will be discovered as this question is debated. But what is the task he will have befoFe him? It will be a task of endeavouring to combine for the 'Imperial Idea," the States of an Empire scattered as no Empire in history hap been : differing in economic standing* and conflicting in many interests between themselves ; poles apart geo_rraphieallv ; politically varied, and having vastly different systems of social legislation and organisation — above al'.. financially reliant in the main upon a customs policy utterly and entirely opposed to that which has ruled in the Uuited Kingdom foi over half a century. Moreover, the colonies for a long time to come must look to their tariff revenue to meet the heavy list of colonial' obligations wE;ch have been favoured so much — ADd rightly, as we think — in the London market. These are some of the questions only, which will have to be considered before the nebulous idea — as it at present i* — of an Imperial zollverein takes material shape."