The Star. TUESDAY, FEB. 28, 1893. The King of New Zealand and his Critic.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4580, 28 February 1893, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, FEB. 28, 1893. The King of New Zealand and his Critic.

"The working man is a despotic king in New Zealand," and Lord Meath is his critic. When sprigs of English; Scottish or Irish nobility visit onr shores, King Labour is hea.ty, bnt'not effusive, in his reception of them. He gives tho visitor a civil " How d'ye do," grants him a free pass over the railways, so that he may see the country, and then he thinks no more about him. How doeß the visitor requite > the regal hospitality accorded him! He goes back to the Old Country and immediately proceeds to make a few guineas by writing, a more or less ill-natured artioleon the land and people that had been ' his entertainers. The Earl- of Heath,, who lately enjoyed a run through- New Zealand, is no exception to the- general rule. He has contributed an article to the Nineteenth Centaury^ the burden of which apparently is the sovereignty o£ Labour in New ZeaJandand the dreadful results of g its rule. It iB presumably no part of Lord Meath's intention to be amusing or complimentary, but we think it will be found on examination that he has succeeded in being both. Unconscious humour and unintended compliments are often the best, so we ought presently to be on. the moafc eordial terms with Lord Meath. Why is Labour King in New Zealand ? Our noble critic says it is chiefly because of "absentee bondholders," weakening the influence of capital. This ia a discovery, truly. We New Zealanders have hitherto believed that the moat powerful and insidious enemy of Labour waa the absentee capitalist, ba he landholder, bondholder, or moneylender, and our most Btrenuous efforts have been aimed at making him reside in our mid3t, and bear his proper share of the responsibilitieß of government. We are still yearning to bring the foreign capitalist into the fold, and here we have Lard Meath coming all the way from Ireland to tell us that if we gat rid of the absentee's grip, it will mean tho downfall of Labour. We should have thought that our critic's experience of the effects of absenteeism ia,

Ireland would have sufficed to keep him olear of this egregious error. Either Lord Meath is grossly ignorant, or he is trying to impoße npon the English capitalist. Another example of his unconscious funnyisms is to be found in his allegation that in New Zealand, "the only poor men are runholders, clergymen and olerks." The Earl is about right with regard to clerks, bnt he has evidently been victimised by some joker when he affects to believe that the run- 1 holders— the men who have made colossal fortunes out of the best lands of the Colony — are poor downtrodden serfs of King Labour. As for the clergy, their average salary here is far higher than it is in the United Kingdom. The EarJ of Meath contrasts the reign' of Labour in New Zealand with the reign of Capital in Australia, and indulges in a huge chuckle over the defeat of the Labour organisations by the Australian capitalists' federation. Let us see what Labour has done for New j Zealand as compared with what capital I has. done for A.uetraj_a.; We find a large [ London commercial, house, in its review of the past year's Colonial trade, summing up all the Coloniest of Australia as passing through severe depression, which is declared to be ''unexampled" in Victoria ahd not much better in New South Wales, where Capitalism has won its biggest triumphs. The report goes on :— " Amidst this record of discouragement, it is gratifying, to observe that New Zealand seems to have outlived her period of probation, and that hopeful evidences of better returns are not a wanting. Shipments to Victoria for the year, as compared with 1891, show a decrease of over 30 per cent, to New South Wales 25 per cent, Queensland 20 per cent, and South Australia 25 per cent. On the other hand, New Zealand has taken from us £300,000, or nearly 10 per cent in excess of last year." When King Labour's administration shows commercial results from 30 to 40 per cent better than that of King Capital we begin to fancy that, after all, the absentee capitalist might do worse than take np hiE abode in New Zealand. Lord Meath has paid New Zealand working men the verj highest compliment in giving, them the full credit of ruling the destinies of thit Colony, when such are the fruits oi their administration. But, with strange perversity, our critio persists in saying that no good thing ever came out of manhood suffrage. It is, perhaps, a hopelest task to try and make the wilfully blimi Bee the plainest facts ; but we can assure Lord Meath that the pre-eminent position occupied by JTew Zealand to-day is due tc manhood suffrage placing Labour at tht head of the National Councils. To admit that Labour can legislate wisely and administer soundly is too bitter a pill for the aristocratic palate, but the truth iB nnde< niable. Amid all Lord Meath is gratified to observe the loyalty of Colonists to the Mother Country. We are " affeotionatel] loyal, and only need occasion to astonis. the world." We thank thee,, Meatb, foj that meed of justice—for that'^graiiifeo! sober truth amid amasß of ludicrous errors CJolonists.are 90 absurdly loyM that thej -will go on extending hospitality to title-: nobodies from the dear old land, even afte their experience of the Earl of Meath Affectionate loyalty could surely so f urthe go than this. _^