Mr. Seddon and his Friends.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 26, 26 June 1902, Page 18

Mr. Seddon and his Friends.

While Mr Seddon is ingratiating himself with the Imperialists at Home, he iB evidently alienating himself from some of his supporters in the Colony, who have made audible their resentment at his glowing pictures of prosperity in New Zealand. The Welling. ton Trades and Labor Council has gone the length of contradicting the Premier's statements, This is by no means a new attitude on the part of Labor representatives, who very often belittle the Colony in which they happen to reside in order to deter outsiders from entering the field in competition. An eulogy on the Colony almost as warm as Mr Seddon'a was recently uttered by a epeaktr at the annual meeting of a shipping company trading to New Zealand, which is proof that commercial men, who discount sentiment, recognise the Colony's prosperity. And if we look around, and observe the Bignq by which the Colony's condition may be judged we are unable to endorse the pessimism of the Wellington malcon. tents. There are no signs of general destitution. The number of

unemployed is not unusually great for the season of the year, and. the Colony's finances are healthy. Most important of all, the farffl ing community ie enjoying high prices for produce of all kinds Probably the results of this prosperity have not yet had time to filter in their fertilising course throughout the Colony, but when the farmers are doing well, the Colony cannot be in a bad state. The Premier's sentiments on the subject of Imperial expansion will bring him into ! contact with a class of politicians who are not regarded with favor by Colonial Liberals. With Conservatism, as it ip known in the United Kingdom, he can have but little in common and therefore it is not likely that his principles will undergo any material change during his stay in England.