Excerpt from United Australia, One People One Destiny, Vol. 2: Oct; 25, 1901
The simultaneous criticism of Australian aflfairs bj two well-established Scotch journals of repute and recognised ability should attract some attention among tlie steadier type of Australian citizens. The communication recently published in London from The Times New Zealand correspondent, in regard to that colonys finance. has called forth leading articles from The Srotsiiimi and The Aherdefn Fne Press. They contain decidedly wholesome and sober reading; and it is to be hoped that they will be carefully studied by every level-headed Scot in that advanced conimimity at which they are more directly aimed. Many thoughtful people. says the article in The Srofxnuin, have expected some such news.
The news referred to was to the effect that The N.Z. Treasui 7 is depleted, and the Government are borrowing small stmis locally at four percent. Thf Smtxmoii is. perhaps, unaware that what it terms thoughtful people do not count for much in these go-ahead young communities, where evciT- political idea must be brand new to receive a widespread consideration; where anyone who expresses any opinions that were considered sound fifty years ago is treated as a fossil, and spoken of as if he were a Kip an Winkle who had been asleep during the last half century. People of steady temperament who have not followed wherever the political novice would have them go, and who have not assented to every wind of doctrine that blows over the political world of that self-satisfied colony, such people have almost given up trying to take a part in its law-making, for the simple reason that they find themselves quite unable to get a hearing, if they do not fall in line with the views of that demi-god of New Zealand political life IMr. Richard Seddon. To those who know something of the affairs of New Zealand (says The Scofsiiian) it will not appear in the least surprising; for years ago it was foreseen by cool-headed men in New Zealand that tlie policy adoptedl)y the Government of Mr. Seddon. and represented in London by Mr. Reeves, must bring the colony to a standstill in a financial sense. The Government has boasted itself to be in advance of all other Governments of British nationality in the world. This assertion has been made on the ground of many socialistic experiments which the Government has instituted. In New Zealand the State competes with the insurance offices for business. It is the owner of the railways. It has bought great tracts of land for the purpose of settling the people away from the towns. It has adopted a so-called conciliation law a compulsory arbitration scheme, which viiiually hands over the industries of New Zealand to the tender mercies of the Trades Union leaders. It has adopted what are called standard rates of wages in other words, the rate of wages fixed by the Trades Union leaders. It undertakes to provide for the unemployed, and many other things, with more than a taint of socialism in them. Here follows some very straight comment in regard to Mr. Seddon smethods: Those who were called the unemployed were set to labour by means of loans, and the public works which were carried out cost more than double what they ouelit to have cost. The money s)ent upon the unemployed virtually became bribes for votes for the Government. Ministei sbought the labour vote, as it was called, by the lavish distribution of the loans which they raised in this country (Great Britain).
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