Truth P

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 31 March 1891, Page 2

Truth P

In Queen Anne's Gate, London, a newspaper entitled Truth is published. The editor is Mr Henry Labouchere, who is the senior member for the Borough of Northampton. Our cable news informs us that he has been expressing his opinion of the Colonies, not wisely, nor too well, having said that they " are not worth spending a brass farthing on." He grumblingly says that "England is always being compelled to put her hands into her pockets to assist these bantlings." He thinks we shall never be worth much until we are compelled to be self-reliant ! A trip to New Zealand would evidently do the editor of Truth much good, constitutionally and educationally. What is this Colony but self-reliant ? A number of us would be only too glad if England would put her hand into her pocket to help us. Did she do so for the Australian loan the other day ? Mr Labouchere must be simply referring to the loans raised by the Colonies, as he must be aware that by far the largest and most important Colonies are self-reliant, and on the contrary, put their hands into their pockets to support the many ex-members of the English Parliament who take office as Governors of Colonies. As to the question of borrowing money in London, this has nothing to do with the political view, as it is as of much importance to the British capitalists to get their money out at interest, as it is to the colonist to borrow it. We have seen, time after time, that the moneylenders know how to take care of themselves, and in the different Colonial loans they have splendid securities. The trade of Great Britain with its English possessions, in which the Colonies^are included, total to the value of £97,266,071 of imports and £90,429,791 of exports! These sums repsesent one -third of the value of her trade with the w»iid, and for a member of Parliament, for an editor of an influential newspaper, to make the assertion that the Colonies are not worth spending money on, is to be guilty of a careless and reckless use of language.