Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 1895. The Premier.

Manawatu Herald, 12 February 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 1895. The Premier.

♦ The Boilermakers interviewed the Hon. Mr Seddon on Friday to ask for a duty on machinery, and to legislate in some manner apparently to give them work. The Premier, it is satisfactory to note, has at last got an idea that labour legislation has been running rather mad, and is inclined to stay its hand. We hold entirely with what the Premier said and reproduce his remarks, trusting that he will keep them " steadily in view " when similar applications are made to him. There is no doubt but that labour legislation needs a spell as much for the benefit of labour as the country. If, and there is a lot in the " if," the present laws are found to work satisfactorily, then by all means try more, but there is a very great doubt as to their advantage. From the Wellington Ministerial journal we clip the following j remarks of Mr Seddon's: He said the question was whether the country was ripe for more labour legislation, or whether, if they forced it too far, they might not create a revulsion of feeling. The whole of New Zealand was not in the large cities, and they must carry the country with them. Their first duty was to perfect the laws they had, get them understood, and if they proved to work in the true interests of the country and they required to go further, they could do so with con- 1 fidence, As for the demands of the i

T " " ~~~ f trades councils, when they were made the Government would don* J sider how far consistently with the ] interests of the country it could comply with them. He advised i them not to demand too much, : because in that ca3e they would j only do themselves an injury.