The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1891. DESTROYING CONFIDENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2201, 14 May 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1891. DESTROYING CONFIDENCE.

The old cry is being raised. True to its traditions the Christchurch Press says the cause of want of employment at the present time is that the present Government and their supporters have destroyed confidence and retarded progress. This has always been the cry of the Press whenever its party has been out of office. The Liberals : are always destroying confidence, J

driving capital out of the country, and j doing all kinds of mischief. It is | singular that the Press never tries to bring forward one fact in support of such assertions as these. It makes the assertion boldly, but shows not a single fact in support of it. It points out as instance of the depression that there are a great many people unemployed, and says the cause of it is the wild schemes of the present Ministers. This is about the moat audacious assertion we have seen in print. One would think by reading it that during the Atkinsonian reign no one was unemployed, and there was nothing but peace and plenty to be met with from Auckland to the Bluff. Now, what is the fact ? It is that when Sir Harry Atkinson re entered office in 1887 the unemployed cry was hushed. The Hon. John Ballance has practically bushed it by settling the people on the land. Ever since it has been growing louder and louder, and it was left as an heirloom by the Atkiuaonians to their successors. Not only that, but during the Atkinsonian regime the people left the colony by thousands, and ever since he left office, short as the time has been, the tide has turned and they are coming back,

But what has the present Government done so far to destroy confidence and retard prograsa. The Press has during the past few years, endeavored to inculcate the idea that economy is the highest vertue in a politician. The main plank in its policy has been retrenchment. The retrenchment of the present Government has been most drastic; far more severe than their wellwishers in all cases have approved, yet the Press says they have “ destroyed confidence,” (whatever that may mean) by their wild schemes. Retrenchment is the. only sin of which they have so far been guilty, and it is a most extraordinary' thing that retrenchment carried out by bir Harry Atkinson inspires confidence while retrenchment carried out by the Hon. Mr Ballanoe destroys confidence, There is here what Maik Twain would call a “ discrepancy ” which the Press would do well to explain.

Another cause of the want of employment the Press says is the strike, aod it throws all the blame on the strikers. They were. deluded by a few selfish agitators it says, and it represented the other side as so many poor innocent lambs. Now, what is the fact in this case, Pact one: At a meeting of shipowners of Australasia held in Melbourne the chairman of the meeting boasted that the stride bad been forced on the unions in order to bring it on in the slack season. Fact two: It was introduced into this colony by the Union Shipping Company. There can be no doubt but that the recent strike did a good deal of harm, but if the strikers were blameable for it the Union Company was ten times more so. The greatest men in all Australasia recognised at the time that the strike had been forced on the unions. Amongst these we may mention Chief Justice Higginbotham, of Victoria, Chief Justice Lillie, of Queensland, Cardinal Moran, of Sydney, Bishop Julius, of. Christchurch, and Sir Robert Stout, of Dunedin. The Press and the clique which it represents are responsible for the present unsatisfactory state of affairs, and we undertake to say that if the present party remain in power for three years things will be greatly improved if no unforeseen circumstances occur.