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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]

[introduction]

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New Zealand has every reason to be proud of her public men. The long list of ex-Ministers contains names of many who would have been a credit to any country. Some few wasters there may have been, but in the main the affairs of New Zealand have been administered by conscientious, able men. In the matter of ancestry, and perhaps even from an educational standpoint, there has been a gradual decline in quality; but that is necessarily the immediate result of a wider distribution of electoral privileges. New Zealand to-day does not pretend to be otherwise governed than by a working man's Ministry. Practically, that has been the case for some years. It is hardly to be expected therefore, that the same class of representatives would suit constituencies so greatly altered. Considering, however, that the labouring classes are so greatly in the ascendant in political power, it must be acknowledged that their influence has been most moderately used. Nothing approaching rapid changes has been made. Throughout the whole history of responsible government in the Colony there has been a steady tendency in the direction of what is known as Liberalism—so much so that the Liberalism of one decade has been the Conservatism of the next; and though the rate of progress has been accelerated during the last few years, it may fairly be said that the working man has never been without friends in the Executive. Probably within the next few years the Ministers will be elected by the General Assembly, in which case the legislation will be taken up more actively by Parliament, and what are called policy measures will be unknown. Ministers will then be individually more responsible to Parliament, and less responsible to each other, which would have the effect of bringing out the best administrative abilities in each. Mistakes have been made in the past, and will be made in the future; the working-man as a governing power is serving an apprenticeship, but there is every reason to believe that he means well, and that he is rapidly learning his business. In the meantime, let all classes remember with gratitude the names of those who have so nobly worked to bring New Zealand to her present position of political freedom.