V.

We charge the Ministry with bringing about such a distrust, such a want of confidence in the colony and its future, as seriously obstructs the development of our agriculture and mining and manufactures and commerce.

One of the most noticeable features of our age is its tendency towards greater and greater equality, in the socialistic sense of the word. This tendency is clearly observable in different parts of the world, and especially in the Australasian colonies. No one, nowsdays, denies that, in respect of abstract natural rights, all human beings are equal—that they have equal rights to life, to justice, to the fruits of their own labour, and to live their lives according to their own ideals. But this is not all that is wanted. Vast numbers want more: they want what they consider a fairer partition of things. They want more levelling up on the low side, and more levelling down on the high. They want equality of social condition equality of pecuniary circumstances, and equal share of the existing money and property. And, at present, in New Zealand they want to transfer the burden of our enormous public debt to the shoulders of the land-owner and richer class. And the more advanced of them page 9 want Parliament, gradually and insidiously, to use the taxing screw, in order to take their wealth from, the industrious and frugal who saved it, to the majority who are more addicted to spending than saving.

This is the origin of the fierce conflict that is now being carried on between labour and capital, between what are styled the masses and the classes. Instead of seeking, like wise and patriotic men, to do justice to all, to harmonise labour and capital, to reconcile the masses and the classes, the Ministry have openly and avowedly sided with the more numerous party. It has been proclaimed far and wide that they take the part of the labouring masses against the capitalistic classes. As a general election is close at hand, promises are being scattered in all directions—promises to build workmen's cottages, to grant pensions to the aged, etc.; and all this at the expense of the industrious and thrifty and well-behaved of the population.

Naturally such socialistic legislation and partizanship on the part of the Government have created distrust both in the colony and outside. There is the amplest abundance of money in the mother country and out here—money eager for investment in our extractive industries of agriculture and mining, in manufactures, and in commerce—investments that would pour forth comfort and plenty upon our agriculturalists, and miners, and factory hands, and merchants. But the British capitalist has learned what our Socialistic Ministers have done, and what they are threatening to do further, by their graduated taxation, their endless borrowing, and so forth; and he buttons up his pocket. The well-to-do colonist, who, by his self-denial, and diligence, and enterprise, has accumulated a few thousands of pounds, and has hereditary longings for a country life, wants a freehold farm to which he might retire from business and still be most useful—our well-to-do colonist observes that our Government has a big and ever-growing land-tax in contemplation, and has shown strong leanings towards thievish Henry-Georgianism, and he ponders the matter over, and concludes that it is unsafe to put his money into New Zealand land; and then he buttons up his pocket. Again, there are some recent immigrants—first class artisans or thorough business men, possessed of means and skill—who have been attracted to New Zealand by the fame of its rich soil, and grand scenery, and delightful climate. They soon learn that all these natural advantages have been counteracted by the Socialistic Ministry; and they lose confidence in the colony and its future, and page 10 meditate whether they should seek some better ruled country or return to the mother land. Indeed, any person of average common sense has only to recall the faults of the Ministry—their over-government, their drifting back to the darkness of the Middle Ages, their establishing the tyranny of the numerical majority, their burdening us with debt to the point of bankruptcy—indeed, any person of ordinary intelligence has only to recall their mis-government and general blundering to be convinced that the laws which they have enacted, and the still worse laws they have menaced us with, if they are returned to office, cannot fail to render capital unsafe and confidence impossible, to the detriment of all our chief industries.