The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25
WORKIN GMEN PEERS.
THEY CREATE A PRECEDENT
Lnbor's Representatives In tho Upper House
OF New Zealand.

or New Zealand.
Tho Government OF New Zealand has vastly
surprised the colony and the whole British
empire and created CONSERVATION among the
sguatter aristocracy and tho conservative.
pseudo ratrican. and snob element OF the en-.
MIRO Mt large by the remarkable democratic
proceeding OF creating four worEingmeu
"pccr." OF the colony by calling them direct
frnm their workshops to seats In the Uppsr
Chamber Of tho Legislature to be councillors
to his Excellency the Governor. Ono Of the
new peers" Is n boilermake or. another store.
keeper In large warehouse. and the two
others nre compositors.
This action marks the acquisition by the
colonists or much greater measure OF direct
control in their own affairs n Governm ent. as
distinct from Government by the Colonial
Onirs in London. through its direct APP
rointccs. and is u long step on the road to q
much larger independence. which is generally
desired. Tho management OF their own local
affairs is n right which British colonies the
world over arc claiming and contcnding for.
and n denial Of which caused the resignation
three years ago Of the whole local Govern
ment. nnl II constiiutional dsadlock for two
years. in British Honduras. Lord knutsford.
iho Secrc,,ary for a.. ,o!omi"s in Lord Sails.
and Ills opposition caused siron. discomfort
some THE SuN nus. AT varl"ns times. told OF
this unrest and di-""nien,. particularly in
1l nJies and central nnd south A,n.ricn. Lord
Ripon. Mr.. tladstouc's Colonial Secretary.
seems disposed TO take different course, and
To frnc the colonies from tn, IT Ichdins strings.
He recently ruled that the Governor OF New
Zealand must cnl! az many councillors as his
So Instructed the tiovernyr. Tho Ministers
promptly called twelve Of their supporters to
The nrer Chamber has hitherto been held
sacred. primarily to The blue blood OF the col
ony. Occasionally. however. powerful SQUAT
tors the large land owners. or other men ~
grrnt wealth or large influences. hnve been SUI
ierod to sit in it, haI,owcd pre,cincts as u mark
"' wHr s, "na snd wer
doubtless n. much So, regarded IA colonial
House at Wes,min stcr, They were appointed
or nominated" by tho Crown through the
Eight OF tho twelve now peers" created by
tho Government are OF tho usual GLASS. and
therefore unobJectionahle. But the House
sa hs Of SnH a san I'm Hon. T.
jenkinson. = boilermakor in the Goysrnment
me iT rivets. whon tho call to tbs u pper
House reached him: in he form OF telegram
fs y
tie rivct holes to Mr.. Jenkinson; The latter at
irst regarded the matter as II hoax. hut was
to tho message. He did so and then went on
hamnlprlnE rlNetS WltnOu' worn.
lion. John isiEg was s sticking type in tho Gov;
MIN. Tho Hon. William Bolt OF Dunedin was
tending the stores in his employers ware
house and the Hon. W. jennings was hossing
the comps in the Office Of the Auckland Eren-
But it ia pleasing to note that the parallel
| with Cincnnatus and Israel Putnam does not
| end here All the four labor peers" are said
| to lie especially able mon. although entirely
| inexperienced in olitics. Mr.. Jenk inson Is
| spoken " as man OF real worth and grit. lie
| makers' Union. the Chrstchurch Boilcrmnk-
ers' Union. and Vice President Of the Cantrr-
bury Trades and Labor COUNCIL; MIR: RiSE was
| at one time President Of the Wellington TRADES
| and Labor Council The other two new rem
| resentativas of labor among the rntricians are
| educat cd. we'll Informed men. who have shown
| themselves to be clear headed and to possess
marked ability. They are not extremists
| and as types OF tho workinCmen the selec-
ton is considered to bo most ludicious:
strongly favorinc tho labor partisans. that
| the Government might make the mistake OF
| appointing some Of the extremists who have
| made themselves conspicuous as leaders in
| striSes and various other obstructive labor
| movements OF late. But: admitting the prin-
| ciple that workingmon should be- called to tn .
| Upper House. which is not Mt nll usual y
| done, the selection is generally conceded to
| be good one. But there is sat to be wide;
spread feeling that while workinGman would
doubtless perform good work in the House OF
| REPRESENTATIVES, a mistake has been made in
appointing them to the Upper House. Tho
| APPOINTMENT is for seven years. and there Is
| nm MEMORANDUM OF 6 $50 year for the expenses
| incurred in att ending Parliament