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From the 1870's NZ politics ran on railway tracks. A good member of parliament (MHR) was one who could get public works expenditure for his district. A new bridge was worth a lot of farmers votes and the hottest political issues were often competing demands for railway lines, but after 1886 there was no money to build them. (The main trunk line was not completed until 1908.) Macarthur introduced the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act and was able to borrow £26,000 to build roads in the Manawatu district.
Politicians tended to group around issues or individuals rather than ideologies and structures. Robert Stout, the Premier, had lost his seat in the 1887 election and no-one wanted to govern in a depression but Harry Atkinson collected together an ill-assorted cabinet ("The Scarecrow Ministry") which governed until 1890. In order to keep the colony from bankruptcy he reduced expenditure and in 1888 borrowed £1 million to cover the deficit and increased custom duties.
The 22 members who voted against this (including Macarthur) represented conservative rural interests.The remaining opposition formed the Liberal Party under John Ballance and backed by the trade unions won the 1890 election. Macarthur died suddenly in 1892 at the age of 53 "a man in the prime of his life"; he was regarded as the coming Treasurer of the Opposition Party.
Ballance died in 1893 and was succeeded by Richard Seddon as Premier. Notable legislation that occurred during "King Dick's" reign were women's suffrage (1893), the old age pension (1898) and penny postage (1901). Seddon died suddenly while returning to "God's Own Country" from Australia in 1906.
The Myers Family History -NZ Politics 1880-1900
Cathy Clarke, Wellington, New Zealand
email: catherine.clarke@clear.net.nz
Last updated: 9 Oct 2009