AFTER TWELVE YEARS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIX, Issue 101, 1 May 1905, Page 2

AFTER TWELVE YEARS.

MR. SEDDON'S RECORD PREMIERSHIP. A RF.VIKW BY HIMSELF. Advantage whs tukcn by Uie Premier on Saturday night in replying at a social Junctioii al Petano to the (oust of tho Minis1 tiy alltl l''t>-liament., t<» thank those who hud made- kindly reference to tho fact that thu next, day would boo Iho close of hia twelve yearn in ollico ns l'remior. Wlion that responsible position was placed upon linn ho was tjiven twelve woeka. Twelvo weeks hnd grown into twelve years. Ho paid it tnbulo to tho nu-inoiy of the l.ito Hon. John Ralluncc, whoso "namo would always bo revered. When on Ut May, 1893, the speaker was sworn in as Primo Minister ho hud his fears nnd doubts, nnd ho **t ill had thorn ; thoy woie these. Was ho doiti)r his duty to the country'; (Criea of "Yos!") To tho people? ("Yes!") And had it been for Iho good of tho country that he had held the position ? ("Yes !") Tt whs cheering to know that was tho opinion held by those present, and judging by tho many congratulatory telegrams Utt had received from all parts of the colony there was a veiy largo number who thought tho colony had not suffered by having him ns Primo Minister, 110 did not clniui all tho credit so generou«ly given, but wiuhod to share it with all his colleagues, past and present, who had helped in tho wovk done. Above all, he gave credit to the people of tho colony, tho great majority who hud kept them in the position so long. Ho had finished twelve years of Promiorship Uiat dny by taking part in a. great function in Wellington with General Buotii. Judged by his company, ho was n^t far from salvation, (laughter and ayplause.) From whoro he started in life "ft© found himself that night. Ho started In a railway workshop, and ho was wiVh workshops men then, and he felt just <us much at home as tho duy ho toiled uiiiongst the workmen. Ho could speak to them with tho \itmost freedom. Without any comment he would, us iv reminder, chaw their attention to what had been done in tho past twelvo years. In 1893, they adopted th,e Woman's Suffrage, Local Option, and Workmen's Wages measures, lr 1894, the Bank of Now Zealand, industrial and Conciliation Arbitration Act, Advances to Settlors, Land for Settlements, Shops and Offices, Dairy Industry, Abolition of Government, Railway Commis-sionw-s. The following your they took charge of tho Midland Railway and dealt with the Hank of New Zealand and the Colonial Bank. In 1896 they passed tho Haling on Unlmprovod Values, and abolished tho solo property qualilication in respect of municipal clecotions. Conferences of colonial Premiers were hold in Hobart «nd in London, 1697. The succeeding year KdU' the superannuation of tho deserving uged poor of tho colony — tho Old-age Pensions. (Applause.) lr 1899 Labour Day was established ; also the Government Accident Insurance Department; and they Massed tho Employment of Boys and Girls Without Payment Prevention Act. Tho Rume year they sont thu colony's lirst Contingent and accepted tv ginve responsibility when tho emergency ioso in South Africa. In 1900 they had tho " Undssirublo Bill," as tho Immigration Restriction Bill wus culled. As time went by that measure would bo required on the Statute-book to prevent our colony being contaminated by tho undesimblcß oi other countries. Wo mußt npt have- our country saturated with disease because of its fine climate and opportunities for relief. Let ur keep our country healthy. Tho Undesirublo Bill would yet go on the Statute-book. Then they had tho Universal Penny Postage, in connection with which there wuk something more to be dono. Ho would send our newspupers out froe of postage, to show what kind of country wo hud, to get | other countries to.follow our example. In | 1902 there was an Imperial Conference in i London, our last Contingent left for South Africa, and Parliament passed tho Railway Workers' Superannuation Fund Act. (Applause.) In 1903 they had State Fire Insurance, the GroduMod Land Tax, and Preferential Tariff. His first Ministry was composed of himself as Premier, Sir I*. A. Buckley, tho Rons. W. P. Reeves, Sir John Mackenzie, Sir J. Ward, Sir Alfred Cadinan, J. Carroll, and W. Montgomeiy. Serer'ul of these were now no nioro. He was not going to make a political speech, i but to give a slight review A country i should not bo tested simply by its financial position and ile national wealth. Judged solely by that standard he would - say we stood in the highest position of any self-governing country in the gre.it British Knipirc. A country's financial position might bo sound, yet the country Ims rotten i to the core. What thoy really wanted to j 1 kiiow was i Have tho idt-uls and the j aspirations of tho people improved? They , should judge a country from its moral standpoint. Weio its morals good and ' sound. (" Yes I") He claimed that in this respect thore had been a great improve- > meut during the twelve yoars. (Applause.) ) There was less crime within the colony. Our . records in that rewpect were a very bright pago, and let tho historian judge tho colony from that standpoint, and ho would say that, notwithstanding there was a. greater spending power which might lead to a greater dissipation, the people had . not over-indulged, thero had not been a fulling-ofif in respect to their" general conduct ; their general wcllbeing and truo happiness showed a vast improvement, and ho thought more of thut than he did of the material wealth of the people. (Applause.) The education of Uio libing generation had been greatly improved, and (lie colony gave free the highest education that could bo given. Had tho housing of tho workeis improved? There had been legislation which had bo far proved imperfect. Houses at fairer route and under better conditions had not been obtainable, as he had hoped. Mention had been made of increased workshops and number employed. Whilo they were increasing tho workshops, they found, leaving it t& private enterprise, there was a decreasing accommodation for • the workers. He thought that before it P wa» too late the Government might, both at tho Lower Ilutt and Polone, secure uvaiinble land and giv« its own woikmen > at all events tho opportunity of having f their own houses. Ho \vn* happy to say r in this respect that ere many weeks were ' over ho hoped to have secured in that district lands for tho purpose mentioned. (Loud appluuse)) Ho foic&badowed tho building by Iho Government of houses/for workmen—a question that demanded immediate attention. It was nothing new in ' principle. Tho advantages tho workers : had gained wore largely nullified by tho high rents they had lo pay, and they were , no better off. He was not receiving tho advantago originully intended. Good airy . houses with lung spaces would mean beU tcr health and a diminution of the present • rate of mortality amongst the children of the working classes. Where it was going to save sorrow and suffering and assist lo • keep up the population, why should not the Government do something in the direction indicated T Gauged by its high moral standard and tho general prosperity, gauged also by ita material wraith and its , financial position, our colony stood to-day in a much better position than it did twelvo years ago. (Applause.) Ho would conclude by saying with all sincerity t No man and no Government is perfect. Mistakes may toko place, but I think I can claim for tho Ministry and Parliament 1 — member* on both rides — you have had men who have faithfully served tho country and done their duty to the people of New Zealand. (Cheers").