IN MEMORIAM.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 137, 12 June 1922, Page 6

IN MEMORIAM.

THE LATE R. J. SEDDON. TRIBUTE BY SIR J. G. WARJX There was a large gathering around the monument of the laite R.ght Hon. K. J. Seddon outside the I'arliHinentary Buildings at Wellington on Saturday to pay a tribute to the memory of the statesman on the sixteenth anniversar}' of hia death. Two laurel wreaths were placed upon the .vttttue, one from Mrs. Seddon and the members of her family, and the other from the West Coast people. The most con.-picuous ligurc in the gathering was Sir Joseph Ward. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. T. M. WitfoM, was present, and a number of men and women who honoured the late Mr. Seddon had braved the weather in order to assist at the commemoration.

Sir Joseph Ward, in an impressive address, said: "We arp commemorating the sixti'cntli anniversary of the death of the late Right Hon. R" J. Seddon. In thi? country Mr. Seddon will ever be rranenVbered as a man who worked for the people, a £reat man who. by his own efforts, raised himself to the highest pinnacle Hint anyone in this country can attain. Ho was a forceful man, a man of gTeat courage, and, above all. he was a man ever true to his friends. Richard John Seddon was a man who did more to bring Xew Zealand into touch with the Old World than any man up to that time had =ueoopded in doing , . We, all remember that ut the time of the South African war there was no man in this country, or in the Empire, who did more to concentrate national opinion upon the necessity of success in that war than he did. That was the nf the cementinp of the scattered portions of the Empire. He is remembereil as a very great Imperialist. The humane side of hU ohanrter was revealed in various directions. Ttir record's in this ennntry show that although he was a big man and a oour-ag-eous fiHiter who never turned his ba-eV on his opponents, lie yet endea-ed himself to the men and women of this COUrt'rv. On ilielinlf of H<nn*nnds of pe.vpV in this eminlrv. I desire to eon\pv w,in, i e r e iind tyond in Seddon and the meml>erj of her family."'