NEW ZEALAND AND THE ISLANDS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10866, 16 January 1901, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND AND THE ISLANDS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TRESS. Sir, —I cannot agree with yours of the 9th inst.. finding fault with" Mr Seddon j soothing the Australia Premiers over their ■ loss of the Fiji Islands. They being ab- j sorbed in their Commonwealth Bill, each ' had his eye on the other to sea who would be the liickv knight in possession of the . Christmas plum duff after the Bill missed, | so that they had not time to look after ', other important business. To my mind, ■Mr Seddon deserves credit lor his quick , foiesight in jumping tie claim before some j otlher Power had done so, as they bad don?; bsfore in 'Samoa and other islands in the j Pacific, wMch ths British Government let j slip out cf their hands through .procrasti- j nation. We are likely to lose the Xew Hebrides, which the Presbyterian Mission ' has spent so much money on. Our Premieis at liome are too old and too slow fcr this we rid. If younger men don't soon tikvthe helm we shall ge behind in the race. . If Mr Seddon has misused stays it is the fault of the British Government, who did not back him up. If the islands had been joined to New Zealand^ which they ought to he. it would not prevent other British Isles having an equal share. Seddon is not the man that would turn out a Kruger. I think it is very baki taste on your part to taunt -and gibe him for doing what ought to have been done long ago. —Yours, etc., WM. OVEROXD.