MR. KEIR HARDIE AND INDIA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 87, 6 January 1908, Page 8

MR. KEIR HARDIE AND INDIA.

• -• A PERSONAL, STATEMENT. J COMPLAINTS OF MISREPRESENTATIOI :- .In- the course of his j speech, at, tho Tot 0 Hall last evoning,,Mr. Jl Keir.Hardie, M.I 5 repljod-!,t0.-criticisms' regarding ;hisj'allegi - doiiigs and sayings in,lndia. Ho had Imm f too .long; in public .life, lie "saidy, to bo ups f ''.V criticism. , (Hear, hear,)-.. As a.rulo, tin 1 could; take 'ft that' the iriore'-bitter; the "criti f. .isinv the','greater' reason;there , was ;for jtl s people to understand why that...criticism,'w; t levelled.' Ho was 'a plain-mail,' a* man pf ; t! l people, without, one pretondb- to .'bo aiiytfiii - .ariji'„m' the ( cou'rse of his;.trip.;- hoKe . visited India. lb appeared'.that 'somcthii 3 had happened there which had'eaused a got l. doal 'of exeitemeht'- in this Dominion;' ' i not | awaro until quite - recently, (until I few days ago); of ' the state,' bordering 'iipf 5 frenzy, -into ':whieh ,-a'. large", portion; ;of- tl i public Press had been. thiWu by, his. allege i sayings. and doings in"lndia.v " I ; bniy' war I to remark,'' said'Mr.'i.Eeir Hardie, "th; [, tH.o people of India, and.'the Officials, fro; . the:, viceroy downwards,-, and-the publ i' J ress. 'there, • - knew' nothing" ■ about. th 6: • things. (Loud laughter.) Ho could we remember the astonishment there was-in .Ca ! cutta, -when' the news, was published thei from London that-ho was playing the pai of Calcutta,-arid exciting.th people-to sedition and.'rebellion. - They jene nothing about it, and would riot'yet if tli news had; not. come'/from London. (Lou laughter.) - -What were the facts? A di: credited, and; disreputable journalist in Ca cutta, who had; been officially repudiated;b his brother-journalists' (long ooforo - th speaker went to India) becauso'of the unfai criticism of Indians • and their affairs,'ha ondeavoured to-create a'cortain impression'c him before ho arrived in-India. This ma found soine difficulty in maintaining-tha cancaturo ; when, ' tho ' speaker got .-' t India. "My speeches aro- not, as ' rulo, of tho kind that one associate with the ' unthinking, uneducated, irrespor aible- firebrand."- But having created thi impression, that, man had; felt bound to'liv up to it, and had cabled' Home a report at tributing to him what ho had never saidwhich the Press on tho spot proved coriclu sivoly from the evidence ho was alleged t have- drawn his report from—proved in th face of the world -that, that man was a liai (Great applause.) " And ; that report, hi singlo report, went out." There wore fou ■other English journalists from, Calcutta pre -sent, repiesenting tho "Tribune," the "Man Chester Guardian," Central News Agency and the Press Association, (not the NewZea land Press, Association). -All these four re prescntatives'had supplied - correct news.' Ii New. Zealand the Press only had hoard-th concocted; story.,, They frero. hoodwinked;' ,- 'I have had some' criticism .in my'.time',' declared 'Mr. ivoir Hardie", " but never any tmng so insulting as tho remarks'of the Nov Zealarid.-Press concerning myself, my -person ahty, l iind my opinions." -' (Applause.). °Wlr i - .them.?", was"-* a - .questioi wlu.ch had been published in the papers them :solves.., His ; reply was. .that "life was: toe Instruct, the -editors of thb; New Zea land Press as to how tlioy should perforn their work I If they could' not do' it pro perly, then they should step drawing salaries under, false; pretenqesi ' He', had made it- 1 rule of his life to-ignore criticism..(AppUuse.;' Xnis, was , all he had to say i now.' At th* ■proper time and.pliice lie would have a'go6t doahto say about India arid the condition! of that, unhappy country. (Hear, hear, anc loud cheers.) v