THE LATE PREMIER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 144, 19 June 1906, Page 5

THE LATE PREMIER.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNERAL. The main lobby in Parliament Buildings has been set apart for the display of the numerous wreaths which have been sent to the la to Premier's family from all parts of tho colony. They are being arranged on stands, classified into provincial districts, and among them are included some remarkably fin© specimen? of the florist's art. The number sent is being increased every hour, and it look© as if even the accommodation of tho lobby will not be sufficient. People are- arriving from all parts of th© colony to be present at the funeral on Thursday. • Many members of the Legislative Council and House of Representatives arrived yesterday. Amongßt those who are already in town and will officially take part in the procession are : Messrs. J. R. Lundon and Frank Fitt, representing the Parnell branch, and Mr. P. J. Nerheny* and Captain Grant, representing the Auckland branch, of the Liberal and Labour Federation; Mr. C. D. Grey, Deputy-Mayor of Auckland; 'Mr.. H. M. Wilson, Town Clerk of Auckland; Mr. J. K. Kuoem, secretary of the Auckland Seamen's Union ; Messrs W. H. Bennett and' W. H. Thompson, Federated Council of New Zealard Builders. The Christchurch City Council will bo represented by three members of that body; Auckland by the' Deputy-Mayor and Town Clerk ; and Dunedin *by the Deputy-Mayor and Town Clerk. Mr. E. V. Hall, of the New Zealand Times literary staff, will represent the Thames Borough Council. At the request of the Hon. T. Price, Premier of South Australia, that colony will be represented at tho funeral by Mr. H. JST. Holmes, general secretary of tho Wellington Young Men's Christian Association. The chairman of the Hospital Trustees, -Mr. C. M. Luke, at a meeting today, made feeling reference to tho death of the Premier. Mr. R. C. Kirk also added a tribute, to th© deceased statesman's memory. Tiie_New Zealand Federated Council of Builders, whose headquarters are at Christchurch, have requested Messrs. W. H. Bennett (their vice-president) and W. L. Thompson, of this city, to represent the council at the Premier's funeral on Thursday, i . Another meeting of Maoris will be held before anything is done in the way of choosing a site for the suggested Seddon Memorial Technical School for natives. The banks will be closed from noon on Thursday. The Rev. G. P. Davya, Vicar of St. Peter's, in his sermon at that church on Sunday morning, said that among all the late Piemier's titles to fame — such as his many-sided activity, his policy of freedom, loyalty to and love of his country, and his whole-hearted devotion to its welfare — probably what he would chiefly be remembered for would be the very 'qualities in respect of which bf} was like Joshua. These were his keen pursuit of his object, strength of purpose, his massive, unconquerable will, his iron, unbending foice of character, ■which triumphed over obstacles that would have daunted smaller men. It seemed hard to realise that that active, restless spirit was still, that' we should never again- 6ee those familiar features, that commanding, masterful figure, never again hear that eloquent voice. The Rev. S. J. Handover, preaching at St, Peter's in the evening, also made feel- i ing reference to Mr. Seddon's death. At the evening- servica the anthem "Crossing the Bar" was sung, and the organist (Dr. Fyffe) played the Dead ■ March in "Saul." A special advertisement inserted in another column by the Union Company requests visitors who are in Wellington ' for the late Premier's funeral to let the j company know as early as possible what day they intend to return. The request is published in order that traffic arrangements may be made. 4 The Mayor of Petone invites the burgesses to close their places of busi- j ness on Thursday. . , In the morning at i 10 o'clock a united memorial service I will be held in the Petone Oddfellows' Hali. , A memorial service will he held on Thursday evening next at the Missions to Seamen Church, when Mr. Moore will give a discourse on the text, "He being dead yet speaketh." Seamen are requested to muster at the institute at 1.45 p.m. on Thursday to take part in the funeral procession. All Italians and members of the Garibaldi Club are invited to muster at the club rooms at 1 p.m. on Thursday next. A place in the funeral cortege of tho late Mr. Seddon has been allotted to ex-residents of Lancashire. Particulars are advertised. Members of the Southern Cross Ledge j (Oddfellows) are, by advertisement, lequested to meet at Government liui'd ings at 2 p.m. on Thursday to attend the funeral of the I "late ' Premier. The* Government offices in Wellington will not be reopened until Friday morri*ing. Following is the text of a Gazette extraordinary issued this morning : — "Premier's Office, Wellington, 19th June, 1906. The interment of the Right Honourable Richard John Seddon, P. 0., late Prime Minister of the Colony of New Zealand, will take place at Wellington on Thursday next, the 21st inst. The funeral will leave the Parliament Buildings at two o'clock in the afternoon. The Government offices throughout the colony will be closed on the day of the funeral. — Win. Hall- Jones." The, Mayor has invited business people to close at noon on Thursday for Mr. Seddon's funeral, but apparently thJ6 arrangement does not altogether meet the sympathetic wishes of a section of the community. Representatives of the Employers' Association, shopkeepers, and the Industrial Association have expressed a desire that the dead should be honoured by having business, suspended during the whole of Thursday. They state that the mere allotment of a half-day would not be an adequate tribute 'to the late Premier, for this would involve only tihe shifting iorward of the statutory halfholiday. Moreover, they submit that persons engaged in shops and offices should have an opportunity of visiting Parliament House while the late Premier's body is lying in state there on j Thursday morning. It has been decided that the funeral cortege shall be headed by a party of fifty members of the Permanent Artillery, under Major Hume. Then will come the bunds (the Garrison, Jupp's, Public School Cadets, Masterton, Central Mission, and Tramway Bands), which will be followed by a gun carriage, bearing the remains of the late Premier, with the members of tho Cabinet as pall bearers. Immediately behind the coffin will be the deceased stuteman's family, and after them_ the members of Parliament. The remainder of the order of procession lias not yet been fixed. All vehicles, with the exception of the Governor's carriage and carriages containing the relatives, must follow at the rear of the pepole who are on foot. RAILWAY ARRANGEMENTS. Special fares will be issued on the Government and Manawatu lines in connection with tho late Premier's funeral, and special train services will be run. On Wednesday a special train will leave Napier at 7.30 p.m., arriving at Wei-

lington at 7.5 a.m. on Thursday. A return train will leave Wellington at 7.4 p.m. On Thursday a special train will leave Masterton Tor Wellington at 8 a.m., and 'a special train for Masterton from Wellington will leave tue Thorndon-quay station at 5.35 o'clock the same evening. >o trains will run between Te Aro and Wellington on Thursday. On tho Manawatu and West Coast line a special train will leave Wanganui at 11.30 on Wednesday night, arriving at Wellington at 8.45 "a.m. . On Thursday a special train for Wellington, will leave . Palmerston at 8.20 a.m., reaching the city at 12.55. The ordinary 4-.X6 p.m train from Wellington that evening will be delayed till 5.40 p.m. A special train will leave for the north at 8.10 p.m. SERVICES AT DUNEDIN. (BY TELEGRAPH — OWN CORRESPONDENT,] DUNEDIN, This Day. In addition to the military memorial services arranged at Knox Church, St, Matthew's, Firet Church, and St. Joseph's, a Methodist service will be held on Thursday at the Trinity Wesleyaa Church. Indignation was expressed at the Hillside workshops when the announcement) was posted that the employees would only be permitted, to cease work ten minutes on Thursday, during which time they aro requested to stand with their heads uncovered as a mark of respect to the late Mr. Seddon. Mr. Arnold has telegraphed, to the Acting-Minister of Railways suggesting that the workshops should bfl closed all day on Thursday. VISITORS FROM" THE WEST COAST. WESTPORT, This Day. Three hundred West Coast people are passengers by the Arahura to Wellington to attend the funeral of the late Mr. Seddon. CONTINGENTERS' SYMPATHY. ) AUCKLAND, This Day. A meeting of South African cc-ntin-genters passed a resolution expressing their sympathy with Mrs. Seddon and. family. It was resolved to ask Lieut.Colonel Chaytor to represent them at Mr. Seddon's funeral; also to take steps towards erecting a memorial tablet. MEMORIAL SERVICE IN SYDNEY. (Received June 19,* 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. Memorial services will be held in St. Andrew's Church and the Cathedral simultaneously with the funeral of the late Mr Seddon. BISHOP NELIGAN'S TRIBUTE. AUCKLAND, 18th June. The Anglican Bishop of Auckland (Dr. Neligan), in the course of his sermon yesterday morning at St. Albans, referred briefly to the death of the late Premier. He said, however much one might have differed from him in political opinions, the sterling worth of the dead statesman, his great and untiring earnestness of purpose, and his unremitting and steadfast efforts on behalf of hitf beloved country and her people, must appeal irresistibly as the life of a man who will fctand out as one of the greatest characters the colony has ever had at her helm, and a man whose name will be honoured among the Empire's great ones for all time. Archbishop Redwood was at W^airoa, Hawkes Bay, a very remote part of the archdiocese of Wellington, when he learnt the news of Mr. Seddon's sudden death. At once he cabled to Mrs. Seddon and family at Sydney his sincere condolence. On Sunday last at the principal Mass in Shannon his Grace spoke of' the great sorrow felt throughout the colony at the demise of a personage so widely and deservedly loved for his many quajities as a man, and his great achievements as a> statesman. It was only, he said, with time that his services to, humanity would be fully appreciated. What he had dono by his wise legislation for the popr, for the working classes, for the struggling farmer, .would alone entitle him to tho everlasting gratitude of posterity in this fair land, and throughout the empire. Doubtless, had his life been sparea for some years more, he would have carried out a number of other beneficent and useful measures for the people's benefit. He had been cut off in the midst of his glorious career, a victim to his dauntless overwork for the benefit of his fellowman. His personal qualities endeared him to the people at,large, and he never deserted his friends, while he generously forgave his enemies, and made them, too, sharers in liis benefits. Ho was endowed with a strong and sagacious intellect, a great power of will and determination of character, while he had the priceless possession of a good and kind heart. Hence his influence over men, and his personal attraction for every class in the community. To the Catholic body he had always been fair, and on more than one occasion generous. Wherefore the Catholics of New Zealand were second to none in their share of the national sorrow and their high and lasting appreciation of his services ; while they particularly condoled with Mrs. Seddon and her family in their irreparable loss. His Grace's feeling address deeply impressed the large congregation, and many an eye was moist with eaars. His words will long be remembered. The ceremony terminated by the organist playing the Dead March.