Untitled

Evening Star, Issue 12166, 9 April 1904, Page 4

At the Chrirtchurch banquet to the Governor fhu toast of "The Mjn.V istry" was entrusted to Sir Cenoi-00. -lohn Hall, than whom no Critic. inoro competent person could

have been chosen. He had been associated politically -Kith tho men who laid the foundations of Canterbury on a broad and lasting buys; he was the contemporary of and co-worker with giants (Mr Sed<lon notwithstanding) of the calibre of W. Selton Moorhcuse, Crosbie Ward, Alfred Jollio, and William Roll est on ; while in the wider and more responsible field of colonial politics he was the colleague of Sir Edward Stafford, Sir ilarry Atkinson, Mr John Bryce, and Sir Fred. Whitaker. Tn the strenuous times precedent to and immediately following the General Election of 1879 hc. at the pressing call of his party, abandoned the leisure and repose of the Legislative Council to engage in one of the most stirring political campaigns the Colony has ever witnessed. Under the banner of Sound Finance he won a great fight, and how weil he succeeded in re-establishing the credit of Xew Zealand abroad i:> a matter of history. He was a capable leader, and a safe, cautious administrator: and, as we have .-aid again and again in these columns', for his services alone at th\ifc trying period he was deserving, when lie left the stormy arena of the House of Representatives, of again >,eing called to the Council, where his ripened judgment and li'e-long experience of our political afiaira would always be of incalculable value. We shall never cease to declare that the present ATlmisistration- have never risen to the occasion, and could have dime themselves infinite credit—nay, would have exalted themselves in the eyes of the people generally—had they pressed seats in the Council on colonists of the standing and eminent:? of Sir John Hall and Sir Maurice O'Rorke. That, however, in passing. The speech which Sir John Hail delivered in Christchurch on Thursday night was in his verv best form—tactful, in the best possible spirit, raid full of home-truths, yet relieved by a few touches of humor from which malice was enlirelv absent. It is quite refreshing to hear one who bars the right to be regarded as the. Nestcr of our politics surveying thfi position to-day with almost judicial serenity, and giving full credit to the men who have succeeded him, but in whose ideals he. at one time saw naught but disaster. Starting out with a truism—that the general prosperity of the Colony is nob wholly due to legislative action, but to causes that lay much deeper, for in truth New Zealand, as the late James Macandrew was wont to say, is a country that cannot be ruined by legislation, however bad it may be —the knight of Hororata cheerfully acknowledged the efforts of the Ministry to ameliorate the condition of the people and the success that had been achieved in several directions. To quote 'Sir John : "He granted cheerfully and gladly that His "Majesty's Advisers hail done what they " could to promote the prosperity of the " Colony, to develop its great resources, and "to make, it the country that it was. Thev "had spared no labor or thought to do all "that their position enabled them to do in "the interests of New Zealand, and he said " this gladly, although in political matters " he had not been able to agree with them. "The Government had been very entcr- " prising—indeed, some old men like lum"self had thought that they had been too "enterprising; but he was bound to say that " though he had looked upon some of their " measure:-! with apprehension, in many "cases those meamrcs had turned out very " well." Then he proceeded to distribute his eulogy, and it is particularly noticeable that he was unqualified in his admiration of -the forward postal policy of Sir Joseph Ward. •' With regard to the penny postage, "as an instance, he had himself been alarmed " at the idea of reducing the postage all over " the world to one penny, because he had " thought that such a course would entail a "sacrifice greater than the advantage it " would bring. But the change had been' an "entire success; the re;enue had increased, " and the people had now a convenience with ' which they would be very sorry to part. " The penny postage would be a stand"ing monument to Sir Joseph Ward. "In legard to the management of "the railways alsoj Sir Joseph Ward hud. "brought to bear very great business abili"ties. Speaking for his own district, the " train arrangements had been improved, " while the freight charges had been from K time to time considerably reduced. The " Minister of Railways would probably rind "that the public were something of an Oliver " Twist in their constant demand for more, " but he had undoubtedly effected great improvements." Of the Premier, Sir John remarked that Mr Sc-ddon. had been " one "of the first to do what Mr Chamberlain "said that the people of the Empire must "do—viz., think Imperially. That meant "putting aside the consideration of the "Colony as a comparatively small isolated " community, and considering it as part and "parcel of a, world-wide historic Empire, "the greatesit the world had •ever seen. Mr. "Seddon had been in New Zealand the "Apostle of Imperialism, and had always " impressed upon the people that they were "citizens cf that irreat Empire, and that

"they must assume its responsibilities as "well as enjoy its advantages. The toast, " as far as Mr Seddon was concerned, had " another claim on the gathering, in that " the Premier had been stricken by a serious " illness. All present knew that only a " serious illness could have kept Mr Seddon " away that evening, and they sincerely " hoped that he would soon be well again,

" and that in future he would remember " that no man, however robust, could burn " the candle at both ends without very "serious consequences." Sir John, in the closing words of the quotation we have made from his speech, has done a great service to the Colony. He has had the boldness to declare in terms that cannot be mistaken what many people think but hesitate to proclaim with their lips. The fact is beyond dispute that Mr Seddon is taking far 100 much on his shoulders, broad as they :ire. He must, unless he wishes to share the. fate of Mr Ballance and Sir Harry Atkinson, immediately divest himself of many of his responsibilities, and entrust to hi:* colleagues a greater share of the cares and duties of office than they enjoy at present. It is an open secret that the Premier fee's himself compelled to supervise a hundred-and-one matters of detail that he ought never to trouble himself with, and the carrying out of which do not make for that contentment of mind so necessary in his present state of health. We have referred to this matter somewhat guardedly in the past, but it seems to that the time has come when his nearest political friends should abandon all reserve, and tell him plainly and bluntly what the country expects of him. Unless the Party Caucus declare unequivocally on this point there will be no charge until Mr Seddon's health gives way. Will his political friends and associate* save him from that catastrophe?