MR. SEDDON'S DEATH.

Evening Star, Issue 12874, 25 July 1906, Page 6

MR. SEDDON'S DEATH.

TRIBUTES TO HIS MEMORY. INTERVIEW WITH SIR JOSEPH ' WARD. [FnoM Oijr. Special Coehestondent..] LONDON, June 15. The news of Mr Soddon’s tragic death at sea reached London in the small, hours of Monday morning. All the newspapers had aleady gone to press, but most of them called back their staffs and published the news in a second edition, gir Joseph Ward received a cablegram from Sydney at halfpast six that morning, and a similar message was received by the High Commissioner for New Zealand, who at once had the New Zealand Flag run up at half-mast over the Government office, the colonial Agenoies-General and most of the public offices following suit. The sad nows was received throughout the kingdom with sincere regret, and messages of sympathy from the King, the Prince of Wales, Mr Chamberlain, Lord Stratboooa, Sir Joseph Ward, Mr R-eeves, and a host of public and private individuals were transmitted to the late Premier’s wife and family. The newspapers throughout the country published Y' n R accounts of the romantic career of the dead statesman, and eulogised bis great services to New Zealand and the Empire. Not all thpe articles were as well-informed as they might have been, and some showed a very imperfect realisation of the inherent greatness of the man. There was a tendency on their part to dwell mainly on what arc termed his limitations, and to regard his love for New Zealand and his belief in the future of the British Empire as amiable weaknesses. This attitude, though regrettable, is not altogether surprising. As the * British Australasian 1 remarks ; It is - not possible that the homekeeping Briton should fully appreciate Seddon s really great qualities. His romantic career, his long tenure of office, his nickname and popularity, his loud voice and serene confidence, his striking appearance —These are the attributes that have made him more famous than any other colonial statesman in the households of Great Britain. But these were only externals. They were parts of the man, certainlv; valuable assets in a public career. It is only the dwellers in Greater Britain, and the few who understand the aspirations and ambitions of the colonial, who can appreciate rightly the reel Seddon.”

, Hmr prominent a figure Mr Seddon was in the British Empire was shown by the amount of space devoted to the news of his death by the Press throughout the King’s dominions. On the whole, the London papers rose to the occasion, and did justice to the remarkable career and character of the dead statesman, and the public tributes from eminent men showed a. Ml appreciation of Mr Seddon’s great services to the Empire’s cause. Many distinguished public men cal ed at the New Zealand Government office on Monday and Tuesday to express through the Hrsrh Commissioner their deep) regret at the news of Mr Seddon’s drat!). On Monday, especially, there was a stream of Callers throughout' the dav. and teleerams and letters of condolence, poured m from every quarter. Many of these were from unknown individuals of humble etanon, to whom th-e late Premier and eticleared hrmrelf by some, characteristic act of kindness or friendship. Some of them were very pathetic, and the High Comminsppnt .“two terrible days,” as he expressed it, in opening and reading these sorrowful cris dn cceur from humble admirers of Richard Seddon.

■SIR JOSEPH WARD’S TRIBUTE. V, ™°™ngr Of the announcement of Mr Seddon s death I called at Queen Anne’s SITTv ar>< w‘ d a brk?f conversation JT lfch S!r J os<? P h Ward. It was evident that the news had moved him deeply. Mr Seddon and he had been firm friends during tu© whocof Sir Joseph Ward’s political career. While declining to sav anything of the Mure leadership of the* Government party m the colony. Sir Joseph spoke feelmgly of his late chief: “Mr Seddon’s rernorat creates a void which it. is impossible to till. He was a man of extraordinary parts, and in many respects full of abounefing f°T(» and vigor. His regime as head ol the Government was a record one not for New Zealand, but, outside -some of the minor States of America, for the world. Ho lisd b<?on in o&co -is Premier since 1893, and since then bad gone triumphantly through four General Electrons, increasing his majority every time. When you get a. force of that character removed from tlie political 3-renii. of siTy countTv, it is quite obvious that the ntult is an 'irreparable void.

“As one associated with him imnnalehr for many years. I should like to say that personally his death came as a great shock. I received a telegram from him only yesterday morning, and this, morning at six o dock I had a message announcing' his death : and as one associated with him during liis long term of office I can say personally that I have lost an unwavering fnend. 1 think I am right in sayiig that we certainly have not pot in our colony a man of anything like his force in. tb*> political world, and I question whether we have ever had one.

One of the finest traits of his character was his home-life. That was one of the features that have drawn many people to him. He leaves as rdmirable a wife and family as anyone could wish for, and tbev have been strong elements in helping him to success. It has to be remembered that for a long while the Government of which Mr Seddon was the head had to fight hard for reforms of a very far-reaching character. The Government remained long enough in office to see the results of these reforms, and many of our former opponents, who had thought our policy a mistaken one, have, in recent times, turned round in our

favor, so that the results of Mr fcieddoa’s administration have spoken for themselves. Under his regime were established Tniversol suffrage (male and female), old age pensions, advances of cheap money to settles, a land purchase system for catting up large estates, compulsory industrial arbitration, a very drastic Truck Act, and many other progressive measures. The Stateowned railways, telegraphs, and telephones are all working well, and the people of the colony appreciate them. We have Government sanatoria for consumptives, and rigid methods of inspection of food products. The trouble which has arisen hi America over the meat canning industry could not occur in New Zealand. To sum up Mr Seddon'a administration, one may say that he has legislated for the requirements of the people. Personally he was a. most- lovable ./.man. Even in the heat and stress of political warfare, when hard knocks are', and received, his generous impulses jjalways arose, and when the battle was over he was always ready to shake hands with an opponent. No bitterness was left behind, no rancor.”

Mr Seddon’a party in New Zealand is a very, strong one, and in Sir Joseph Ward’s opinion it is not likely to be displaced, even bj the loss of ite great leader. Sir Joseph, since receipt of the sad news, has cancelled his previous plans, and will start forthwith for Now Zealand. ‘ The Times ’ of the following morning contained a signed article by Sir Joseph Ward, giving a Character sketch .of the late Premier, from which I quote the following* paragraph:— The earnestness of tiro man and the labor which he put into his work cannot for a moment be gainsaid by anyone. Whatever ho put his hand to, whether a small or a large matter, he appeared to exercise the whole of the force he possessed, and it was his extraordinary application to small as well os important matters which brought him into conflict with many of those who differed from him publicly. I have met many people during my travels, both, in and beyond) New Zealand), who have wondered how Mr Seddon so long retained his power over the people. To that my answer has been that te a largo extent his knowledge of men, his fund of information, and his storage of commonseuse, added to an extraordinary kindliness of heart- and generosity to opponents, however hard ho had fought them, endeared him- in a great ■measure to the hearts of the people. In addition, he was a ready debater, a forcible platform speaker, a parliamentarian of great experience, and as a strategist in times of trouble it would be hard to find his equal. I have had a close personal friendship with Mr Seddon since I entered the House of Representatives in 1887. Throughout the whole period of his political life be was a remarkable figure in the House, though in the earlier days few of the old parliamentarians contemplated that he would reach Cabinet- rank, and, so far as I am aware, few imagined that he would have such a splendid record. Yet he attained that rank, and by the exercise of his great natural abilities, indomitable perseverance, and constant application to work, which in the end wrecked his magnificent physique, retained his high position for a record number of year. The welfare of New Zealand was always before him, and a- close student of his character cannot omit a reference to his, in his later years, continuous advocacy of what he believed to be matters affecting the Empire generally. Those who knew him most intimately knew that he was sincere in his desire to help to maintain the power and prestige of the British Empire. Take him all in all, he was emphatically the most striking figure in colonial politics, and it will be many years before a man of such many-sided character will be found, at least, in the younger countries, taking pert in public life,” MR CHAMBERLAIN’S LETTER. Mr Chamberlain addressed the following letter to the, High Commissioner for New Zealand: Highbury. Birmingham, June 11, 1906. Dear Mr Reeves, —I have seen with the deepest regret the news in the paper this morning of the sudden death of my friend the late Prime Minister of New Zealand. I have ventured to cable a short message to Mrs Seddon, but desire also through you, as the official representative of New Zealand in this country, to express my keen sense of the loss the colony has sustained by the death of its able and patriotic leader. On the various occasions on which I had the pleasure of meeting him I formed the highest opinion of his ability, courage, and devotion to the interests of New Zealand, while I had full opportunity of recognising his far-seeing appreciation of the privileges and responsibilities of the Empire, in which he so earnestly desired that New Zealand should take her appropriate place. At the time of the South African War he

was the first to appeal to his fellowcolonists to give a practical proof of their sympathy with the Mother Country in her time of trial; and he induced New Zealand to offer a larger material assistance both in men and money than any other British colony in proportion to their wealth and population. The spirit which moved him then is to bo found hi almost

his latest, spoken words, delivered at Sydney just before he sailed for what has proved to be his last vovaee. During his long conduct of affairs, the colony has made progress in all that constitutes the true greatness of a people, and his friends looked forward to a continuance of his valuable life ns a guarantee for the advancement of the interests to which he has devoted himself with so much energy and power. The Empire has lost one of its noblest citizens and the colony a great administrator, -while in our personal capacity Mrs Chamberlain and I sincerely deplore the death of one whom wo were proud to number amongst our friends

I beg yon to accept the assurance of our heartfelt sympathy with his family and with the colony which he served so well.