TIES WITH OTAGO.

Evening Star, Issue 24047, 20 November 1941, Page 8

TIES WITH OTAGO.

A Mkuioubxk journal, long since defunct, wrote thus of Mr John Christian Watson, first Labour Prime Minister of Australia, whose death was reported yesterday:—“ Mr Watson was born at Valparaiso in 1867, and when only twelve months old was taken by his parents to Dunedin, New Zealand. There ho was educated, and lie early evinced an omnivorous taste for reading. No book was either too tough or too thin' for his literary digestion, and consequently he acquired a knowledge of things encycloprodic in scope, although very far from being so in scientific arrangement. However, tho material was there, and was destined to distinguish him above his fellows when ho came to bestir himself in trades unionism and politics.”

On leaving school Watson was apprenticed to the printing trade, and served his articles with the Oaniaru 1 Mail.’ The journal of forty years ago continues: “ Tho trade of tho compositor in a newspaper office is of its very nature stimulating to ambitious youths. Tho composing room is a sort of Palace of Truth as far as facts are concerned, and a sounding board of opinion according to the political colour of the journal. Experience in such an envii'oument must obviously bo educational, and that to a largo extent, provided the bias of perpetual political partisanship does not gain sway, Mr Watson acquired the education and escaped the prejudice. His only political concern was the amcliox-atiou of his class conditions, and he has been able to piii;sue his aim without becoming embittered by the common tendency of the proletairo to regard every man who does not work with his hands as a Conservative and an enemy of society.”

Depression smote New Zealand, and in 188 G, to improve his lot, Watson moved to Sydney, only to find it for a time harder, A friendly policeman got him a job in Government House stables. Later he was employed at lunxping timber, before settling down again in his old trade. He became an active worker in trade union circles, was elected to tho New South Wales Parliament, won a seat in the first Commonwealth election in 1901, and for a short time in 1904, on the resignation of Mr Deakiu, he was Prime Minister and Treasurer. Ho resigned after a few months, though he continued to lead the Labour Party until 1908. The paper before quoted states: “ Mr Watson is not very distinguishable from tho practical, active Liberal. He has none of the intemperate viexvs of the agitator variety of Labour representative, and holds strongly to the sound opinion that to go too fast is a twin evil to going too slow.” He gave Federal Labour in Australia a good start.