THE ATKINSON MEMORIAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2434, 23 May 1893, Page 4

THE ATKINSON MEMORIAL.

Mr. GK Fisher, M.H.E., writes aj follows to the "Wellington Evening Press: — Sir, — From the publication, of a brief and very pithy letter which appeared in youi issue on Wednesday evening, I observe that at last, at least, some one man, out of a whole city full, has had the courage to call attagftion to the Atkinson MjemoiiaVfind its complete and total eciipsey. 3Jhafc man, whoever he is, deserves the thanks of all other rightthinking and honourable men. I wish to say a few words upon the subject myself, for a reason which I will afterwards explain, but before doing so I may, I hope, without giving offence, refer to an exceedingly peculiar thing which happened at the meeting of the Ballance Memorial Committee on Tuesday evening. The secretary of the Public Service Association wrote to the effect that the Council of the Association considered it inodviaable for a nonpolitical organisation, such as the Publio Bervice Association, to take an active part in the circulation of subscription lists in aid of the Memorial Fund. The lists sent were therefore returned. That surely was a delicate and well-timed reminder of the attitude which not alone the Public Service Association, but the whole Civil Service, ought to be permitted to take up in relation to such a matter, but to my very great surprise the record goes on to say that, " On the motion of the Mayor it was resolved to draft a circular soliciting subscriptions, and to forward a copy to each member of the Civil Service." I dread to comment upon this motion, lest my motives be misconstrued, but I am sure the Mayor will not object to my saying that it. cannot have occurred to him that this is the worst, the very worst, form of coercion, and a form of coercion to which the members of the Civil Service ought not to be subjected. Upon this subject I forbear to ■ say more ; but upon another subject I will say a great deal more, in common justice to the memory of a dead man. At the public meeting to inaugurate the Ballance Memorial held at the Theatre Koyai on May 12, a prominent officer of the Trades and Labour Council committed himself to the extraordinary statement that previous Premiers were ready enough to make promises, but not to fulfil them. They were men of words, he said ; but Mr Ballance was a man of ideas, a man who put his ideas into the form of a bill, and legislation followed. I charitably prefer to believe that this statement is the result of want of knowledge. I mean ay it affects Sir Harry Atkinson. It is history upside down — but it is history as it is at the present time taught, by both the designing and the ignorant. The ignorant have our sympathy ; the designing, let us i hope, will get their deserts in some appropriate form. Sir, what greater friend had the " workers "—(I" — (I presume I am entitled to dabble a little in the conventional jargon) — or this country than Sir Harry Atkinson ? Look back upon his work, his heroic work, of 1887, which made this country the country it is to-day — minus its hordes of indicrents and thieves, who have responded to the general official invitation to all Australia to "Come." Then run your eye down this chronological list of his later works-. — 1888 — His invitation to the industrial representatives of all parts of the colony to assemble in Wellington to devise measures to foßter and develop the manufactures of the colony 1888—The Tariff 1889 — Eeslriction of Chinese immigration 1890 — Commission to settle labor disputes on the West Coast 1890 — The Sweating Commission 1890 — Conference of labor delegates from all parts of the colony (at Parliament Buildings) to bring the disastrous and idiotic strike of that year to a termination • At least, Sir Harry Atkinson, the dead Sir Harry Atkinson, might have been accorded some generous recognition for such work. Instead, such movements as he initiated, wholly in the interests of the working classes, and pressed on — aye, and pressed on against great opposing forces — are now complacently catalogued " Words . — mere words." And there his memory dies, or would be left to die, if it remained with those who ought to be the first, out of the commonest gratitude, to keep his memory green. Sic transit. But so long as the power remains to me to raise a voice or use a pen, I will proclaim everywhere, regardless of the ways of the ignorant and the devices of the designing, """that the Labor Bills of the Atkinson Ministry are the Labor Bills upon which the Ballance Government have built a history and a name. Tet we live to be told that previous Premiers were not apotheosised because — and this is the because — they did not put theii ideas into the form of a Bill. Truly the credulity o£ the world is astounding. Here is the list of Labour Bills introduced by the Government cf Sir Harry Atkinson : Employers' Liability Bill Shipping and Seamen Bill Factories Bill Shops Bill Truck Bill Children's Protection Bill And the Conciliation Bill of Mr. Downie Stewart. Where was the Trades and Labour Council when the Atkinson memorial was mooted ? It was conspicuous by its absence. In the interests of working men as a class, no man could possibly have been more considerate, more painstaking, than Sir Harry >-. Atkinson. He was always and ever watchful of everything that concerned the welfare of the working man. But he did his work as a man In a ?y manly way, and without limelight effects. And his fellow-colonists, or of tbein : said, " He shall have a |P inbnument !" And I join your brisk ;" and pithy correspondent in asking " Where is that monument ?"

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