THE PREMIER IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13153, 15 June 1903, Page 6

THE PREMIER IN CHRISTCHURCH.

SATURDAY'S DEPUTATIONS. A BUSY AFTERNOON. The Premier visited Lincoln College on i : Saturday morning, and afterwards inspected Sunny side Asylum for the purpose of ascertaining the facts concerning the alleged .= overcrowding. In the afternoon he received a considerable number of deputations, ■: and of private visits, at Warner’s Hotel. THE OUST BRIDGE. Air D. Bnddo, M.H.R., introduced 7 Messrs Hall, Hunter and Tipping, represeating the Mandeville and Gust and West Eyreton Road vßoaids. Mr Hall said that the Cast bridge was in such ■ : 1/ ai state that it must be renewed.. This bridge, was used largely by the general travelling public going westward. A confer--1 once of the three local bodies specially in- / terested bad decided that each would con--tribute towards the cost of a new bridge, provided the Government would assist. The bodies were of opinion that a bridge 80ft '■ ' long, would, suffice, but the railway • bridge a *. just above was 140tt long, and the Department bad insisted that any new struc-•-I'Ji-'.tiire must equal this. • The cost would be £BOO. a - Tn answer to a question, the of ‘j!,'t’the deputation stated that their districts were not at present rated up to the full ' amount allowed by~£ho law. Mr Seddon said that lie thought the reniedv was for the three local bodies to borrow the monev required under the Loans to Local Bodies Act. They could obtain it f: from the Government at per cent, paying this for forty years, and then being free. The interest would amount to some £lO per ■’ year for each body. In the present year there was certainly going to be a very large reduction in the public works borrowing and public works expenditure. Loans asked - • for by local bodies would, however, bo al- ,■. lowed, 'and if the bridge was not' worth £lO per year each to the three local bodies, it was hardly worth hurrying about. '(. ■ THE NOXIOUS WEEDS ACT. Messrs Briggs, -Watson, Hillier, Stanley, Jackson and Nunweek waited upon the Premier with regard to a patch of Cali- - fornian thistles in a paddock adjoining the •Harewood Road. Mr G. Witty, M.H.R., who introduced them, stated that the piece of land in that quarter had been thrown up by a Crown tenant. The section was covered with ’ Californian thistles, which were spreading:rapidly, 1 and the deputation asked : that the. Governor entsbouldi use it as an ex-, peri-mental;’ station to discover some means of eradicating the pest. ■ -■: ■ Mr Seddon replied-, that the land had been purchased as a site for workmen’s homes, - and it could not bo used'for any other purpose. The method 1 of eradicating Californian thistle Was well-known, and the Department of Agriculture could supply full information. on the matter. He would draw . the attention of the Minister for Lands to the matter, and tell him that the Government must not be a party to allowing land ,to be a nuisance to the neighbours. The State should: observe the conditions of the Noxious Weeds tAet just as private indi- ■ viduals were compelled to observe, them. •- TREE SECONDARY EDUCATION. - Ms T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., introduced a large-deputation .representing: the Canter- • bury Trades and , Labour Council, the. Women’s Institute, the Progressive Liberal Association, the Socialist Party and the Socialist Church. He said that the depu;i,. tation wished today before the Premier the • position in connection with the Christchurch High Schools, into which the ' Board of Governors had declined to, admit free pupils under the Government scheme. Mr Ford said that the expenditure on the Girls’ High School was £2070 and the attendance numbered 140. Of the £l6 ' spent on each pupil, £4 came from public sources and £l2 from fees. In the Boys’ High School the expenditure was £4533, or about £25 annually on each pupil. Of this about £ls came from public sources . and £lO from fees. It was a very grave i injustice that the High Schools, with their large public endowments, should have becoiuo schools ‘for the children of parents , who could afford to -pay something for . the education provided- and who -wished to 7. -distinguish themselves from the “masses.” Mr E. Cohns said .that the workers’ » children-had the same right to benefit by. i - the High School endowments as had the , children of the wealthier people. He ’ hoped the Government would nest session make it compulsory for the Board to accept the Government’s proposals. . . h Mi- H. Atkinson said that .under the present conditions it was impossible to get a Board which would' he democratically

representative. The Board should be elective, ! and in the, meantime, something .should bo done to bring it to a more reasonable frame of mincl. Mr J. M’Cullough said that the Government should veto the Education Board’s proposal to establish, a District . High. School in Canterbury.. It would bo very unjust to leave the present- High Schools, with their large-public endowments, to be used solely by a class. ■ Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R., said that Canterbury had larger endowments than any other "of the .provinces, and the people resented strongly the action- of the Board of Governors in depriving them of the benefit of the Government proposals. The constitution of the Board should.be changed. Mr Seddon, in replying, said that tire

Government proposals had effected a good deal, and his only regret was that they had not gone far enough. Under the present arrangement, some distinction was made -. against the free scholars, and the- Govefn- - ment had tried to avoid this. The income

from endowments rightly belonged to the ■ whole of the people, and it should not be used' for the benefit of a few only. It had been, intended by the Government to appoint a Royal Commission, to go round the colony and obtain information regarding : the High Schools, the amounts received ■ from endowments, the number and age of the children in the .schools, and the degree of their scholastic attainments. He had, however, found that there was enough information to hand already to warrant the ■ Government proceeding in the matter. When at Rangiora, he had seen that the High School was crowded out, and number's of the scholars Avere nine and ten years of age, 1 doing , second and third standard Avork. ' These pupils should bo turned out, .as their ' places Avefe in the primary schools. The gentlemen constituting the Christchurch Board of Governors wero departing from ■■■'■ the spirit of the founders of the province in taking the endowments and using them for a class. If people paid for special education, they Avould be, of course, entitled to i,7 it; but at present people avlio Avould not send their children to the primary schools took advantage of endowments belonging to the public. Fifty per cent •- .of the cost of educating these v children' was 'paid by the public.

■ The Board of Governors had stood out V against the Government proposals, although other districts had adopted the scheme and been very pleased with its working. This - matter must be dealt with, and would • probably require a law to make free secoud- . • ary education under the Government scheme compulsory. Tho step already taken must be put in a concrete form. He did not 7 ‘ intend to nationalise the endowments for

secondary education, and lie would not disturb the provincial endowments, but tbe Government ought to see that the greatest possible good was obtained by. each- district from these endowments. The Canterbury pioneers would be very much surprised Vould they see how their endowment schemes"ha-d worked out. For his own part ho would, like to see every election con-ducted-on the Parliamentary electoral roil, and the colony and Parliament would he asked to consider a proposal to alter the

constitution of the Boards of Governors in

- the direction of popularising them. With V: ; regard to the present vacancy on the Board ofGovcrnors in Christchurch, he would tell ■:y the Minister of Education that it was the Government’s desire to placo there a man

who would carry out the wishes of the people. An educated democracy was the greatest protection any country could have, and it was the duty of the Government tosee that the children of New Zealand received an education equal, if not superior to that given in other countries. The Government would endeavour to do its duty in a way that would give satisfaction to the great mass of the people.

The Premier then said that he would like to touch upon another matter. At the present time the colony had to import its dairy experts and veterinary surgeons at' considerable expense, and often quickly lost them, owing to their accepting appointments elsewhere. This had caused the Government to come to the conclusion that it must either send young men Home to be trained, or train them in the colony. He had that day paid a visit to Lincoln College, and no one regretted more than he did that the institution had not fulfilled all that was originally expected of it. He had suggested to the Board that it would be as well to give him a statement showing what staff and appliances would he required to enable the College to train youths as veterinary surgeons and fit them to take the usual degree in the University. . Probably only two more instructors on the staff would be required, and even if, subsequently, the buildings had to- be enlarged, it would be a. good thing for the colony. It was a reproach onNew Zealand that it should have to- go abroad for its experts. He hoped the matter Would receive the consideration its importance demanded, and that, if possible, Lincoln College would be popularised, and tho people given something in return for the endowments. A TRADES COUNCIL DEPUTATION. A -deputation from the Trades and Labour Councils of the colony waited upon the Premier, being introduced by Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R. It consisted of Messrs H. G. Ell, G. Laurenson and T. H. Davey, members of Parliament, and Messrs E. Gohns, J. M'Cnllough, H. R. Rushbridge, C. Taylor and W. Newton. Mr E. Gohns, President of the Christchurch Trades and Labour Council, stated | that at tho Conference of Trades Cotncila, recently held in Grcymouth, the executive had been recommended to interview?' the Premier regarding certain matters affecting the interests of labour. These Councils represented 20,000 workers throughout the colony, with dependencies representing fully 200,000 more, so that they could almost claim to be tho Labour Party in themselves.

Mr J. M’Cnllough said that the Conference had singled out for its platform six planks which the workers considered to be of paramount importance. The first was a State bank of issue, a matter which was of special urgency, because Parliament would shortly be called upon to make fresh arrangements with respect to the Bank of New Zealand. The Conference had wished this bank to be taken over absolutely and entirely for the people of the colony, and it had circulated a petition, which he believed would impress the Govemmerit with tho_, fact that this was regarded by the people as a really live question. The second plank was the stoppage of further sales of Crown lands, and the periodic revaluation of all lands held under Crown leases. The Labour party looked to the new Parliament to redeem the past and save the colony from the folly of any further sales of the national estate. Tho third plank was the extension of the municipal and county franchise, so that the Parliamentary electoral roll should be used in all elections of local bodies, and the fourth the referendum with tho initiative in the. hands of the people. The fifth plank was of special importance. It was a Department of Labour Bill, to give the Department the right to collect reliable statistics from all sources. The sixth was State fire insurance. The Labour party claimed as a right that Parliament should be given an opportunity tn consider the reforms suggested. Mr Rusbrklgo said that the Conference had also suggested several other reforms. He was very glad to see that an inspector of awards was to be appointed in connection with the Arbitration. Court, and that the Premier had said that preference should be given to unionists. The Conference had also asked that Conciliation Boards should have authority to make- temporary awards, that Magistrates should have power to adjudicate on all breaches of awards, and that there should be fixed times for the sittings of the Arbitration Court, that parties asking for an 'adjournment' should pay costs, and that it should bo compulsory on tbe Court to deliver an award within thirty.days of the closing of a ease. The Canterbury Trades and: Labour Council had recommended that “incompetent ” certificates should be limited to persons physically incapable or incapacitated by accident or old age, that compensation should date from the time of an accident, with- full pay for four weeks, that in case of an accident employers should supply medical first aid, and that the amount of compensation should be computed on the wages earned. ■Mr 0. Taylor said that the Conference asked also for equal paydror equal work female and female workers, and for certain; .amendments to the mining laws. It alsoasked for three amendments to the, Old Age Pensions Act; —(1) That the amount of tho pension should be raised to 10s per week; (2) that miners who should have worked underground for ten years sliouldbe entitled to a pension at the age of sixtyyears; and (3) that any person incapacitated through sickness or accident should be entitled to a pension. Mr Newton asked, that the Government should make a grant towards erecting, Trades Halls-in the centres of the colony. He also urged the restriction of trusts, and suggested that the Government should undertake the manufacture of boots and clothing. The quantities required by men in the Government sendee would alone justify this venture.

Mr T. E. Taylor supported this suggestion. The Premier said that be had listened Avith attention to what had been placed before him by the members of the deputation. If all the questions submitted Avore to receive the attention Avhicb their importance demanded, a special session of Parliament AVould be necessary. Regarding the. Bank of New Zealand, there were three Avays of dealing Avith it. It might be turned into a State Bank, the colony might enter into a partnership Avith the present shareholders or the guarantee given by the colony nine vears ago might be renewed on conditions similar °to those now obtaining. He did) not think that the-country Avas ripe for a. State Bank. , There Avas, moreover, no use disguising the fact, that the shareholders had a purchasable interest in the institution. The State had done the right, thing in coming to the rescue of the bank, and its action bad been of very great benefit to) the shareholders ; but it Avas impossible now to take away from the shareholders Avhat the State had previously given to. them. If the Government withdrew all its business from the Bank of New Zealand the bank Avould not be very seriously affected. It Avould surprise many people to hear Avhat a small proportion of the bank’s profits came from the- Government business. By far the largest part of the profits Avas madqjjn London. He did not think it, possible lb make the Bank of New Zealand into a State Bank, nor did he think Parliament would carry a measure in that direction. A Government could not go ahead of public opinion, and for the present li a belie\-cd the most public opinion Avould do Avas to support the Government in entering into a partnership, so to speak, Avith the shareholders of the bank. The fact of lb© Government being behind the bank would maintain the strength of the institution. It Avould be necessary to avoid anything like a crisis, anytnmg that would alarm the financial Avorld or shake public confidence. It Avould have to be a considcra-

tion Whether a dividend should he paid irrespective of the condition of the institution. If the shareholders received 5 per cent while the process of filling the void created at the time of the last crisis was going on, those who did not think this altogether right could not under the present arrangement stop it. Regarding the conduct of the bank itself, it had been his duty and his pleasure to see every possible contingency provided for. What amount the Government should put -behind the bank, whether a given amount for a fixed number of years or a -given amount reducible through a given number of years, was a question yet to be decided. He could say at once, however, that the amount which the Government guaranteed at the time of the crisis was not now required. If .the bank were an ordinary bank of deposit. and issue the deputation would nob be asking anything unreasonable. But if they asked him to remain Colonial Treasurer and head of the Government with a State bank carrying on, the commerce of the colony, ho would have considerable hesitation in acceding to their request. It was a politically -managed bank that had brought about the previous crisis. The Government favoured a sort of partnership with the hank, but when the matter w° s before the House all members would have the opportunity of proposing amendments, and of assisting in the completion of an acceptable scheme. If he found that his present opinions were unsound he would not be ashamed to admit it. _ He was entirely at one with the deputation regarding tho leasing of Crown lands with revaluation, hut there was a great deal vet to be done in the education of the people before such a proposal could be carried. His own view was that it would be just as much as the Government could do to hold on to the three methods now in vogue of disposing of Or-mvTL lands. It might -be difficult to prevent the Houses giving tenants the right to convert their leaseholds into freeholds. On this question the country Liberals were against him, and he was amazed at the selfishness of the people who wished to kick away the ladder by which they had climbed to prosperity. The Government had already introduced a Referendum Bill, and it „ would introduce it again. It would be best, however, to leave the imtiatn out for tho present. With the initiative attached. he was afraid tho Referendum BiU would not get very far. He did -not think that legislation was required with regard to the Department of Labour, and he could nob agree that the figures' supplied by the Department were unreliable. The Government had agreed to appoint an Inspector of Awards, and this- would achieve the end aimed at by the labour measures. A State Firo Insurance Bill would be introduced into Parliament, and he thought the Government had now sufficient information, to warrant its passage. He believed the best English companies would be very glad to work with tho New Zealand State Fire Insurance Department. Regarding Conciliation Boards, he thought that an attempt should be made to reinstate the Boards in the position they originally occupied. The other labour matters mentioned by the deputation were policy questions, which would have to go before Cabinet. He had always supported equal pay lor equal work. Regarding the old age pensions, he did nob see his way to support the- increase to ten shillings a week. The present cost of the pensions was £210,000 a year, and the increase in the amount would mean another £IOO,OOO annually. He did not wish to endanger what -had already been gained, and, although the old people were probably hard pinched on 7s per week, they would be much worse off with nothing, at all. In Australia, some of the States had allowed 10s a week, and had been forced later to retrace their steps. He could not support the extension of the pension to other than old people. He sympathised with the people who were incapacitated through their cmplovments, but the number who might claim "pensions under the proposed system would bo absolutely indefinable. The erection of Trades’ Halls was a matter for the municipalities, and he would be prepared to increase their powers, so as to- allow of ■their using their funds ■ for such a purpose. It was true that the Government had made a grant to the industrial associations, but that had been on a special occasion, - the money being intended to assist in- an exhibition. Regarding the Government manufacture of clothing and boots, there was a precedent for this in the iState coal mine, and he-had said, as Minister for Defence, that he was quite prepared to go into the business to-morrow. There would probably be somjt difficulty in obtaining a site for a factory/, but that, of course, could be overcome." In conclusion, he promised to give the:opinions and suggestions of the deputation his earnest consideration. THE BUILDING TRADE. A deputation from the- Builders’ Associations’ Federated Council, representing the Builders’ Associations of the colony, then interviewed the Premier. It consisted of Messrs J. H. • Holland and James Gregg, president and secretary respectively of the Federated Council, Mr H. Otley, president of the Christchurch Master Builders’ Association, and Messrs R. Scott and John Grigg, vice-presidents of the Christchurch Association. Mr Holland stated that the Council had met in Auckland, and decided to ask for certain reforms. An alteration was required in the Lien Act. It. was nob desired'to interfere in any way with the labour laws, but, under the Act at present a contractor had no claim upon buildings which he had constructed, and this led sometimes to grave injustice. Then, with regard to the bond required under Government contracts, many men did not like to ask their friends to sign a bend. They would be- willing to make a cash deposit. The Government might well make it optional to deposit a bond or cash.” As to the 25 per cent kept back on Government contracts, this, was too much. Ten per cent would meet the case. There was great difficulty regarding the conditions of contracts. All sorts of conditions prevailed. , The Council suggested that Parliament, might draw up conditions, to be embodied in a Bill. Finally it would like to see an arbitration clause in Government contracts. Mr Seddon said that he- would see- w/iafc could be done regarding the Lien Act. The request that a contractor should have some claim bn buildings which he had constructed seemed reasonable. He saw no objection to cash being substituted for a bond in Government contracts, and would submit the matter to the Minister of Public Works for his favourable consideration. Ho would have no objection to conditions of contract which would give greater opportunities to contractors without prejudicing the State, and would lay this matter also before the Minister of Public Works. He- was, however, very dubious about an arbitration clause in Government contracts. In arbitration the Government always went to the walk He thought that the result of the interview would be an improvement in the builders’ position. DEPARTURE OF THE PREMIER. DEMONSTRATION AT LYTTELTON. The departure of the Premier from Lyttelton, for Wellington, on Saturday night, was attenefed by a demonstration which gave striking proof of his popularity in the chief port of Canterbury. A crowd of several hundred persons gathered on. No. 2 Jetty, where the Lyttelton Bras’s Band took up its post, and played as the express train, with the Premier’s carriage attached, drew up on the wharf. Mr Seddon was received by the Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr W. Ra-dcliffe), Mr G. Laurenson, M.H.R., and other prominent residents of the town. After alighting from tho train, he went to the band and thanked tho members for the

compliment they had paid him by turning out. 4 The Mayor then called for cheers for Mr Seddon. Before, doing so, he remarked that the Premier had been through Banks I eninsula, and had seen the land there suitable for close settlement, and it was to be hoped that Canterbury, and Lyttelton, and Banks Peninsula would receive great benefit from his visit. The cheers for the Premier were heartily given, as were cheers for Mrs Soddon, Mrs Bean and bliss Seddon, also called for by the Mayor. The Premier, speaking from the gangway of the s.s. llotomahana, said:-—Mr Mayor, ladies and gentlemen,—On each and every time that 1 have visited Lyttelton, whether in coming or going, there has been a cordial reception. I was pleased to hoax* the remarks of the Mayor as to my visit to Banks Peninsula, and I am sure you will excuse mc> when I say that there has been a shortcoming, a want of enterprise, on the part of the people of Lyttelton, of Christchurch, and of Canterbury, othenvise I should have been spying out that land long ago. I have seen for myself, and have satisfied myself, that there is room there for a very large population. (Applause.) There is no pax’t of Canterbury more fitted for close settlement than Bank’s Peninsula; but you will be surprised when .1 tell you that in the town of Akaroa, in ten years, there has only been an increase of nine youngsters—(laughter)— well, I should have said that, taking the population in ten years, 1891 to 1902, there was only an increase of nine. I say that that is a slur on Canterbury and on the Government, ' Having a broad pair of shoulders, I take some of the blamo myself. However, it is never too late to mend, and I say that my present visit to Canterbury will'be the most profitable for Lyttelton that lias taken place since I have been Premier. (Applause.) Because it follows that with the increase of the population of Bank’s Peninsula will come an increase in the traffic through the port of Lyttelton, and I have no hesitation in saying that the watering-place of Canterbury should be in the bays of Bank’s Peninsula. In me you sec wha.t a man may come to who contrives to work both night and day—(laughter)—but tie time will come when. I shall require rest and quiet, and I have pictured myself resting in- some of those beautiful bays. I shall not sec you again for three or four months. I shall, perhaps, have some troubles before I do, but this hearty sendoff, and the calm and placid waters that I shall go through,, are a good augury, I thank you, Air Mayor, for this cordial sendoff. I thank those who have come from Christchurch to bid me farewell, and I trust I shall meet you all again, and I trust that the good feeling now existing may ever continue, that the colony and this distinct may continue to prosper, and that in that prosperity Lyttelton and Bank’s Peninsula may have a share. (Applause.) I thank the Canterbury members who induced me to pay this visit, and especially your worthy member, Air Laurenson, and Mn T. E. Taylor, who, I thought, were leading me astray—(laughter)—but who have led me to do that which is for the good of the colony, and especially for the good of this district. I thank the people of the Peninsula, who treated me in the most hospitable manner. In fact, when I was there, I xvas told it was a case of the lion lying down with the lamb, .and that the millennium had arrived. (Laughter.) I hope that when I go through again I shall meet the same cordial reception. I will do my duty fearlessly in this matter, and bear my responsibility in a way that will, I hope, bring peace, contentment, and prosperity to all this fair land of New Zealand. (Hearty applause.) Cheers for Air Seddon were then again given with much heartiness, and, at the call of the Premier, cheers were given for the Alayor and Air Laurenson. As the steamer moved away from the wharf, the band struck up, and the crowd cheered a cordial farewell.