SPEECH BY THE PREMIER

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 53

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER

At the social gathering given on the 14th by the Newtown branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation, m Victoria Hall, speeches were given bv the Right Hon the Premier, the Hon Sir J. G. Ward and the Hon C. H. Mills. Tho Premier having been introduced by the chairman (Mr It. E. Bannister), wished the members of the federation, and all present, a bright and prosperous New Year. Tho people of New Zealand were prosperous, and unless they were they could not enjoy themselves as they had done during tho holidays. No one able and willing to work need want a bed or a meal in this country. (Hear, hear.) The outlook for the coming year was bright in the extreme. (Applause.) In his opinion, we should have, in respect to grain and other crops, the general average of the last four or five years. (Applause.) Tho Minister for Railways had prepared for a very heavy harvest, and he believed every waggon would be wanted for tho coming grain season. Speaking of tho South African war, Mr Scddon declared that there had been nothing to warrant the statements made by the German press against tho British troops in South Africa. (Applause.) Ho wanted them to bear in mind that theso charges of gross atrocities and barbarous conduct had been levelled against not only tho Imperial soldiers, but against tho sons of New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and, therefore, wo felt these charges hero as keenly as they had been felt by our kindred in the Mother Country. There was no

New Zealander who would be guilty of such atrocity or foul doing, and any statement of that kind could only meet with one answer. (Hear, hear.) Mr Chamberlain, in defending the British forces, had defended th© sons of New : Zealand and the sons of the Empire, and it was good for any country hat there were men like that who would ; stand up, and, no matter what pressure ; . was brought to bear against them, de- | ■ fend the honour of the Empire. Mr ; Chamberlain had cast no reflection up on the honour of the German Empire, but he had made a comparison, and the comparison was in every way in favour of the British forces. (Hear, hear.) Considering that these charges had been levelled against our own soldiers, every man in this country had as much right to j stand up and defend them as .nad Joseph. Chamberlain, and lie would be I surprised if they did that the people of j tin’s colony would not unreservedly mve I their support to men who stood by their ! sons and their Empire as Joseph Loam- ( berlain had done. (Applause.) Having | pointed out that the German press had be-->n encouraged by the attitude of cer- ' tri i British statesmen, Mr Seddon ! went, on to speak of the proposal that I there should he a boycott against goods j cf German manufacture, saying that he i objected to this because it would be uni British. But trade followed the flag, j and when Britain spent blood and treasure in developing the open-door policy, other nations came in and shared in tho advantages. There had been an opendoor policy in this country, but, so far as lie was concerned, be thought there might come a time when there would . not be an open-door policy; and if theso accusations -were to be made against our sons, there must be a preferential tariff, and by legitimate methods wo could teach those who made theso accusations a lesson they would i understand. (Applause.) Speaking of the revenue returns for the nine months, published that day. the Premier said the question arose, what would .hose people say now who had been talking about a 'shortage in the revenue ? These returns showed that the receipts • were higher by £189,000 than for the nine months of last year; and as the Government, by the Estimates, anticipated a less revenue than that of lastyear, there was, roundly, at the pre- : sent time a surplus of £200,000. (ApI Dlause.) The expenditure had been' ; kept well within the limits, and at the ! end of the year, notwithstanding the ' great reduction in taxation which had 1 been conceded, there would be to the j good, he anticipated, at least a quarter lof a million. (Armlause.) The finanj cial outlook for the year was very good. Tho Premier recommended the members i cf the branch to do more in the way of j social recreation —to establish a room : where books and papers might be read, ; and where they would have programmes of music regularly.