THE PREMIER IN THE NORTH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13545, 19 March 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PREMIER IN THE NORTH.

UNVEILING MEMORIALS TO NATIVE CHIEFS. RQTORUA, March 10. The Premier attended a banquet last night, 75 being present. The function was most enjoyable. The Premier, responding to a toast, spoke for nearly two hours, lie referred to the Factories Act and oldago pensions, dwelt, at length on the policy of the Imperial Government, and criticised severely its action in the past in not annexing the islands in the Pacific. He gave a peroration on the loyalty of New /•ealandcrs, and referred to the majority obtained at the last election and the beneficial acts passed by his Government. Ho was frequently applauded. He in no way referred to local matters. Tho Native Minister, in responding to the toast of the Native race, urged that they. should receivo more attention. They should he raised to a higher plane. He found no more loyal people in the colony to-day. The Premier unveiled a monument to the late chief Te Kecpa at Whakarewarewa. He paid a high tribute to the late chief and the Maoris as a race. About 2000 were present. The Premier and many others had lunch with tho Maoris. The Wairoa geyser was soaped, and gave a fine display. The Maoris gave a great reception to the Premier, and there were dances and hakas. The ceremony concluded after 1 o'clock in the afternoon.

The Premier unveiled a monument at Ohiucimitu, erected to the memory of the late Petera. A groat many visitors were present. The Premier received a great reception, and hnkas and poi dances were given. In unveiling the monument (ho Premier eulogised the deceased, and promised the Maoris he would lay before the Cabinet the matter of allowing them to fish in the lakes without a license. The proceedings lasted throughout the afternoon. NEW PLYMOUTH. March 12. The Premier and party arrived at New Plymouth this evening from Onehunga. The Premier went on lo Wanganui by special train, whence he proceeds to-morrow to open a school at 'Vox I on. Mrs and Miss Seddon go to Wellington by the Tiit&nekai. Whilst the Premier was in Auckland the New Zealand Government offered to place the si earner Tiilanekai til (he disposal rf (he French Consul at Auckland to proceed to Tahiti with foodstuffs and any other assistance desired for the natives who differed by the recent disaster. At. New Plymouth the Premier stated thai he had .i>ceived a telegram from the Consul at Auckland tendering wannest thanks on behalf of the French Government for the kind offer, and stating it had bron ascertained that the condilion of Tahiti natives was not as bad as had been reported, so any special assistance was not neccssarv. EOXTON. March 14.

The Right lion. K. .1, Seddon attended a banquet to Mr John Slovens, member for Manawatu, last night, In the course of his speech the Premier remarked that it had been stated that the public debt of the colony had increased by £35,000.000. He would allow that; but the public wealth had increased at the same time bv £70.000.000. New Zealand was now per capita the wealthiest country in the world. Its wealth was £30* per head—for man, woman, and child in the colony.—while in the Mother Country it was £300. The wealth of the colony was put down at £360,000,000, and the' State railways, wbich had cost £16.000,000, if placed on the market to-morrow, would realise more than half the colony's public debt. The postal and telegraph services, gauged by their market value, were worth the whole of the national debt. Vor the £5.000,000 lent under the Advances to Settlers Ant the State had securities valued at £9.000,000. Dealing with infant mortality, the Premier said that the Government would not, stop until it put trained nurses within the reach of every soul in New Zealand. There ought to be a thousand more nurses. That would mean a thousand positions for deserv. ing women, and the Government was going to do it, He had already asked the hospitals how many probationers they could take, in addition to their present number. H:e would consider the colony was justified, if necessary, in advancing moneys to hospi. taJs fo build nursing homes, so "that a doctor, finding a nurse was wanted anywhere, could send a message to the home and get one. Every adult in the country was calculated to lie worth between £200 and £300.

Touching on flax-grading, Mr Seddon said those who in the past had injured, and almost exlermintted, the businees should \k compelled to give a reasonable product; in fact, ho would go so far as to say that, in the interests of the industry, the colony sliould prohibit the export of flax unless it was of a given grade. It might be a drastic remedy, but it was a necessary one.

Referring to education, tho Premier said that during tho three vears from December. 1902. to Deccmlwr, 1905, the number of public schools had increased from 1708 to 1857, or by 149; while the average attendance had risen in the same period from 112,232 to 117.831, or had increased by 5599. The number of adult teachers had increased from 2957 to 3135, or bv 178: while the number of pupil teachers had decreased from 747 to 678. ■ This latter satisfactory result had been brought about by the operation of iho new staffing scale, which was first enacted in 1902. Under tho scale provided by the Teachers' Salaries Act of last year the amount paid this year would be £491,506. being an increase of £72.911 over the amount paid in 1902. In addition, the Teachers' Superannuation Act would enablo deserving teachers to retire at a salarv of not less than £1 a week. During 1905 the sum of £HO7 had been paid as subsidies on voluntary contributions to secondary and district high schoofe. The district high 6ohoo!s had increased from 38 to 58. The national scholarships were for tho children of parents whose income was not over £250 a year. There were now 84 such scholarships current this year (as well as 33 Queen's scholar?!)ips): so that there were nearly 120 places open for boys and girls. The number of school cadets'in 1805 was 14,115, against 4851 in 1902.