THE COMMONWEALTH PEIME MINISTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16296, 1 February 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE COMMONWEALTH PEIME MINISTER.

RECEPTION IN WELLINGTON. ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME. WELLINGTON, January 8. The welcome given to the Right Hon. A. Fisher (Prime Minister of Australia) cm his arrival in Wellington this evening was of a most cordial character. SPEECH BY MB FISHES. WELLINGTON, January 8. Replying to tho address of welcome from the Labour organisations to-night, Mr Fisher saia : ""*1 had the privilege during my short stay in Auckland to receive a deputation representing the whole of the organised Labour bodies in Auckland, and to receive their welcome to this country, and also their good wishes towards the people of Australia. I am glad that you can present a united address to anyone at the present moment. If all that I have read were to be taken literally you are not in agreement on any question whatever. It is not so bad as that—it cannot be bad at all when you can unite even on an occasion such as this. There are great propositions in the world, politically and other. There is none, in my opinion, of such great importance as those which bind union to union, man to man, and woman to woman. My desire is to provide that all persons will get their due reward for the toil they expend, and that no person will get more.—(Applause.) During my 30 years in Australia I have seen many changes, mostly for the better. Some no doubt for the worse, as little setbacks ; but happily there lias been one. general state of progress, ameliorating hard conditions of the toiling masses and providing succour and comfort for those who are past providing for themselves.— (Applause.) You in New Zealand have no reason to Tegret the many Acts —social, industrial, and political—that have been passed through your Parliaments 20 odd years ago. It would seem that on the social side—if I may be permitted to say so_we have lagged on the steps of the temple, but if united organised Labour demand some new reform of utility and benefit to themselves and the whole community, there is no force in Parliament or out of it that can prevent your having jt.—(Applause.) The time has passed, i!n my opinion, when we need, any of us, to resort to force. ("Hear, hear," and a Voice: "Only Massey,") It is an intellectual struggle between those who have votes as to what policy shall prevail, and when any of us who are democrats deride Parliaments, denounce them, or say we would sweep them all away, we are, in mv opinion, unfit to compete with our fellow labourers intellectually. Each of you here, I believe, has a right to one vote and no more. If that is so, and we have a good case to present to an intelligent democracy, then we ought to win: but if we are divided in our counsels and divided in our actions, little wonder that our opponents may succeed. I am not deriding you, and I am not complaining, though I must, from my point of view, regret that von are not more united from one end of New Zealand to the other. — (Applause.) My suggestion to you is to berin to put your house- in order. Get together on a set of principles which you can agree upon and act on, and set out on a pilgrimage—a campaign—to explain to the people of this country what that platform and policy is until they understand it,, and then —but not till then—will you meet with that success, or partial success, which we have met with in Australia, and which I believe, without disrespect to otheT parties, is the best and safest course for a democratic community to pursue.— (Applause.) "Now, one word as to the future. The chairman made reference to the little services that his Majesty's Australian navy had' been able to render both to the commonwealth and to New Zealand in the South Pacific. That question was a bitterly debated one five years ago in Australia. To-day there is hardly a citizen of note or a representative alive in any Parliament who does not acknowledge that we did the right thing. I mention that fact for this reason, that it was most unpopular five years' ago. Many people thought the aim and object of the Labour party were separation from the Mother Country and to make Australia an independent nation. The feeling was tense and high, but if you have a policy that you think right, pursue it irrespective of the powers that are against you.—(Applause.) If you have the determination and the men to get before the people on the platform, it matters not if you have no mouthpiece through the press. The people can be reached if you have a story to tell them worth telling. On these grounds we were able to win in Aus- I tralia.

" Lastly, I have to ask a favour of you, and it is this: that your organised bodies in New Zealand ■will send representatives to the commonwealth of Australia to tell us what your conditions are here, what your aims and objects are, and go into consultation with the representatives of our organisations there for an interchange of views, because although you live, toil, and have your existence in New Zealand, the men and women in Australia are working under practically similar circumstances. We should know your conditions and your advantages and you should know ours. The day we have a free and comprehensive interchange of views on all social, industrial, and political subjects, that day we shall put our steps on the first rung of the ladder that will lead to abstract justice, if not equality among all men.—(Applause.) I think I am able to say that though this visit is primarily one of health and recreation, the outcome of it will be at the very least that there will be reciprocity between this dominion and the commonwealth as regards the payment of invalid and old-age pensions."—(Applause.)