MR SCOBIE MACKENZIE AT TEMUKA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 24

MR SCOBIE MACKENZIE AT TEMUKA.

Addressing a large gathering at Temuka on ! Friday night oa the occasion of the Rhodes pre- • aentation, Me Scobie Maokeizie, after putting '• his audience in boisterous good humour by reply1 ing to remarks alleged (by the chairman) to have been made about h'm by tae Temuka Leader, proceeded as follows : — He had accepted their invitati n to bo present at their gathering that night with very grest pleasui'a indeed. It was , a pleasant sight at all times to see one's fellow . men combining to do honour to r-omoone who had performed the task of faithfully representing their views and worttily fighting their battles. — (Cheer?.) He spoke truly i when he *aii . that he thought nothing • of the fact that their guest of the evening had " been a defeated card-date at the lasb election. " Political life was like every other phase of life : -it wss full of ups and downs. The man who iv : social life treads an evcu, flowery pa l h, who I haa to suffer none oi: the buffets ot foitui.e, cau j hardly do other than turn ouS a poor creature. I (Laughter.) He knew well what ihey wero ! laughing at, but ho did not mean the remaik ; to tefer to another get of "poor creatures" to , whom he had alluded in the House. — (Renewed \ laughter.) In the matter of ups and downs he j suspected it was the saTae with the politician. ! To develop a good stiff fibr<>, whether moral ; or mental, be mu6t be buffeted ab^ut a good | deal on the ntormy sea ot misfortune. It may be a disagreeable experience at the time, but it braces the nerves, and it is pleasaut to recall after you hs.ve got into smooth water, as he felt sure Mr Rhodes ultimately would. — (Applause.) They might be a little turpri?ei when he told them that he 1 believed he was in a position to explain i to them and to Mr Rhodes himself the secret of his non-success. They would be still more surprised wheu he told them that he had theteor?t from no lcsfi a mau thau the great Priuce Bismarck himself. There was a book of tahlp talk of hia published not very long a^o, ia which the Princo explained thit tho secret of his own success — which did not last to the cud, though — Jay in the fact that, he never carried I any principles about with him. — (Laughter.) , Thub meant that he never was troubled with a conscience. — (Laughter.) He said he was giving tbe exact words — that "he had often b~ea reproached for his want of princip'ei. But if he had to go through life with principles it seemed ]U9t the same jaa if he had to pass through a i narrow track in a dms 1 ! forest, witk a long pole in his month." — (Laugh tt-r.) They had most of them been through a New Zealand forest, and they could imagine what ir, mut,t be to carry a long pole in their mouths. — (Laughter.) They must either drop the pole or be content to make very little progress. He was afraid that his friend Mr Rhodes — he had sat m the Houso with him, and knew well — | carried a very long po'e itidfed in his mouth. — j (Laughter and app!au-e.) He did nob by any j means counsel him to drop that pole. Tfaab | would be equivalent to recocomendiug him to go over to the great Liberal party — (laugater), — ( which he was aure he would never do. But it j was just as w<ll to tell him that he carried the impediment about with him, for people who weie born with ib were often not in the lca«t aware of the fact, and they were apt to think everyone elsa would be handicapped in the same way ; which was a great mistake. — (Laughter.) He was sure they would agree with him tbat no oce of the gentlemen who for some years had been administering the public affairs in New Zealand had ever been seen with a long pole in his mouth. — (Laughter.) He would go further and gay that they had never been seen with a short pole, or indeed with a scrap of a pole at all. — (Laughter.) He thought tbat a sad face was at length being impressed on the public mind of New Zealand. — (Applause.) He didu't think their career would be anything like as successful as that of Prince B smarck, fcr except in the want of a conscience they didn't resemble him iv any other way. — (Laughter.) A I rugged sentence once fell from the lips of Carlyle which a'wajs gnve him (Mr Mackenzie) great cemfort. He sajs th*t th^ ficßt of all go»pels was that a lie could not ondurj for ever. That means that systematic deception of any kind could not endure. — (Applause.) There is a limit to it. Oae form tf public deception now and for some years past practised in New Zealand — and he C3u_ld never se9 that it wa3 practised wi'h any skill at all — was that which pretended that things which were donft for mere private purposes were done in the interest of the public. Let them take tbe banking inquiry of a couple of sessions ago for instance. '.Ihey would all agree that the public interes 1 ; demanded that tbe truth should be revealed. — (Applause.) There was a gre-\t parade i ra->.de of a desire to get the truth re- ', vealed ; but in the light of what had since transpired could anyone fail to see what a ghast'.y mockery the whole business of inquiry had beeu. — (Applause.) When Mr Seddcn had been attending that committee day after day, raising obj c*ions to it quiry and blocking up all the channels to discovery, was he there, did they suppose, in the interests of ! the colony or purely in the interests of himself j and hia Government ? Was bis object to get ; tbe truth revealed cr to get it concealed ?—? — (Laughter.) He was delighted that, though , there was'an element of opposition in that hall, ; they all so thoroughly agreed with bim. — ; (Laughter.) He would Bay nothing that n ; ghfc • that both sides didn't agree with. Then take j the recent Upper House appointments, and , apply the same test of public or private interest. The pretcrce, o" course, was that the appointments were made iv the public interest, tba 1 ; that the Upper House wanted strengthening — (langh'.er) — to carry the Government policy, though it had he. n csrried years ago with Irerceniicus majorities. The gentlemen selett-d were all defeated candiS dates. That wss always regarded in the eo'oi nies as ui"conßtitnlicnsl ; Iv". he pet small store , by tha*", n.s the defeattd candidates were often enough the b-sl men — (Laughter) Still, it was a doubtful qualifi 'ation that men should be fekcted because the ptoyl», had no confidence iv them. — (Laughter.) But locking to tbe fact that the men bai all b°en selected after th^ elections, that they had all been defeated, that they were all of the blindest, mest obedient — he might without cffciics say, most s'aviah — followers of tao Government, { could they believe thab they were appointed in the interests of the colony ? In other words.

did Mr Seddon say to himself "The colony will be the better of having these men iv the Council," or did he say "Thtse men hive been willing tools in my hands. The people have punished them for it, but I can reward them at the public < xpense, and I will do it" — (Laughter.) Of course they knew how it was. Did he (Mr Mackenzie) not j tell them that they would agree with every | word he said ? — (Laughter.) Private interests had beeu studied, and not tho interests of the colony ; and if every succeeding Government is to do the name thing, now the example has beeu shown them, what will the Couucil come to ? They might depend on it tha 1 if this sort of thing is to go on, and every Gove'iior is going to be as complaisant as Lord Glasgow ; was, the Upper House in time will come to be ; little better than an asylum for the c\re of the i imbeci'e. — (Liu.ahter.) But he didn't say that I with special reference to the last appointments. — (L-vughler.) Then let them look at some of Mr Scddorv's own appointment", and apply again tbe n»me test. He appoifit°d himpelf to a position on the A.sets Rea'isaton B ard a*; a salary of £250 a rear. — (A Voice : *' £300.") He (Mr Mackenzie) thought it was £250. Here again the pretence was that it was done in the public intertsts. These assets, to thu extent of millious, belonged to the colony, for the colony had guaranteed them. Did they really think M' Seddnn could materially assist ia tbe laborious task of getting them liquidated ? When in New Zetland he is for ever travelling on political business, and up to his eyes in work. 11° goes to Australia on a long visit ; ho is now off to the old country for six months — j A Voice : Does he draw the salary ? ! Mr Mackenzie : Does a duck swim ?—? — '. (Lauchtcr.) He wouldn't fee a Liberal if he 1 rMdn't draw the salary. — (L^Ujjliter ) If his friend who iutsrruptod him — th« iutecjecor was a leading prohibitionist — had bfteu in the hab't of tnking an occasion^ nip of whisky he would never have ask'd snch a question. — (Ro'irs of laughter.) They could sec. for themsflves the gross impropriety of Mr Saddon appoiniing himself to tbe. Assets Biardbythe Bushy Park incident. H-i meant, quite ap\r'u from the circumßtinces of the purchase. He did not intend to deal with tha 1 ; matter cow. It was scarcely right to level charges against anyono until they had all the facts before them. Tnere were so many people involved in the matter — the Government, the _A s s'dls Board, and the Land Purchase Bjird — "tb^f; tb.py would not be justified, in making asper-ious on any me of them until all the facts were before them as they would benex l ; fiecs'ou He was pret'y sure from his (Mr Maokflnzic 1 *) own knowledge of the lani that a full price had beon paid for ib, though that was not the i>oi> t at issue. Bub he thought that if Mr S-j^d <ti and Mr John M K>ozie wan r «d the cciv- try to take a favourable view of il tbev would do well to stop defending it. He wou'd rxp'ain by telling them r sbory. Th j ro were a couple of boys ones in Canterbury brought np before a courr. for a b f >yish prank thtt turned out rather of a serious character. They engßged a local lawyer who was also a politician to defend thun. Another lawyer — he wouldu't mention ntmes — strolled into ihe court and incid°n'al!y asked the olerk how the oaae was going on. " Oh," ?aid the clerk, "the biys are all ri^ht, and the sympathy cf the court is with them. But, if that mm goes ou defending them much longer they'll get in for it." — (Laughter.) It was pretty much the same in the present case. If Messrs Seddon and M"K>nzie go on d"fending the matter in the utyle they have been doing, the who'e clony will come to the cor elusion there's something very far wrong in it indeed. \ Hp, however, lnd n(; present nothing to say ! fiboufc the merits of thecise. The point is that Mr Seddon had no right to place bimBtlf in Hush a position thut rightly or wrongly he could be ac(U=ed of selling the coleny's estate* to a colleague or to the sojs of a colleague — (App'ause.) They would see it was a new dop&rturp, and it was inconsistent with his duti-s as Premier. Agaiu, he would ask the question, Wan the appointment in de in the colony's interest, or in Mr fWdm's own. The quesMonwas becoming monotonous — (laughter") — aud so wss their rpmarkablo assent to it. — (Laughter.) He would tike another thing and apply the test again. Take tbe question of parlianvnfcary re u-ns. They would see tbat the Hansards of the last few years wcce full . of bit'.er complainfc3 t.hat returns asked for wer« being coTStanfrly refused. Did they know that one of the *p r cial functions of Parliament was to get information to lay before the country to guide its opinion as to how the administration was being conducted There was hardly any function more intimately conmebad ■with the liberty of the individual. [He.-c the speaker give instances of how necessary it; might hi for aa individual to ask his representative to get returns on particular masters affecting his interests ] These were small matters, but they showed the value of the principle. Lot thorn take the tariff as an example. A couple of years ago a new tariff was imposed which, the Government declared, was only imposed to correct anomalies. The Opposition declared it was for tbe purpose of screwing som° more t*x\tion oub of the colony. ' Ih was found that thp revenue increased from the moment the tariff began to operate ; after three-quarters of the ypar had ,#one by the cnMonas revenue had increased by £79,000 Yet the return asking for the particulars was refused. It was the same with tbe request askiug for a full return of the travelling and other expenses of Ministers. Th^re were ] circumstances, of course, which would warrant the refusal of returns. In England the Government would be justified in refusing information which nvght embarrass them iv the'r foreign policy ; and here they wouVl be justißrd in refuting returns the expense of which would be out of all propcrt : oa to their value to the people. In all other ca«es when the representatives of tbe people ask for returns they ought to g^t them, and in the past they always had got them. The other day two Ministers defended the rffusal of these things on the ground that they were wanted for the purpose of ming them against the Government. What t-l-e would they be wanted for, he would ask. Tb&t was the intention of the Constitution, to enab'e the | people to j'idfje how their affairs were being ' c?nduc'ed. Of CDtirso ths Government tliem- : pelves had not the power to refuse returnf. ; The quest : on vras Rut to the vote, but for years past the G'-vernment following h<ul ; been so slavish tha 1 ; they had always supported the icFu c al. He thought things would be dif1 fer-nb now. — ("Applause.) Ouce more he asked them the question, were these returns refused ' in the interests of the cjlony or in the p raoual intce^ts of the Gavernmcnt? — fAop'ause.) Didn't he tell them that they would agree with everything he said that night ? — (Laughter.) Then the Government were always boast'rg of their economics and their surpluses. Were their econoniiss prjvctis-d ia the interests of the colony or the individual ° He would give a ', couple of iilustrat'ons. They were perhaps email ones, hut small things often indicated the direction cf the wind. A month or two ago a co-operative labourer — a tradesman — was working for the Government iv Dunedin at a build-

ing The man fell and broke hifi ankle, and had to be taken to the hospital. His" wife was left with 13 children and absolutely no means of subsistence. He (Mr Mackenzie) wired tho Minister for Labour to ask if a few shilliug* a week could be allowed the family of. their own workman till the mau cMn^ out of the hospital. Mr Hall-Jones was acting Minister at the time, and he replied that he would bring the matter before tha Cabinet — (Laughter.) He was not complaining of Mr Hall-Jones, for he seemed to him (Mr Mackenzie) to be very courteous and attentive, though it was, of course, ridiculous to bring such a thing before the Cabinet. After some weeks had passpd, and some more solicitation, he gob a compassionate allowance of £5 granted. — (Laughter.) Again he would say he was not cornplaiuiug. He wrs th&ukfnl tor the mouey. They might bo surprised why he should go into all this, but he would explain. He would give another picture by way of contrast. The other day Parliament met for throe or four days. It was necessary to elecb a Speaker, for tb.it is constitutionally the first necessnry act of a new Parliament. The Premier then wen'/ on to propose the election of a Chairman of Committees, who has a 6ftli»ry of £4-00 a year. A chairman is noi; in the least degree uectß3ary, for anyone can be voted into the chair. Bu*; the point io. the present case is that there wa3 uothir.g at all for a paid chairman to do during that short rospion. The oCSce would nob be required for pix months, and the proposal was made that the offi^p should not bs filled until nsxt session. Mr Stddou. irsiited, aud carried the day by vote. He (Mr Mackenzie) was not finding fault wiHi tbe Chairman, who was a personal iriend of hi* own, or with his salary. But if £5 was fill that in the public interest could Ijc doled out to a starving family, did they think th%t £200 [Mr Mackenzie later on explained that the net amount waa £SJO, as the honorarium is not paid to a Chairmau] could bs paid to a Gjvernm i\\ follower who could give no seivicea in return for it? Hi would ask th=s old question, Was t!:e £80 given in the public interest, or in the interest of the individual follower of the Government? — (App'ftuse.) Now, had ha said anything that night that they o'iin't agree with r" — (Laughter.) Mr Mackenzie then went oa to point out that the contequences of tho pr-sent state of things was disastrous in many ways, but not leaat to the state of public EDoralitj', which ho declared to be now on a lower level than it hud ever been in the history of the col my. Tnc p'ime authors of the lnis^hiof were not th? Government, but the ueopla, who for >ear«i past had sent men to P.irliameut who would givo flavi.'U support ro anything th^t was proposed to them. Suc'a as the people were, so would its Parl amtnb b<\ They complained *hafe th" Premier was an outocnt, He (Mr M-vckenzk-) bad never thought h ; m anything ot the kiad, He was o lly iuilocralic so long us members were sent to Parliament with instructions to do what they we c told. Tae install 1 ; any one of his followers :-howpd the slightest tendency to independence Mr Seddon fell abjectly on bis face before there, ai people ia Giloer!; and Sullivan's opera fell down before* the Mikudo — (Laughter.) In conclusion, he compelled them all to stand loyally to their party nud their principle", to believe that truth and honesty would win in the end, aud in choosing representatives to remember alway3 the truth of the words of Buri.s that the man of independent, mind was king of men for a' that. Tbe speaker wai warmly cheered on resuming his seat.