LIBERAL LABOUR FEDER TION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 31

LIBERAL LABOUR FEDER TION.

THE PREMIER AT CHATTO CREEK. PRESENTATION OF A CHARTER. (By Our Special Repoetehs.) OPHIR, November 29. When the train for Dunedin had leffi after the ceremonies in connection with the opening of the railway line, the Right Hon. the Premier left Omakau on horseback for Chatto Creek Schoolhouse, about seven miles and a-half distant. He was accompanied by numerous drag and buggy loads of people, and, though the road was very dusty, the length" of the journey wan not noticed, the many beautiful views o| the Manuherikia and Spottis Valleys, and. the Dunsta», Old Man, and St. Bathan< Mountains, providing absorbing interest.: Upon arrival at the Chatto Creek Schoolhouse, at 4-.30 p.m., the Premier was wel« corned by a namesake, Mr H. Seddon, thrf president of the Chatto Creek Liberal and Labour Federation, the members of the federation, and a large gathering of local people, the occasion being the presentation by the Premier of a charter to the branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation. The Premier was received with prolonged cheering, and he was then conducted to a raised platform in the open air. In asking the Premier to present the charter, Mr H. Seddon said he was echoing the sentiments of all when he said they were glad to give a most hearty weloome to their Premier to Chatto Creek. — (Cheers.) The Premier had been a great friend of the workers. — (Applause.) In their Premier they had one who had nofr perhaps -had a classical education, but he had learned the lessons of experience — (applause), — and h© was a man whose name would be handed down the years of the long future as a man who h'.-.d befriended and benefited the people. — (Cheers.) The Premier was the leader of the most progressive^ and democratic Government on the face*. of the carth — (cheers), — and New Zealand was the p|ck of the world, this prosperous condition being attributable to ths legislation of the present Government. Although the Premier had been in tho highest position in the. colony for 10 years his heart and sympathy was with the • workers now, as it was when he, was first elected, and this was shown by his condescending to come down amongst the cooperative workers of Chatto -Creek. — (Applause and cheers.) Mr Seddon, rising amid loud applause and cheers, said it was indeed a great pleasure to be with the people of Chatto Creek. Notwithstanding his long term of office in •the high position which he held, he "felt that day, with the great reception given to him, more humble than he did the first day, he entered Parliament. To have the goodwill of everyone that a man met was great satisfaction. It was not what they said, bufr the look of good,-feelihg that one could not mistake, and it was because he felt that' those before him were really" glad' to meefi him that he was glad to see and be near them. The reward was more than ample for anything he had don© for the people of the colony. — (A Voice : "No fear.") Out there he was speaking to men many of whom had seen better days, but weref willing to work for an honest living, and were doing a hard day's graft and earning' a fair day's wage, thus honestly doing the work of colonisation. He had known some of the best men and miners of former days going on contracts and familiarising themselves with the workers. He had known some of our best people, who considered it no great honour to thus go and address men who were working for contractors ; and for his part he felt it a great honour to ba addressing men who did not need a contractor. If there was anything in the work above wages, the workers were, in his opinion, better entitled to it than a contractor was. — ("Hear, hear.") He would also say that he was pleased to notice, as he came along the road and saw the tents, that they were making themselves comfortable. It was a proper thing to do. Every day's misery was a day's loss, and could never b© regained. He also saw on the road from Opihir— for he .was credited with being a close observer — the work that was being done on the railway, and he had no hesitation in saying that in his opinion the work was a credit to the men and would not cost more than if done by contract ; besides which, in his opinion, it was better done. — (" Hear, hear.") " I think we are now about square, boys," added the Premier, amidst a burst of laughter. Continuing, Mr Seddon said that his visit to Ohatto was more particularly to present a charter to the Chatto Creek branch of the Liberal and Labour Federation of New, Zealand — an organisation that in the pasfe had done excellent work for the colony as a whole, and, he might add, = had a great work before it; sine©, if ever there was* a necessity for combination with a view of holding on to the progressive laws the prese^-Govermnent had put on the Statute Book, now was the time.— i" Hear, hear.") "What was the condition of the country before Liberalism.?— (A Voice: "Slavery.") Take the matter of wages before the Grey Government came in in the year 1877. There was just a slight silver lining to the cloud during the time of the Vogel Government and the introduction of the public works policy in 1870 ; but true Liberalism came with the advent of the Grey Government, and he said that Sir George Grey's name and words would lire for ever in New Zealand. Sir George Grey struggled for land for the people. It was Sir George Grey's desire to see that everyone had art opportunity of taking his place on the land. He saw that in this country, then in its infancy a great power existed. That power, was that of the large landholders, who had acquired the best of the country. Those who held the land held an enormous power over humanity; and the fewer the holders the greater their power, and the greater the misery of the many. — (A Voice: "Well we know it !") Sir George Grey saw the danger to New Zealand of large tracts being in the hands of the few, and the struggle against that evil commenced. How had these large areas been acquired? In the North Island vast tracts had been bought from the Maoris for a few bottles of rum and blankets. In Hawke's Bay some of the land had been, paid for at Ss 6d per acre, and the best ol this was to-day worth £25 an acre. It was considered a godsend for the colony wheni capitalist companies came here and paid lOx an acre for land. 'JL'he Cheviot Estate was originally purchased at 10s an acre, or about) £70,000 in all, and when the Government bought it it paid approximately £270,000^ and it was a good bargain at that.- Sir G." 1 Grey's proposals for breaking dojra th£

•vil of large holdings were, first, manhood •uffrage. He reeoguised that this would be a means of checking the power of the large landed proprietors. Then came the question of representation on a population basis. He preached manhood stiftrage, equality in representation, and, in addition j wTand' this, in his (Mr Seddon's) opinion Was the s.tiongest plank in the Liberal policy,— representation on a population bam and triennial Parliaments He (the speaker) would .always look bac k with pleasure upon the wort of the Grey Government- He did not oppose there ever would bo another Cabinet which ™uld mrhitte three such men as George urey, £&** &U and John BaUance-names that would ever standout in }™ d *?^ c . f In the history of this c °l°^^%ZTL "Give thrc-e cheers for them.") When he ■(Mr Seddon) .went to Parliament from the wild west to represent the undaunted boys 'who digged for the yellow metal on the ■West Coast the general opinion was that there was a similarity to the state of affairs referred to in an old saying— in fact, one man said' that Seddon in Parliament was almost the same as a bull in a china shop. (Laughter.) Well, 'there was a bit of a B mash r -and if .some .of the unfortunate crockery— namely, the privileges and advan-. fcages gained at the expense of the people — ■went to pieces— well, lie did not object to s>eing termed Taurus— he -thought that was Hhe/Trord. These reforms proposed by Sir XSectrge Grey "had such an effect on tife people -that - when the Hall Government came into power it -had -to 'give effect to~ ■what the people- .wanted, ' It would be remembered' that- four Auckland.-seceders-inade a compact with the Hall Government, and although- be (Mr Seddon) thought that Mr Swanson and those who acted with him did wrong in making that compact, he lecogniwd that they wanted to obtain for the people their just rights. In that compact it" was stipulated that there should be manhood suffrage, representation on a gpopulation -basis, and triennial Parliaments. It was afterwards denied that such a compacb existed, but he had it as a fact from Mr Swanson, and though, he iMf Ssddon) withdrew* statement to that effect. It was quite true, and he held the proof of it since Mr 'Swanson bestowed Tipon him the compact by bequest, and the proof .was in his ' possession. This would show the peomo iheT'means vthat .the Conservatives and' Tories. would' descend: to to obtain office. They actually signed written con- : tract to get four votes from the Liberal garty. That fact could not be got over, [c (Mr Soddon) held the evidence of— rt£' and it wpulfl at -any rat©*' serve the jmrppso Df warning people'^thair they, needed' fry be on the watch. The opponents' of the Liberals were ever on the alert to destroy* the' people*!' rights. Then they had the Stout-Vogel" ■Government, 'and /during' its three yeas of office a great advance was made in the colony, more especially-; lri're- : £ard to v education.. ' In \ reference^ Jto the; Grey Government he. should^ have" said that that Government first introduced 'a* land , 'tax in~lhe colony. There existed a ornperty ; jtax, which gav;e relief *°^the wealthy ; ~ln»t.-' ■s o the unfortunate' struggling; settler,' tne mor« improvements ,he made^the more be." had- to pay., " Small settlement 'i wae previously choked off, -tut the introduction by Sir George Grey of the first land tax N in the colony was the first - start towards making 4hose pay who were .best able to p»y._ {Applause.) Well, the' Stou£Vogel i Government came into office. In -1887 it was defeated. He (the speaker) stood manfully by Tie Government-, in a battle ■ •■gainst a hundred adverse circumstances. ■■ Then; .with the of- 1890, came a revolution- in. the political world of the colony. There had been three years- of a , Conservative - Government in .power, and , with what results? It -was the -same colony, . .with the.*a'nie~natu*al resources and wealth, and the same- people,-- and yet 17,000 people; left th& colony more than came to it"-'in J less than three years. .Let them- compare : that with the present year, in which so fax in nine months there had been an increase of 21,1)00. But during "that former period the people were disheartened, and were leaving rhe colony as fast as they could; .when there was no work for them. There firere soup kitchens "and shelter *heds, and 2s M a day sent^ through the engineer-in-eharge io married men working for the Government, and 2s 6d for single men. Things were altered now. It was no profit for » country to have its working men .working for & bare -existence. — (Cries of "Hear, hear.")'-. When they -made euffi.cient to go ©n the land and work for them.- : serves tiacyrinade room for others, and 'the nor* men of that first kind a country had ■ the better -it wae for the Government. Though the Conservatives had fought hard , against it in ' this oountry, it was a fact. that the higher .- the wages the more a ; country prospered;, and yet it was i the people wbo benefited most-^he prope?:tytolders — who' ' were always 1 "' -crying -out ngainst high wages — those who were' Teaping tne advantage. These people hj^rin &ict, been elevated in spite of themselves . jnto positions of prosperity and "wealth, and if they did their duty they would endeavour to assist those circumstanced as 'thsy formerly had "been. — {Applause.) He , ihad told them the , change for the good of ; 'the colony that took place in 1890, when ; the., great Liberal leader, John Ballance, ! took =up the Telns of office. A short ses- ' fcion was called. Sir Harry Atkinson, head 'of the Government, resigned; the Ministers; and -went into opposition. A cession wa3 held on January _ 21, 1901, and the (Mr Seddon) was sworn in as a Minister "of the Crown, and the Ministry was given [ Bl days to live. The Ministry was written and spoken of as if a few days or weeks .•would see the- end of it, and one «puree of the Government's weakness wae hinted to ; be the member for Xumara, Mr Seddon. — VLaughter.) By the people of the colony, ' it was willed that that v Govemtnent should remain in uffice. It introduced .the Land and Income Tax Bill, which, as" 'compared with the Property Tax Act, -was a great improvement and a necessity. He .was not* sure that it was perfect, but perfection could not be' got without experience. -■ However, the amount the present Govern- ; inent " received from the land as compared; with property tax. and the class of people ; It got it from, proved the wisdom of the; -change. Mention of the graduated land tax [ was enough sometimes to bring forth a, strong ejaculation «o far as their Premier ; Ws -concerned. The aggregation of largo; estates had not, however, been stopped, jmd iney still went on increasing. He believed, however, that the time would come in this colony, and was not so far 'distant, when an act would be passed ip»kuuc ii gleg&l fgv any holders holding

large tracts of country now to be able lawfully to increase their holdings. — (Applause.) He believed it would be a correct and proper law to pass. When there were people who hold theso large tracts of country while thousands were unable to get an acre, he thought it time that an act of ' Parliament stopped the aggregation of these large estates. — (Applatise.) The co- j operative system Brought him to a very important part of the Liberal policy. Unfortunately for New Zealand Mr John ; Ballanoe was called away in his prime, but ; his name should be revered, and rightly so, for all time in the colony of New Zealand. — (Applause.) During Mr John Ballanee's term of office he (the Premier) introduced the co-operative syst&m for public works. — (Cheers.) A large number of men had gone to Mohikanui to .construct a railway from "Wcstport, and the contractor had refused to go on with the work. There were some hundreds of men in Westporfc penniless. — (A Voice • " That's so. I know it, Dick.") He had, when he got oh the spot nimself, said that sort of thing was not good enough, and he did not see why these men shculd be wanting work and the work waiting. — (Applause-.) So he , set tlie men to work, and the overseer who had been placed to watch -over the contra6tor was set to watch over the men. and ■ the co-operative system was estab- : "lisheck — ("Hear, hear," and*applause; and a Voice: "Good, old Dick!") His idea; was that the young and strong men would j ".work- for the old. He had a very high \ ideal in regard to what might be don© in j that respect, and so the. young and old j men were put .together. But he found that the young fellows would not work for the ; old ones.— (laughter), — and then he found •: that 'the eld ones were independent, and j did not want to be worked for. — tAp- ; plause.) Ho had to change his system, . and the result had been that the system } had gone on improving, until to-day it was .scientific in operation, and satisfactory to ; v tho Government — (renewed applause) — and* the men of the colony alike. — (Cheers.) j