SPOILS TO THE VICTORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2667, 26 April 1905, Page 17

SPOILS TO THE VICTORS.

Ibat reminded him that at one of the places yis.ted by the Premier lately he was asked for a vote for a public work, the deputation that waited on him pointing out that the district was not getting its fair share of the> public funds because it was represented by an Opposition member. And what did Mr Seddon say in reply? He said this: "Referring to the remarks of Mr Killen, h& would not hesitate to say that when all other things were equal it was unreasonable* and unnatural to expect, the Government to look with the same kindly eye on districts returning members opposed to the Government as on those which returned Government supporters."— (Laughter.) There it was in plain language, so that everyone, could understand it. And what was it? It was nothing but spoils to the victors. It was the introduction of th& American system of Tammanyism into the politics of this country.— -(Applause.) It meant the utter demoralisation of the public affairs of the country if that principle was adhered to and not nipped in the bud. — (Applause.) Jf a district was entitled to the expenditure of public money it should have it if tho finances of tho colony permitted, and the>politics of the district should be no more, interfered with than the polities of anyprivate individual. — (Applause.) The Premier's statement was an open admission that the moneys of the people of the country were being used for -party purposes by fhe> men who were, he believed, "driving this country to political perdition. — (Applause.) He hoped that when the opportunity camei the electors would set their face? against polif'cal corruption, and strike out this vile thing which was creeping insidiously into the public life of the co'ony. — (Applause.) That morning- he had received a letter fronm a friend of his — a labour leader in a northern centre, who, referring to the meeting, said : " Please remember the workers." Ho was strongly opposed, he said, to the policy of fieeho'd for the country settler?, and he went on to speak of the Government in language that was simply unquotable. It was not necossary, however, to remind] him (Mr Massev) to vomember the worker?, for ho was a worker himself — a worker with] brain and hand. Hi« sympathies were with the workers, and if ho- could do anything? to improve their position that thing would bo done — ( Vpplarse.) He know that a great deal had been mode of the fact that washes had l-"-on better in the last 10 years — 18P5 to 1905— than between 1885 and 1895. Iti mu-f bo admitted, however, that the purchasing power of money had r»een very much reduced. — (" Hoar, hear.' 11 ) While wages had) gone up in New Zealand 10 per cent., th<? necessaries of life, house renl, and otlie-1? ■expenses had gone up 40 per cent. — (Apdlsiuco and a Voice : '" No.") The real t^st of waw&s was, How much was left onl Saturday nig-ht after the necessaries of life had been paid for? — (Applause.) He knew this "wag a difficult question, but it could never ho solved by legislation. Legislations was all rieht as far as it, wont, and thei proper thinsr to do was lo try by every moans to -encourage expansion of industries nituril to the covmtrv — (applau-e), — and tliov-iiv brinor rannw into tlvo eountrv; and! if there iras. always a good demand foxi labour ivanc xi-o"7r1 Tv> n-nnri — I -VnnlaUSO.) ",