MR SEDDON IN AND ABOUT THE HOUSE

Otago Witness, Issue 2727, 20 June 1906, Page 30

MR SEDDON IN AND ABOUT THE HOUSE

CEkou Oub Own Cohrespondent.) WELLINGTON, June 12.

Mv own acquaintance with Mr Seddon dates back to the time when his mentor m polities-, the groat Pro-ronsul Sir George Gr&y, with the feebleness of old age creeping on him, was taking a back seat in the Parliament, and the stenuous. shewrd_ pupil was just beginning to force himself into prominence. In thoso daye Mr Steddon's " mana" was not great, and though his ability was recognised, the country was not so democratic as it is now. His speeches were always r ull of excellent points, — indeed, ,he was marvellously quick at seeing a. point in debate, and he .arely if* ovo'r miesed a good one. But to the critical listener who knew his methods and his mannerisms it coull never appear that he \va« a really : groat oralcr. He was usually too diffuse, and though he bad certain ttricks of oratory, it was generally the manner and force with which he delivered his addresses, rather than their language or logical sequence that appealed to his audience. I have seen some of his own supporters quietly reading a book or a newspaper as ho was thundering out a denunciation, or suddenly found himself cut short in sn unusually wordy peroration by the Speaker's b?ll. Still, he could and did on occasions make an excellent speech. But his best efforts we.re generally on the platform, and not in the Parliament. Indeed, we of the press gallery had always to use the pruninc knife, and even to trim up badly-exprossed ideas or round off an unfinished sentence. The other features of his speeches wore his energetic gestures and his wonderful voice. He had undoubtedly great dramatio power, and we often used to remark in the press gallery that had he taken to the stage instead of the forum ho would still have made a world-wide reputation as a tragic aotor. In moments pf excitement I have seen him with swaying body and gesticulating arm work himself up into a profuse perspiration. I have even seen him throw a volume of Hansard or some other book from which he had been quoting on to the floor of the chamber, and his supporters and the Opposition against whom he was inveighing, would laugh in enjoyment as tho wonderful voice (reverberated through the chamber. Ho had a voice of marvellous power. You could hear him yards away through closed doors. A long debate, unduly protracted by the medioci ities, had probably almost emptied the House and the press gallery, when suddenly we would hear that stentorian vov*e vibrating through the House. " Seddon's up !" someone would say, and ihen pressmen and members and private secretaries would tramp into the chamber to see and hear the performance. Such declamations were usually made in the small hours of the morning, and, latterly they seemed to take a great deal out of the Premier, and to leave him with a heotio flush that quickly gave way when the excitement was over to an unnatural pallor. Under such circumstances any ordinary man would have gone home and retired to bed. But not so Mr Seddon. To the last he seldom spared himself, and ■ after such strenuous days and nights he would often go to tho Cabinet room and work for hours at parliamentary business [ or private and official correspondence. Ho was a man who took infinite pains to master detail. This trouble about mattox-s of dotai). while it no doubt contributed very largely to his success, made him work laborious days and nights, and I have no doubt shortened his life. Quite recently he slackened off somewhat in this respect, bm it was not from choice, but from physical compulsion that he did so. Had he had a commercial education h« would no doubt not have troubled so much about unnecessary detail, and would have conserved Jiis strength by a more systematic arrangement of hi& work. A well-known civil servant has told me that frequently he has appealed to him not to waste himself on detail. "For God's sake, Seddon," he would say, " let me do that. There's no u^e your wasting your time on such matters." But *nearly always the remonstrance was in vain. The Premier would laboriously \\ade through the whole matter till he had every detail a-t his finger ends. He worked strenuously himbolf, and he did not spare those under him. They often had a hard time of it. But anyone who became- closely associated with him, however much he might have disliked the stress and strain and the long hours, was usually loyal to the master ; and among all those who were thus closely associated with him in fair weather and in foul, non« was more devoted or more loyal than his late diplomatic private secretary, fondly known to th© boys of the Press Gallery «s "Tommy Hamer." Mr Harrier, by his diplomacy arid his sound and friendly advice, often saved his chief from troublous times.

On his way from the Ministerial residence to the House Mr Seddon had generally to run the gauntlet of billet-huntere and hangers-on to the Liberal camp. Sometimes he would stop and listen patiently to their wants or their grievances. At other times ho would wave them off imperiously, and with stately stride pursue the even tenor of his way. I have seen them waiting expectantly for hours in the hop© of intercepting him — a'l sorts and conditions of people. Sometimes he would meet an old friend who had only too evidently fallen on troublous times. For such he had always a cheery word or a hearty hand-shake, and often a billet. A Pre.-fi Gallery man whose pen I recognise in the Xew Zealand Times gives a. sketch of him in the House, thu» ; —

"It is question day. Member after member rises and speaks passionately and wearisomely about thic jrad that. A fiery topio appears. It is a sharp attack on the Government. Listless still, the Premier leans back in his seat, a bored faineant, so it seems, weary of things in general apparently. But h© stirs. He stands up and ; draws out his handkerchief like a conjuror, I and passes it over hie moustache. His eyes are heavy-lidded and weary, and say plainly, , ' It' 6 awfully dull, but it's my duty.' ' Point j of order,' he says, like an umpire calling i Over ' — a perfunctory flavour in the I phrase 4 Point of order,' — and he waits, j looking at the coiling, at *he galleries, any- ' where, still listless, still with the air of "This is tiresome, but it must be done.' The speaking member hesitates, appeals perhaps, looks anxious, and sits down. The point of order is stated. A wrangle ensues. Quip follows retort, and argument wrestles with argument, as the subject is threshed out. The Premier rises again. 'Point of j order,' and the same little business. It is | a fresh point of order. Twenty-five years j of the House make points of order child's ' play to him. He states his case and sinks I back in the cushions. The Speaker gives \ a. lengthy ruling in the Premier's favour, j He chuckles throatily, but with good ! humour, flings a triumphant jest at the ; enemy, and swtfg-gers out.

" Clad usually in tweed in the afternoon, his customary costume in the evening sittings was broadcloth and occasionally evening dres3. Often he was late, but 8 o'clock .usually found him on deck. On 'slack' "Ivenings he appeared and disappeared. Deputations beset him. A quiet night found him in a nomadic mood, and he stalled leisurely from place to place, entitling quietly to members. Tire cccafiional lollies that Mr Aitken used to distribute never found him repellant. He ate them with schoolboy relish. These olacid nichts he was little in evidence, and tho jiress prallery was nearly empty. A curious little trick »was his method of tre.itin^ telegrams. j Thc-v arrived incessantly. H» treated thorn j all in the same way. He tore oppn the i envelope, crushed it carefully, and threw !it away. He opened the message, perhaps j in the middle of a point of order.^r*ad it, folded it. and pushr-d it with a final air into the oblivion of his vest pocket. To this I mieht add that he had another curious habit of (paring: up and chewing: bits of writing pap°r. That was usually when ho was anfrry; or of drumming with hi.« finirei's on rhe desk when he was assailed by j keen criticism. He worked incessantly, and the only recreation he appeared to take was his horseback ride in the dusk. Alert, eternally vifrilant. quick to seize on weak points, merciless in his 'smashing' tactics, ever pregnant of surprises, he was always new. always* an anxiety to the reporters. I With him the House was normal and j healthy; without him stagnancy set in, and looking over the parapet of the gallery the press representatives wHi miss his picturesque and forceful presence. Bygone memories wijl float up to them, old scenes ! and old visions will come in the small I hours, and, tbo:ierh now greatness may come, the Housn will be dead. ir»»»rt, strange, a foreign assembly, and a derelict in politics — a rudderless waif on the meaningless ocean. of events."