THE PREMIER.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12869, 3 January 1906, Page 6

THE PREMIER.

HARRY FURNISS ON MR SEDDON. la "Harry Furniss at Home," the wellknown artistic humorist's latest book, he gives an' occount of the doings of the Coronation year, and: the following passage gives his impressions of Mr Seddbn : The famous Premier of New Zealand was the only - comic relief of the distinguished visitors. Mr Seddon had easily beaten other colonial competitors in the great game for popularity stakes. He had caught the public eye, and, what is more important still, he had caught the public ear, pouring in speech after speech, morning, noon, and night- He called at South Africa on his way to England, and his admirable Imperial speech caused a sensation. He was interviewed on arrival, and continued expressing his opinions of our country, and, according to the , daily cablegrams, about Chamber- j lain's new policy: he has not finished talking yet. The great Canadian Premier, the lion of London society when royalty, last invited the colonial Premiers to London, we heard little of. Kings and princes came and went; Eastern -potentiates flashed through London's palaces and drawingrooms; -great men from all countries came here, and some are here still, spending a quiet time in private visits; to friends, enjoying .our quiet eountry life. Not so Mr ; Seddon; he returned, and is always np and doing, with a heart for 1 a"ny speech, still orating, still advising, learned in labour and. our state: ■ I was invited to a public 'dinner': to. the- colonials oh "one occasion during the season, and was advertised to make the* third speech—Mr Seddon, was, of course —the first. I had taken,- great pains in 'preparing mine, -devoting: considerable time to "thinking it tout." At the last moment .—perhaps in consequence ©f\this extra mental strain—l was seized with violent neuralgia, and. had '. to telegraph my apology for not being present. I was deeply grieved that I could not be present, to get some humorous copy 'ancLto let off that speech, for I was anxious to compliment Mr Seddpn upon;his:energyi?-and; in.''doing"so, to ..drag in a joke rabout his not leading a sedentary life. It so happened that the New Zealander spoke for an hour and a half; No. 2 was left with five minutes, and I should not have got a chance of getting in a word at all! When Macaulay's New Zealander sits on the ruins of Westminster Bridge, I venture to prophesy that he. will .tun* out >to be Mr Seddon—still talking. - .