MR. SEDDON’S LAST SPEECH.

New Zealand Graphic, 27 June 1906, Page 45

MR. SEDDON’S LAST SPEECH.

(Melbourne “Age,” June 9, 1906.) The Federal Parliamentary Labour party entertained Mr. Seddon at luncheon yesterday at Parliament House. Mr. Watson presided, and all the Labour members of both Chambers now in Melbourne were present at the function. The health of the guest was briefly proposed by Mr. Watson, who expressed the pleasure of the party in welcoming a gentleman who had done so much for the prosperity of New Zealand. Mr. Seddon was loudly cheered on rising to respond. He said he had watched with tire greatest interest and sympathy the growth and work of the Labour party in Australia. He acknowledged the affinity between his work and that of the Labour party. He believed in a virile national life. But he also believed in putting humanity before theory, and in subordinating property to the interests and welfare of mankind. National life, high ideals, generous aspirations, were necessary, if a people were to become great or a nation to become respected abroad. (Cheers.) But where is your national life if misery st ilks through your land, if poverty paralyses your masses, and conditions of degradation prevail in their homes’ (Cheers.) You must try to better their material conditions. You must see, first of all. that bread and butter are placed within the reach of all. You must not allow to be reproduced here the conditions which unfortunately prevail in the Old Land —conditions which he had no hesitation in describing as scandalous—whereby, according to an undoubted authority, 12,000,000 of our own flesh and blood were reduced tfi starvation. (Shame.) That reproach should be removed from the Old Land, and never be permitted in the new. (Cheers.) Just fancy one-third of the artisan class over 65 years being a charge on public or private charity! We must take this as an object lesson, and shape our labours so as to avert from our children this heritage of degradation and misery. (Cheers.) He had many ties in, and much gratitude for, the State of Victoria, for it had given him a good woman, who was the best treasure man could have. (Cheers.) They might call him “autocrat,” “dictator,” and “Czar"—(laughter)—but he could truthfully say throughout a long political life he had sought only the advancement of the people whose destinies were in bis hands. (Cheers.) He had for years been the butt of much abuse and ridicule for venturing on what was called “ experimental ” legislation; but where was he to-day? (Cheers.) Mr. O’Malley: You are the greatest figure in the British Empire. (Laughter and cheers.) Mr. Seddon said that, without self-flattery, he thought he might say he was regarded now as at least one of the safest of the men. in charge of one of the Empire’s outposts. (Cheers.) Senator Guthrie: Yet not long ago you were looked on as one of the “ seven devils.” (Laughter.) Mr. Seddon: Yes. His opponents did venture on such an extreme description. (Laughter.) But, seriously, he would say to the Australian Labour party—adhere strictly to principle. The greatest curse of our day was the sacrifice of principle to expediency. (Cheers.) He was in Australia merely as a visitor, and was therefore precluded from speaking quite as candidly as he otherwise would, having no desire to arouse any internal controversy. But as Prime Minister for New Zealand —as Minister of Labour in that colony—he could say this, that whatever the labour legislation which New Zealand had adopted had done for the working classes, the class which had reaped the greatest advantage from such legislation was the capitalistic and land-owning classes. (Cheers.) Even his enemies were becoming converted, and those who some years ago would have put him to death politically—(laughter) —had now come to the conclusion that the devil they knew was better than the one which might come after him. (Cheers.) He was very pleased that the Australian Labour party had as its leader Mr Watson. (Cheers.) He did not say that because Mr. Watson came from “ God’s own country ” —■ (laughter)—but becamse Mr. Watson had demeaned himself worthily in a position of great power and responsibility. He was a man of whom New Zealand, as well as Australia, could rightly be proud. (Cheers.) He (Mr. Seddon) never gave advice which did not come from his heart; and from his heart he told them that times arose when they must rely absolutely on their leader or leaders. (Cheers.) occasions arose when a party must subordinate its own views of a situation to the general weal, as it was seen by the one in supreme command. (Cheers.) If that were not done cohesion would be impossible, and disaster unescapable. (Cheers.) He spoke as one who had had a great deal to do with the leadership of a party, and in that capacity he would say emphatically, “Judge your leader by results.” If these results were satisfactory, if they were conducive to public welfare, the masses behind the party should give it that credit and confidence which it deserved. (Cheers.) There was one mistake the Labour party was making. Senators De Largie and Dawson: We make no mistakes. (Laughter.)

Mr. Seddon: Well, he thought mistakes were always possible. He had just listened in the House to a graphic description of the relative positions in Parliament of the Labour and other parties. And he looked around him at the table, and, witnessing the strength of the Labour party, he asked the question, “Are you exercising on administration and legislation influence proportionate to yonr numbers, to say nothing of your intelligence?” (Laughter and cheers.) All he could say was that if they were in New Zealand, and in a situation parallel to that Which existed here, he would expect them to be exercising—of course, in a constitutional way—a very large influence in the affairs of that country. (Cheers.) That was an aspect of the situation which he would seriously advise them to ponder well. One disadvantage that bad to be contended with in Australia was ■at, or ought not to be, a question of party. It was a question of life and death

to them. Both here and in New Zealand aim - ■ uL-iaea and trusts were rearing tbeir heads, threatening to dominate not only commerce and trade, but aha the political sphere. (Cheers.) The result of any sueli domination mast be disaster to the country'. (Cheers.) He did not hesitate to say that the only power whieh could counteract their influence and annul tbeir efforts was the power of Parliament itself. (Cheers.) He could speak of his own colony and of America, too: and his view, confirmed by President Roosevelt himself, was that litigation and law courts were powerless against this evil. They must strike at the root, and where men sought the ruin of their fellows, carrying degrading conditions far and wide, the offence must be met by maintaining the offenders in a Government institution at the public expense. (Cheers.) As regards settlement of the land*. New Zealand recognised that the land was the life of the people, and that those who hold the lands of the country hold the lives of the people in their hands. (Cheers.) If they permitted the land of the country to be absorbed by the few, they would reproduce in Australia the experiences of the Mother Country. Why, out here no humane man would house his eattle as human beings were forced to exist there. (Cheers.) And the rents were simply enormous. Why did this awful contrast exist between boundless wealth and extreme luxury on the one hand and the prevalence of misery and wretchedness on the other—tire herding of human being like swine? Because the land was possessed by the few. (Cheers.) When he went through spacious districts within easy reach of Melbourne, where the land had been opened up by publicly-constructed railways, he was amazed, and his convictions strengthened that large holdings should be broken up if this country was to progress. The only sound basis of taxation was equality of sacrifice. There should be no unemployed here. Derelicts would always be with them, but they should 1® a minority. He would not say that work should be found for every man. even in developing a young country. But if the same capital which was wasted in unemployed men and women, each worth £.‘>oo, were sunk in idle buildings or machinery, a great deal would be heard of it. (Cheers.) In the interest of the human mechanism —the noblest and most perfect yet created—he said solemnly. “ Put it to work, so as to make the best use of it.” (Cheers.) Mr. Seddon then dwelt in detail on some social reforms effected in New Zealand, and concluded amidst loud eheers. In proposing the health of the chairman, Mr. Seddon, having again complimented Mr. Watson, referred to Mr. Deakin as a “ noble character whom he loved very much.” In the interests of Australia, as well as in its own interests, the Labour party should be moderate and ask only for such reforms as comoteod themselves to the people. If they went to extremes, they would awoken fear, and fear would delay reforms. Extremists might be admirable characters, but they were not always worldly wise. As “the old man” of New Zealand and a weaker—for h* would be a worker to the end—he urged that they should adopt such measures a* would give their people plenty of work and adequate returns for their labour, (Cheers.) They would best attain that object by being careful and moderate, and not to bar progress by asking too much before the people bad been educated up to it. That was his advice as an old man experienced in public affairs, and one wh« wished the Australian Labour party well. (Cheers.) Mr. Watson, in responding, acknowledged the many useful lessons whieh had been furnished by New Zealand legislation to those who were advocating reform* in Australia.