The Right Hon. Sir Geo. H. Reid.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 25, 22 June 1910, Page 2

The Right Hon. Sir Geo. H. Reid.

FIRST HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

By

H. STEAD

in the “Review of Reviews.* 9

J \ O man has been more in the poli- ■ tieal limelight during the last X / thirty years in Australia than / Sir George Reid. No other politician has been so furiously attacked, so ridiculed, so admired. Yet he left the scene of his strenuous political warfare bearing with him the good wishes of every section of the community. Protectionists joined with Free Traders in a chorus of approval at his appointment to fill the too-long vacant post of representative of the Commonwealth in the Horiieland. Sir George, who is now sixty-five years of age, is one of those massive statesmen so beloved of caricaturists. He carries both his weight and his years well, and has lost nothing of the energy of youth. He professes himself a lazy man by nature, so averse to working that when anything has to be done he does it at once in order to get it out of the way. He consequently finds himself constantly engaged. He certainly has had a strenuous life, for in addition to his political activities, he has carried on a large practice at the Bar .of New South

Wales, whilst he has been the most popular after-dinner speaker in the Commonwealth. He has already made a reputation for himself in London in the last capacity, and if his efforts as High Commissioner meet with equal success Australia will be indeed fortunate. Like so many others who control the destinies of the English-speaking race, .Sir George is a Scotsman by birth. He was born in 1845 at Johnston, in Renfrewshire, but when two months old was taken by his parents to Australia, so that, although not born there, he is to all intents and purposes aa Australian of the Australians. He is a Liberal and a Presbyterian. He was called to the New South Wales Bar in 1879. He married Miss Brumby, a Tasmanian lady, in 1891, and has three children —one daughter and two sons. Lady Reid, by the way, was complimented by Queen Victoria for remaining with her two little children in Sydney instead of accompanying her husband when he went over, as Premier of New South Wales, to

the Diamond Jubilee celebration. Sir, George received -his knighthood • last year. He is a Privy Councillor and a K.C. He obtained the Gold Medal” of the Cobden Club for his essays on Free Trade, but most of his other publications deal with New South Wales. I found Sir George the other day in the entirely inadequate building which the offices of the Commonwealth at present occupy. As I waited in the draughty waiting-room, which is apparently used as a highway between different departments, 1 realised that one of the new High Commissioner’s first duties will be to see that the Commonwealth representative is boused in a faanner befitting the dignity of the great confederation by which he is accredited. Sir George naturally has been plunged into a sea of work, but looks fit and well, although the banquets he has attended must have been a severe strain. “What do you consider the outstanding feature in your political life?” I asked. “Well,” he replied, “all the years 1 have spent in power or in opposition have been pretty well occupied, but we can begin at the beginning with my entrance into politics. I was elected in

1880 to the Lower House in New South Wales, and at once set myself to bring about a reform in the land laws of the State. In those days we had selection without' survey; the tenure of squatters was merely a Thursday-to-Thursday tenure. Great areas were being sold by auction, a purchaser buying merely the ■best bits here and there, thus reducing the value of the remainder almost to vanishing point, and consequently practically retaining the whole area in which the bits were situated in his own hands. Naturally the squatters were restless, and everyone realised that something ought to be done.” “But it was not until you came along that the matter was grappled with? What did you do?” “We cut the squatters’ holdings in half, gave them one-half with secure tenure, and allowed selectors to take up the other half on long leases. This did

not suppress the ‘dummy’ selector, but it was a great advance in land legislation.” “What was your next' achievement?” “The land legislation occupied a couple of years, and then we had another election. I took the part of Minister of Education in the Government, in preference to the higher post of Secretary which was offered me, for I was anxious to bring in many educational reforms. The first letter I sent to the Press in my teens urged the use of the University for evening classes. I did not think at the time 1 wrote it' that in after years it would fall to my lot to get this done. I found that, owing to differences between the Protestants and Roman Catholics, no history at all was taught in the State schools. This absurd omission I rectified. There was nothing between the State elementary schools and the State universities, so I established State high schools for boys and girls. These were entered by examination, and a system of scholarships from these to the universities was arranged. This bridged the gap in the education of the young Australian. I also started technical schools where youths could be instructed in various trades.” “You had a pretty strenuous time, I suppose, putting these things through?” “Yes. I was kept busy until the Government was defeated on a technicality. In the following election I was defeated for the first and last time, and that by forty votes only. 1 have contested fifteen elections, including by-elections duo to Ministerial appointments, and never have I had a walk-over. My seat has

always been vigorously assailed, but I have held it with this one exception.” “I believe you led the Opposition after that?” “I succeeded Sir Henry Parkes as leader in 1891. In 1894 I became Premier, and although my previous work was alluded to as but a flash in the pan, and the gloomiest future was cast for me, I still have the distinction of having been Premier of New South Wales for a longer period than anyone else. One of the first things I did was to secure free imports. Whilst I was Premier New South Wales was a Free Trade State, and—even in spite of that, say my opponents—it prospered amazingly. Duties were levied on five main things only, such as spirits, tobacco, etc., and there was no ad valorem duty at all. 1 next proposed a land income t'ax, which was furiously opposed. The fairness oi it can be seen when 1 tell you that in those days there were only municipalities in the few principal towns; some 309,000 square miles of the country had no municipality whatever. The State kept up the roads, ete., and the landowners paid nothing towards the upkeep. The Machinery Bill for this new tax was passed, but was promptly rejected by the Upper House. I at onee appealed to the country, and was returned by a large majority. In similar cases of deadlock my predecessors had threatened to do this, but they went no further. The Machinery Bill was then agreed to at a conference of both Houses, and the tax has been collected ever since. Now, however, it is done by the municipalities, which have come into being since that date.” “When Federation was an accomplished fact you left t'he State Parliament for the Federal?” “Yes, and led the Opposition there. This consisted of Free Traders, and events have proved that the majority of Australians do not want Free Trade. Consequently I have always been in Opposition, except in 1904, when I held office as Prime Minister.” “What about immigration, Sir George. The Commonwealth has no land. That is, I suppose, a matter for the States?” “It is the most important thing for Australia, and whilst the States will continue their present arrangements the Commonwealth will co-operate with them, endeavouring by all the means in its power to bring the resources of Australia before the notice of the British people.” “1 expect you will be busy over loan transactions if the State debts are taken over by the Commonwealth. I believe that this question is paramount in the present Federal Election?” “Yes, for the first time States and Commonwealth are in agreement at a Federal Election. The Labour Party, however, oppose the grant of 25s per inhabitant each year for ever to the States, instead of the division of the customs receipts, which has hitherto been made. It is the perpetuity of the grant that is objected to.” “If the Commonwealth takes over the debts I suppose it would also take over the assets?” “By no means. This taking over merely means consolidation; the interest would have to be found by the Statei as hitherto.” “What is the real feeling in Australia about ‘Preference’?” “Australia has already embodied in her tariff the principle of voluntary preference to the Mother Country. There is undoubtedly a desire that some reciprocal arrangement should be arrived at.” “Is this desire sufficiently strong to induce Australia to sacrifice any of her own manufactures on the altar of reciprocity ?” “Certainly not, so far as I can see. But whatever may be done with tariffs and preferences, that has nothing to do with the loyalty of Australians, which is not influenced either, one way or the other by such things. The Mother Country has given us a free hand in solving our own problems. There is no part of the public life in which the saving grace of ‘minding our own business’ is more essential than in the relations between these independent Parliaments. We are ready to yield the same rights and the same privilege of entire freedom in your own affairs as you have extended to us. Until any new departure is based upon a conviction that there is in it a mutual advantage—an advantage strengthening the 'Mother Country as well as Australia —Australians will not dream of urging reciprocity. They ecorn an advantage to themselves which would be at the ex-

pense of the people of Great Britain.” “A new arrival often sees things which escape the notice of the home-dweller; now in what way do you think this country is failing to make use of all its advantages?” “I wonder if your marvellous manufacturing power is being turned to the best account. The recent discoveries of science have continuously improved the arts of manufacture. Are the people of England digging deeply enough into the possibilities of applied science? Is industrial capital sufficiently embarked in the sphere of observation and experiment? Is there not as much danger in the laboratories of foreign countries as there is in their dockyards?” Delivering himself of these searching questions, Sir George rushed off to preside at a luncheon given to Colonel Moore, the Premier of West Australia, who is engaged in opening the eyes of the dwellers in the homeland to the wonderful resources of that great State.