"A DAUGHTER OF THE COLONIES."
CHAT WITH MISS MARY SEDDON
(niOM OPB OWN COHKESPONDENT.i LONiION, D«:embcr 19. •" A Daughter of the Colonies.' , "A I Talk with Miss Maiy Seddon, the Daugh- I ter and Secretary of the Xew Zealand l*iemier.'' Such ie the heading of an artk'e by Alice Sfcronach, which will appear in the January number of the " Girls' Rsalm." It begins thus:—""l love England and th* English people. We call it coming home, you know, when we visit the Old Country." The words pounded strangely, spoken as they were by one who looked a thorough English girl. Her bright face with its rose-leaf tint*, the b!ue eyes, the vid-2 forehead, the masses of real gold hair, ;;nd the frank, straightforward manlier wtre those of the type of English girl of whom Old England is proudest. And in the widw rense of the word, the sense th.it includes the Britain over-seas, she was Eng'.Uih. For the words wera spoken !>;.■ Mary Seddon, English in nam«, aiv in person and in character, the daughter, eecletiiiy, and general right of that eneigetic statesman, the Hon. Richard S-eci-don, Premier of New Zealand, who was one o$ our most, distinguished guests at the King's Coronation. Theie wae « note of regvet in the colonial gir. voice, for tlie Coronation was ov r er, and the visit to the clearly-!ovfd Motherland was drawing to an end."
Evidently, in the •writer's opinion, Mi» Snfdon \va« regarded as a tower of strength by -her countrywomen when it cams to aii occasion for tact and business ability. "I have heard," remarked Atios Stronach to her during the interview, "that you inllutnce your father a great deal; that, for instance-, it as really to you that the women of New Zealand o\re the suffrage?"'
'"Who can have told you that?' Ths pmi!e thi»t accompanied the* question tod ok that there was more than a. little, truth in the rumour. As we talked of matters political, I was mom and more convinced that the charming girl who looked the antithesis of the traditional advocate of woimn's rights counted for much in th? politics of her country, and as an influence in her father"s life. I learned from her much that was interesting about tlie law* and the law-makers of, New tsea!,:nd, and it. was evident that Miss Seddx.n'a chief interests centred round ths somewhat curious-looking building, half stone, half wood, in which the New Zealand Parliament transacts its -business. Judging from her answers to my questions, the women voters of New Zealand ufte their privilege wisely and well. ti» far, no wonwin has Jteen returned for Parliament, but one townehip has a lady Mayor."
Questioned a« to the existence of a Indies' gallery in the New Zealand House of Representatives, Miss Seddon, after saying tliat there was one, " but minus the grille," went on to remark:—"l have been behind your grille, in the Houee of Commons, but it ieliorrid. I could neither see nor hear. We treat our lady visitors better. There is a special gallery for tlta wives and other lady relatives of members, but beside that we have a large gallery for the public." • Alice Sti-onach goes on to say:—"Some remarks on the present burning question of education drew from Mies Seddon the interesting fact that, before becoming her father's secretary she had paeeed through the State schools of New Zealand, fir.■■; as a pupil, later as a teacher. ' I taught in our State schools for five years, ana these were the happiest years of my life,' she said, with the enthusiasm that always betrays the born teacher. ' I thswi some experience in one of our city schools in Wellington. I taught a, close of bop— I prefer boys-as pupils, don't you? Yes, they were fairly big boys, Fourth Standard, but I never had any trouble with them. I think a woman teacher can often »get more influence ©vw boyi than » teacher of their own sex', lie training of a New Zealand public school teacher, to judge front Miss Seddon'a account, seems to be very much the same as in England."
In conclusion the writer «».ye:—"ln the gaieties of the memorable Coronation season, to which our talk frequently turned, Mies Seddon and her sister, as their father's daughter*, had enjoyed a Benjamin's portion, with places of honour at the Abbey, at the reviews, and all the notable »State festivities. Of the <reviews of the Colonial and Indian troops, held by the King after his recover} - , the girl from Britain over-eeas spoke with warm enthusiasm as the finest and moet impressive sights of all. 'It hae made us feel that the colonies and the. Motherland are really one, though seas divide us. That, after nil, is the one great lasting good result of that terrible war, , - she added. 'It hae drawn England and.her colonies more closely together.' My last-glimpse of the daughter of 'King Dick," as she ran off to attend to her many duties as secretary and right-hand of the busy statesman, was of a bright face crowned with golden hair, flitting like a sunbeam up the wide etaircaee." With reference to Mi*w Seddon'e remarks about the grille in the Housfc of Commons in London and the treatment of visitors in the New Zealand Hwuse of Represents tives, the "Westminster Gazette" obf^rves: —''Clearly, the Mother of Parliaments has something to learn from her daughters beyond the seas."
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19030130.2.20
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Press, Volume LX, Issue 11495, 30 January 1903, Page 3
Word count
Tapeke kupu
898"A DAUGHTER OF THE COLONIES." Press, Volume LX, Issue 11495, 30 January 1903, Page 3
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
Ngā mihi
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.