THE PREMIER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1699, 15 March 1906, Page 3

THE PREMIER.

SPEECH AT FOXTON.

(P*E Presa Association.) Foxtou, last night. Mr Seddon attended a banquet to Mr John Slovens, mornbor for Mauawaiu, last night. In tho course of hie speech, ho said tho dobt of tho oolony had increased by ,£35,000,000. Ho would allow that, but the public wealth had inoreasod by (£70,000,000. Now Zoalaod was now, per capita, tho wealthiest country in tho world. The wealth was (£305 per head, man, woman, and child, while in tho Mother Country it was only ,£3OO. Tho wealth of tho colony was put down at (£300,000,000, and Government railways, whioh had coat (£16,000,000, would realise, if plaoed on tho market to-morrow, more than half tho national debt. Tho postal and telegraph services, gauged on the market value, were worth tho whole of the national debt. For five millions lent under tho Advances to Settlers Aot the Stato had securities valued at nino milions. Dealing with infant mortality, ho said tho Government would not stop until they put trained nurses within the reach of every soul in New Zealand. Thire ought to bo a thousand moro nurses, and that would mean a thousand positions for deserving women, and tho Government was going to do it. He had already asked the hospitals how many probationers they could take in addition to their present number. He would consider the colony was justified, if necessary, in advancing moneys to hospitals to build I nursing homos, so that a doctor finding a nurse was wanted anywhere, could send a message to the home and get one. Every adult in the oountry was aaloulated to bo worth between two and three hundred pounds. Touohing on flax grading, Mr Seddon said those who, in the past, had injured and almost exterminated the business, should be compelled to give a reasonable produot, in foot, he would go so far as to say that in the interests of the industry the colony should prohibit the export of flax unless it was of a given grade. It might be a drastic remedy, but it was a necessary one. Referring to eduoation, Mr Seddon said that during the three years from December, 1902, to December, 1905, the number of publio sohools had increased from 1708 ot 1857, or by 149; the average attendance from 111,232 to 117,831, or by 5599 ; the number of adult teachers from 2957 to 3135, or by 178; the number of pupil teaohers had deoreased from 747 to 678. This latter satisfactory result hal been brought about by the operation of the scales of staffs first enacted in 1902, Under the soale provided by the Teachers' Salaries Aot, the amount paid this year would be .£491,506. an inorease over 1902 of (£72,941. In addition, tho Teachers Superannuation Aot would enable deserving toaohe.s to retire at a sa'ary of not leas than .£1 a week. During 1905 the sum of JE1407 had been paid as subsidies on voluntary contributions for secondary and district high schools. District high schools had increased from thirty-eight to fifty-eight. National scholarships were for children of patents whose income was not over .£250 a year. There were now eight-four current (as well as thirty-three Queen’s ECholarships), so there were nearly 120 places open for boys and girls, no matter what the position of their parents. The number of school cadets in 1905 was 14,115, as j against 4851 in 1902. Discussing the question of the appointment of teachers, Mr Seddon said there was a conflict between the Boards and Committees, and he was not sure that in some instances there had not been technical breaches of the recent Aot. The law said that when there was a large number of applicants for a teaoher’d position the Board should send six, in their respective order, to the Committee. If there was not a large number four should be sent. The Boards now said it was not oompulsory to do this. He had no hesitation in stating that he would refuse tD pay tho salaries of teachers who bad been improperly appointed. The Government would stand by tho Committees and carry out the law as intended by Parliament.