KING DICK'S JUBILEE. The " Coast " En Fete.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 221, 24 September 1904, Page 6

KING DICK'S JUBILEE. The " Coast " En Fete.

IT may be only a coincidence, but on the evening when the Hokitikians decided to give the Premier a jubilee there was an earthquake m that town. If we may borrow from the psalmist, "The mountains skipped like lambs, and the little hills like young sheep"— with joy, of course. It is rather quaint for the wire to> say that Mr. and Mrs Seddon are expected to visit his constituency for the 25th anniversary of the Premier's election to the House Unless Mr. Seddon is hand-cuffed and leg-roped to Wellington, he's as sure to be trere as the sun is to rise. There is a remarkable bond of union between King Dick and " the Coast." It is where he learned the profession of politics It is where he spent his young manhood. He is essentially the kind of man who would impress his fellows. Like Kruger, Mr. Seddon could show his 1 followers the way. He wasn't the sort of man who would egg someone else on to "take down" the prevailing bully, or lift the biggest load. He would tackle the job himself. * * • A man of less bulk and smaller physical powers wouldn't have won the hearts of the West Coasters. They admired him first a-s a man, and afterwards as a statesman. They wouldn't have given him the chance to be a statesman if he hadn't been a man. And so the hardheaded West Coasters have, year after year, for twenty-five years, found no fault m their representative Mr Seddon has had many "jubilees " His "Record Reign" celebra.ticns are fresh in the memory. His "Birthday Party" on his return to health. What whole-hearted affairs they were. And the tenderers were net West Coasters ' The "Coasters" look upon "Dick" as their special property, and it is safe to say that the coming celebrations will quite eclipse "all previous efforts," as the play-bills say. * * * Pity 'tis that Mr. Seddon isn't quite in the banquetting form of his earlier days, and his health not so robust. Hero' worship and wellearned adulation, especially the adulation of people whom one has served faithfully, are cheering things, and if the "Coast" skies overcome their tatal facility to weep, King Dick's jubilee will help him to face the next twenty-five years with more confidence. * *• ¥■ Of course, Mr Seddon will take acVice more kindly from "Coasters" than anybody else. He's been going slower lately. At his "Jubilee" he will be told that he's been working too hard, and to ease off still more. There doesn't seem to be much reason why "Coasters" shouldn't have a similar shivoo again in 1929. If there are strenuous statesmen who have killed themselves in the

service of the country, there are others who haven't. Gladstone was one of the "men who be so* strong that they come to four-score years," and his labour was not all sorrow. So we are looking forward to' Mr. Seddon's eighty-fourth birthday and the 50th anniversary celebrations in the great city of Hokitika.