MR KEIR HARDIE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 2037, 28 December 1907, Page 8

MR KEIR HARDIE.

Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mr Keir Hardie arrived in Wellington to-night and was accorded a public welcome at a supper in the concert room of the Town Hall. About 130 persons were present, and the Mayor, the Hon. T. W. Hislop, presided. He stated that their guest, in the whole of his career, had exhibited self abnegation and a determination to better the position of the class which required help, regardless of his own personal interest and comfort. The Hon. J. Rigg, M.L.C., endorsed the Mayor’s remarks, and the Hon. W. W. McCardle, M.L.C., also spoke appreciatively of Mr Keir Hardie. In responding, Mr Hardie said that had he believed all he read at Home about New Zealand and its extreme policy, he would have hesitated about risking bis profession by being seen here. He conveyed a fraternal message from the Labour Party of the House of Commons, and said his visit to New Zealand*., had no political significance. He was simply here to meet old friends and campaigners in the early days of the movement at Home. He urged the need for Imperial Conferences of labour, just as they held Imperial Conferences now, though labour, which was mostly affected by the questions dealt with, was not represented. If his tour round the dominion served even indirectly to bring those connected with this movement in touch, thereby making the way for united policy in the near future, it would not have been undertaken in vain. Auckland, December 24. In an interview with a Star reporter Mr Keir Hardie said he was highly impressed with Australia, which he regarded as a country of great possibilities. Before it could he thoroughly opened up, however, its present land laws would need drastic alteration. Asked how he would propose coping with the land problems, Mr Hardie replied that it was essential that Australia should place a penalising tax on the absentee landlord and a progressive tax on all estates over a reasonable size. “What is the limit at which yon would have the landowner exempted from a graduated tax?” Mr Hardie was asked. “If such a tax were brought into operation on all ‘ estates of over 500 acres,” was the reply, “it would tend to break up the larger holdings, which in the majority of cases includes the very best laud. Mox - e money will also require to be spent for irrigation purposes in those districts where the effects of drought are most often felt.” “Australia” said Mr Hardie, “is just on the eve of a new development by a more definitely-avowed Socialistic policy. They appear to have reached the end of palliative measures in the Commonwealth. The Wages Boards and Arbitration Courts have proved, and will continue to prove, useful, especially in their application to sweated industries. ’ ’ Asked whether he considered sweating did exist in the Australian capitals as recently alleged in such emphatic terms by Messrs Ramsay Macdonald and Ben Tillett, the English Labour leader replied that there was plenty of sweating both in Melbourne and Sydney, although, of course, it was nothing like what they were accustomed to at Home. Where the practice did exist in Australia, Mr Keir Hardie added, it was mostly confined to the unskilled labouring classes. Questioned as to what he thought of the proposal to institute compulsory military training in th*e colonies, Mr Hardie said that at Home they were opposed to all methods of compulsory militarism. “Socialism is flourishing at Home,” said Mr Hardie, “the excitement that its growth is causing amongst the ranks of its opponents gives ample proofs of that.” Referring to Australia’s protective tariff. Mr Hardie said it was to be . regarded as a most interesting experiment. There were two points to he tested, however, —its workability and whether it was constitutional. On the latter point the courts would he called upon to'decNfo.