RICHARD JOHN SEDDON 1845-1906

RICHARD JOHN SEDDON 1845-1906

‘King Dick’

Born 1845 Left school aged 12

Survived smallpox aged 16

Seddon went to Melbourne aged 18. Fell in love with Louisa Spotswood. Seddon headed to Hokotika to make his fortune

Became storekeeper then a publican Married Louisa Richard Seddon was well known as a fist fighter

1874 Elected to Westland Provincial Council

1876 moved his publican’s licence to the Queen’s Hotel at Kumara 1877 He was elected as the first mayor of Kumara 1878 Seddon was almost bankrupt 1879 supported by Sir George Grey Seddon became the MP for Hokitika

•Richard was 34 years old and six feet tall. •Between 1879-90 he held the positions of: •Minister of Public Works •Minister of Mines •Minister of Defence

Liberals 1890

John Balance PM

Prime Minister

John Ballance

Robert Stout

Richard Seddon

Liberal Legislation

Chinese 1881 there were 5000 Chinese in NZ Seddon introduced a poll tax

1891 Land and Income Tax This was the first tax on income A graduated tax to be applied to ‘unimproved land’

Unimproved land

1892 Labour Department To inspect factories where 2 or more people worked

1892 Lands for Settlements Act To buy up large estates and redistribute it to small scale farmers

1892 Land Act Allowed people to lease Crown Land for 999 years

999

1892 Department of Agriculture To educate and advise new farmers

1893 Local Option Voting to keep areas ‘wet’ or ‘dry’

1893 Female Franchise

1894 Bank of New Zealand Guarantee Act Support to prevent the bank’s imminent collapse

1894 Factory Act Children under 16 to only work 48 hours per week 5 days holiday a year Saturday to be a half day Sunday to be a full day off Workplace safety Toilets to be provided Lunchrooms to be provided

1894 Advances to Settlers Act Low interest loans to farmers to make improvements to their land

1894 Truck Act Wages to be paid in cash not goods

1894 Shop and Shop Assistants Act To improve shop working conditions

1894 Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act To prevent strikes

1898 Old Age Pension Act For the deserving poor Sobriety Not for Asian people

Seddon comfortably won the 1902 election The title Premiere was changed to Prime Minister

By 1904 Seddon had lost much of his left wing fervour and a new left-wing party emerged called the Political Labour League

Seddon won the 1905 election and on his way back from Australia he died on the 10th June 1906 aboard the Oswestry Grange and was buried at the Bolton Street Cemetery Wellington.

1845-1906