richard john seddon 1845-1906

RICHARD JOHN RICHARD JOHN SEDDONSEDDON

1845-19061845-1906

‘‘King King Dick’Dick’

Born 1845Born 1845

Survived smallpoxSurvived smallpoxaged 16aged 16

Left school Left school aged 12aged 12

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

1874 Elected to Westland Provincial Council

Became storekeeper then a publicanMarried LouisaRichard Seddon was well known as a fist fighter

1876 moved his publican’s licence to the Queen’s Hotel at Kumara1877 He was elected as the first mayor of Kumara1878 Seddon was almost bankrupt1879 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 1890Liberals 1890

John Balance PM

Prime MinisterPrime Minister

Robert Stout

Richard Seddon

John Ballance

LiberalLiberal

LegislationLegislation

ChineseChinese1881 there were 5000 Chinese in NZSeddon introduced a poll tax

Unimproved land

1891 Land and 1891 Land and Income TaxIncome Tax

This was the first tax on incomeA graduated tax to be applied to ‘unimproved land’

1892 Labour 1892 Labour DepartmentDepartment

To inspect factories where 2 or more people worked

1892 Lands for Settlements ActTo buy up large estates and redistribute it to small scale

farmers

1892 Land Act1892 Land ActAllowed people to lease Crown Land for 999 years

1892 Department of Agriculture1892 Department of AgricultureTo educate and advise new farmers

1893 Local Option1893 Local OptionVoting to keep areas ‘wet’ or ‘dry’

1893 Female Franchise1893 Female Franchise

1894 Bank of New Zealand 1894 Bank of New Zealand Guarantee ActGuarantee Act

Support to prevent the bank’s imminent collapse

1894 Factory 1894 Factory ActAct

Children under 16 to only work 48 hours per week5 days holiday a yearSaturday to be a half daySunday to be a full day offWorkplace safetyToilets to be providedLunchrooms to be provided

1894 Advances to Settlers Act1894 Advances to Settlers ActLow interest loans to farmers to make improvements to their land

1894 Truck Act1894 Truck ActWages to be paid in cash not goods

1894 Shop and Shop 1894 Shop and Shop Assistants ActAssistants Act

To improve shop working conditions

1894 Industrial 1894 Industrial Conciliation and Conciliation and Arbitration ActArbitration Act

To prevent strikes

1898 Old Age Pension Act1898 Old Age Pension Act For the deserving poorFor the deserving poor

SobrietySobriety

Not for Asian peopleNot for Asian people

Seddon comfortably won the 1902 electionThe 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