SIR JOSEPH WARD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9210, 22 January 1920, Page 6

SIR JOSEPH WARD

ENTERTAINED BY PARTY.

(Pei Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, January 21

Members of the Liberal Party in Parliament tendered a luncheon to their old leader, Sir Joseph Ward, in Wellington to-day, when the future ot • the party was spoken of in hopeful terms and many eulogies were paid to Sir Joseph for his outstanding Imperialism, his great financial capacity and the courtesy and tact with which he had led the Liberal forces. Sir Joseph Ward indicated plainly that for the present he will resist any temptation to re-enter New Zealand politics, and will devote himself to his family, which, as he explained, Had had to be neglected during his long service of the public. The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald presided, and those present included Messrs Myers, Wilford, Ngata, Witty, Hanan, Jennings, Isitt-, Forbes, Seddon, Sidey, R. W. Smith, Horn (the new member for Wakatipu) and Masters (who defeated the Hon. J. B. Hine for Stratford). Apologies for absence were received from Messrs vigor Brown, Poland, Atmore and McCallum and Dr. Thacker. It was mentioned by Mr Craigie, who is in Wellington, that hh was not intending to go to any meetings of the Liberal Party. The principal toast, proposed by the I Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, was the health of Sir Joseph Ward, the proposer referring at length to Sir Joseph's constructive Imperialism, culminating in his offer of a dreadnought co the British Navy. Sir Joseph Ward had been active in Liberal administration in those dark days, when progressive legislation was hotly opposed by those who now claimed to be the true! Liberals. That was at a time when the people, instead of extravagant spending, had difficulty iv finding enough money to live and private enterprise was unable to find finance for the country's development, and Sir Joseph Ward, by securing through the State cheap money for settlers provided New Zealand with what was the turning point in its history. It was he who realised that Germany, the greatest military nation in the world, was ambitious" to become the greatest naval Power. The presentation of a gift dreadnought roused the overseas dominions to a realisation of their greatest danger, yet his political opponents at last election had tried to ally him with the most disloyal section of the country. During a period of twelve or fifteen years the Liberals, with Labour, had achieved magnificent things for the whole Dominion, but now Labour had seen fit to fight Liberalism—(Voices: "A section of them") —and the triangular contests of last election had resulted in the return of the Government on votes totalling 206,000, though the votes cast against them numbered 336,----000. The country wanted a strong Government with the strength of a great majority of the people behind' it, but New Zealand did not possess this asset. There were vicissitudes in the lives of nations and individuals, but the small remaining remnant of the Liberal Party would be prepared to do what was right and fair to every section of the people and not to stand for revolution or sedition. Sir Joseph had never lagged behind in loyalty or patriotism to the people of New Zealand or the Empire. The Hon. A. M. Myers, who, like every other Liberal member present, spoke enthusiastically to the toast, declared that in his visits to England he had found that those who took an interest in the outlying parts of the Empire recognised two outstanding men as Imperialists, Mr Seddon and Sir Joseph Ward. As one who in the National Government had had to take a share of responsibility lie could speak with authority regarding Sir Joseph Ward's outstanding financial ability. He was the first statesman to have the foresight and courage to provide for compulsory loans and to place the incidence ok war tax on the shoulders of those best able to bear it.

• Sir Joseph Ward, in the course of his reply, said that since the result of the election lie had been busy chiefly in signing letters to thousands of people of all shades of politics who had expressed regret at his defeat. He had received invitations from all but one electorate in the country to address gatherings in his honour, but he was going to visit his old electorate to say good-bye to those who had stood by him during his long term of public life. He had been asked to stand for the present parliament, "but" he continued, "I want to take this opportunity of saying that my reply has been in the negative. I have thanked them sincerely, but I made up my mind on the eve of the election that I would accept the position us a sportsman ought to accept it. I am fully conscious of the bitter political attacks which were centred upon me as head of the party. In practically even* electorate in New Zealand I recognise that there was built up against me a most' effective movement to get mo out, and if .you look up the records in the principal journals you will find that lor a fortnight before the election they were not criticising the Liberal Party or its policy, but dealt wholly with what they called tho Wardists of New Zealand. I intend to speak upon this in my electorate later, when I have to bid farewell to my constituents who stood by me for 33* years, and I want to be quite frank in saying I have been gathering information since the general election in the shape of literature which I possess which would shame the most barbaric country in the world. I have been accused of doing things I have never done, and the reflex of that has been circulated in other electorates to induct? people to return men opposed

to me. i "1 would not represent any constituency if my return was due to bigotry, and I wish to say that during 33 years in the Cabinet, I have never on any occasion brought up for discussion the things which have been charged against me in black and white. I have never in Cabinet heard any allusion to the maintenance of the traditions of Protestantism, nor was the question of Catholicism discussed in Cabinet, and I have never in a single instance held consultations with the heads of any Church, my own or any other, in regard to elections, or asked for support, and I have never been asked by the head of any Church my own or any other, to have my position used for the- purpose of promoting the interests of any Church or any section of Church people. Right through my 33 years of public life this has been so, and I want to say without any feeling that one of the most deplorable things' that can occur in any country is to have the traditions of the Dark Ages brought into New Zealand for the purpose of allowing any man to gain a position, however noble it my be, to fill it. Later on I will show that never once have I attempted to appoint anyone to the Public Service of New Zealand on the score of religion. Some people have been very unkind, malicious sind ungenerous, but I wish them .no 'harm, though I am not going to allow the people of this country, whom I have served for 33 years, to remain under a wrong impression deliberately circulated for political purposes. 1 am not going, on the eve of my severance from the people I have represented so long, to leave, them without the opportunity of judging of the so-called Christians who visited my electorate, some of them for two and-a-half years, to talk, not on public questions, but absolutely lying statements made with a view of putting me out when the time came. I don't regret going out of public life,.though I regret the severance from friends. I can do with a rest, but I will always be a friend to New Zealand, and always, so far as lies in my power, be a friend to the Liberal Party, which throughout the whole period I have been in public life has striven sigainst great odds to assist the great mass of the people." THE NEW LEADER. WELLINGTON, January 21. At a meeting of the Liberal Party held this evening the following resolution was passed:—"That the Liberal members of the House of Representatives wish to express their deep regret at.the absence of Sir Joseph Ward from tho new Parliament, and wish to assure him of their warm appreciation of his personal worth and political achievements, and to thank him for his eminent service to the Dominion and' tho Empire." At the same meeting, on the motion of Mr T. M. Wilford, seconded by Mr A. M. Myers, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald . was elected leader of the Liberal Party. No other members was proposed.