SOCIAL TO MR PIRANI.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11460, 19 December 1902, Page 5

SOCIAL TO MR PIRANI.

{SPECIAL TO "TUB rBESS.") WELLINGTON, December 18. At « sociai tendered to Mr i'nani by his bupporters in tho Hutt electorate, Mr John Hutctieson, spiking of the result of tfce elections, snicl th-e meat hopeful thing he bad seen in connection with poiitic-s during the last six years was the number of thick-and-tbin Government supporters who looked upon their seats as practical sinecures, and wiio had been ignominious.}- rejected. A very hopeful sign of regeneration in our poatios was the utaer disregard the constituencies generally had paid to our Dictator's instructions. Mr Aiken, M.H-R., said if Mr Pirani had only commenced the campaign a. tittle earlier the result of the polling would have been reversed. Hβ buueved tha.t if Mr Pirani stood again three years hence, the Hutt electorate would do itself the honour of returning him as ite repne&entative. Mr Pirani, in the course of an address, said he did not join with those who thought something improper had been done in not electing him, because he thought it only right that those who knew a man personally, and who believed in him, should vote for him as their representative, and thiut a. stranger should be put on one side. At the same time, be cou»d not speak with confidence just yet, but he had every" belief that before three years were over the majority of the people in the electorate would know him personally better, and would be able to make their choice on personal as well as political grounds as to the candidates for the Hutt seat at the next general election. (Applause.) Mr Pirani went on to refer to the {ear exhibited by the men in Government employ to disclose their political predilection, and eadd it was time the people of the colony refused to allow that subservience in political matters to creep into the service of the Government, and that they should exercise the privilege of the franchise openly and fairly. He heartily thanked those who had worked so hard and disinterestedly for him during the election, and intimated that at the end of about a year he would make hia home amongst them, and give the people an opportunity of knowing him personally better than they did at present. (Applause.) He also paid a graceful and sympathetic reference to the affliction from which his late opponent, Mr Wllford,' is suffering.