SOCIAL TO MR ELL, M.H.R.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11589, 21 May 1903, Page 6

SOCIAL TO MR ELL, M.H.R.

SPEECH BY SIR eT. G. WARD. The friends and supporters of Mr H. GEll. M.H.R., Tendered that gentleman a complimentary social, which was held at the Alexandra Hall last night. The hall was wtll rilled, and Sir Joseph Ward, Mr T. E. Tavior, M.H.R.. and Mr G. Laurenson. M.H.R.. were- among those present. Mr A. C Andrews was the chairman, and Mr Shaw Billcliff the vice chairman. Dr. Rusjell said the meeting was held to honour Mr Ell. whose career many of them had watched with interest, and they were satisfied of his capability to represent them in Parliament. {Applause.) He hid decicl"-' to support Mr Eft at the last election, when rbiit "gentleman offered himselt as a candidate, and his appeal to the public on behalf of Mr Ell the loe.il Tress had been gcod enough to publish. Dr. Russell then proceeded to read extract.* from this appeal, which gay* his reasons why Mr Ell should be returned. He hoped t .•>_*■© a large and influential work achieved by the Christchurch members, and by Mr Ell in particular. (Applause.) felt, that the-, present Parliament would be a very successful one, if it took the s?me interest in the people's affaire as it. did in its own. Mr EM was one who di-l not want party, but wanted principle. (Applause.) Tn -conclusion he .said that h*"would like, the meeting to pass a resolution condemning midnight .sittings of Parliament. (Applause.) Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R.. said he took it they were there to mark their appreciation of Mr Ell's energy as a worker. (Applause.) He thought there would he tho same lack of daylight legislation ten years hence as there was at present. The experiment had been tried two years ago and had failed. As education went on demands for reform would increase.. As it was the Premier had said at Hamilton the previous day that the barrack .'-ysteni fe.r "lunacy cases was not the be.st- system. Reform work had to he done by outside, organisation.*, for the executive only moved when it wa.s perfectly sure that rf it did not move it would have to move. Dealing with the work of the coming session, he said that, the future of the Bank of New Zeiiand was going to he a very hig question, and, broadly speaking, he held that, the whole of the banking business of the colony, so far as the Government busiuoss was concerned, ought to "v transacted in a Stare Bank. (Hear, hear.) The extent of the bank's functions, however, should be a matter of the closest consideration. There were also labour questions coming on. in connection with which the causes of the Victorian railway .strike would have to be considered. As regards the strike, seventy-live per cent, ot his sympathies were with the men, for he believed they- had been deliberately robbed of their labour during the last few years, and some of the grievances that led up to the strike existed in a milder form in the Xe.w Zealand railway service. The land question and the liquor question would also have to come up in the Houso during the coming session. Mi- ]•'.. Gohns, President, of the Trades and Labour Council, said tho Christchurch electors should he congratulated on securing such a member as Mr Ell. He was 6ure the organised workers of tho constituency were aimost aa well satisfied with Mr Ell ;-.s a labour representative. at< they would have been .had their own nominee been ■"letted. Referring to the Victorian strike, Mr ('dims said that the men in Victoria had the deepest, sympathy of tho workers in New Zealand, and he regretted very much the way the strike had ended. Sir Joseph Ward, who was receive- with nppiause, -said that he had found -Mr Ell indefatigable in doing his best in the interests of hi* constituents, and for the promotion of his own objects. He hoped that Mr Ell might have a long and tuneful political career. (Applause.) He thought that Mr Gohns had shown that he possessed those qualifications which were essential in a gentleman occupying tho po.ition of president of a Traders and Labour Council, and that was to give expressions on mattery which he believed to he of interest to those with whom he was associated. Referring to the railway strike. Sir Joseph said he. had declined absolutely during the existence of tho strike to give utterance to the opinions he entertained. He believed now that if they had had in Victoria the conciliation and arbitration system New Zealand had the strike would not havo taken place. In New Zealand, if there had been any unfairness or injustice done to tho railway men of tho colony, they would make their representations to the Minister of Railways for the time being, who would give them fair and impartial consideration, and would do his best to remove reasonable grievances and to place the. Department as a whole upon a superior footing. (Applause.) The men had also the right of appeal even outside tho responsible officers. With the assistance of the members of the. House the whole si-tern for the carrying on of the men's side of the railway service could bo still further improved, so as to remove anomalies which might still exist. Tho people had got the power in their own hands to alter any grievance, and instead of trying to create a position which would drive the railway* back under the control of three Commissioners, was it. not better to remove the grievances and keep the control of the railways in their own hands? (Applause.) Sir Joseph, after referring to the nourishing condition of tho colony, said that- at the present moment there was not a country south of the line that was able to kjjv at the end of the financial year that 1 hey bad over £300,000 to the "good in connection with the general finances of the country. (Applause.) In conclusion, he paid that in the course of a few -we-eks Parliament would meet, and the policy of tho Government would be laid down then. In the meantime he would ask them to exercise that virtue of patience. He was exceedingly obliged to the committee for having- invited him to be present, and he enly hoped that Mr Ell might continue to do good work for the country. (Loud applause.) Mr Laurenson, M.H.R.. said he would hive liked to have replied to Mr Taylor's remarks on Imperial federation. Mr Ell had worked conscientious"}-, and for the good of the people, and he was pleased to see- that he had been returned to Parliament.

Speeches were also delivered by Mr En som and Mr Meredith.

Mr Ell, who was received with prolongeei applause, expressed his gratification at, the large gathering of friends present. It waa gratifying to him to know that a large section of the people believed that what he- had done was for the benefit of the community a& large. The new Parlia-ment-had many important questions to consider, and he hoped that the Government would introduce, an Elective Legislative Council Bill, and a referendum. Ho a!s> hoped that the administration in the asylums and industrial schools would be made a more generous system. He' trusted that the peoplo would have, in connection with the industrial schools, a -little ler-s of the policy of meanues.. The peoplo _hou"d airo be given the chance of electing their own Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. The action of Sir Jos-:-ph Ward iv regard to closing up the Ashburton Club had given the greatest satisfaction to every right-think-ing man and woman throughout tho colouv. (Applause.) During the evening a pianoforte solo was played by Miss Spencer, and songs were sung by Miss Soanes, and Messrs Wallace and"Cooper. The Eiito Band ako played a Sc'vClioo.