THE PRIME MINISTER AT INVERCARGILL.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14194, 7 November 1911, Page 10

THE PRIME MINISTER AT INVERCARGILL.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION* TEr.EOR.\Sf.) INVERCARGILL, November 6. Tho Prime Minister arrived to-night 'and received a cordial reception from a i large crowd on tho railway station. Tho ; Mayor mado a (suitable speech of wol-. 'come, and tho Southland Fife Band • played Scottish airs. I .Sir Joseph made a short speech from tho carriage platform. He acknow- j lodged tho warmth of the reception. Ho i said fiomo peoplo had tried to represent that a coolness towards him had grown '■ up in the electorate ho had represented j for twenty-four years. He would un- j dertako to make it pretty warm when ho ; went there, and there would be no more j coolness after that. (Applause.) Ele i also believed it was impossible that In- j ; vercargill would retrogress to tho side j iof tho reactionary Tories of the old idays. For violent, abominable misJ representation ho had never heard anything to equal what had boon circulated , >in his electorate during his absenco. Ho ; . was satisfied that whon the other side of tho question wis heard, ho would be jon top in --he end. (Loud applause.) Sir Joseph Ward then took a motorcar to the hotel, preceded by the Hibernian Band. Addresses, and bouquets for Lady Ward, were presented at Goro ; and Mataura on the .way down, and tho 1 train was considerably delayed.