SIR JOSEPH WARDS CONGRATULATIONS.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14404, 11 July 1912, Page 7

SIR JOSEPH WARDS CONGRATULATIONS.

j Sir Joseph Ward said he desired, as | a private member, to offer his congratulations in all sincerity to the Prime Minister and his colleagues upon their attainment to their high'and honourable positions. In spite of various suggestions that had been made, he recognised that no man on that side of the House was more entitled to the first position in the House than Mr Massey. (Hear, hear.) Had any mischance deprived him of tho laurels he had won by the manner in which he had fought at the head of his party, it wculd have been a very unfair reward for his devoted services and great activities. THREE WELLINGTON MINISTERS admitting that the spirit of provincialism should not be fostered,

Sir Josoph said ho regretted that there was no direct representation in tho Ministry of Southland, Westland, Marlborough, Nelson, Taranaki, tho East Coast, and tho cities of Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. On the other hand the City of Wellington had threo representatives in tho Administration, and ho congratulated Wellington on tho attention that had been paid to it. ONE SOLITARY LEASEHOLDER. From his knowledge of the gentlemen who were associated with Mr Massey, he thought they wero all men well qualified for their important positions. 'May I call tho attention of tho House to the fact that we have one poor solitary leaseholder in the Ministry, the member for Wellington Central, whom I congratulate upon tho distinction conferred upon him." Tho Prime Minister: Option of the freeholdSir Joseph Ward: 1 have always been an optional tenure representative myself, and I have never varied from it. In my day my attention was called to the varied hues that were represented in tho Ministry, Sir Joseph also congratulated the member for Wellington North upon having won tho blue ribbon of tho legal profession in this country. Tho appointment must have been inado with tho concurrence of the distinguished lawyer, recognised as ono of ,tho foremost in tho ranks of tho legal profession in this country, who was to fill tho position of Minister of Internal Affairs in another place. No ono could tako any exception to tho latter appointment, but in his judgment ho did not believo that it was right or in the ix-st interests of this country that any portfolio that colled for the direct contact of tho people's representatives should be held by a Minister.in the other branch of tho legislature. There was only one farmer in the Ministry, neither was thero any direct representative of Labour, though he congratulated Mr Massey on taking that portfolio. As far as he was concerned, he had no personal ambitions, but it mightbe that in tho future ho could be of some assistance to his hon. friends. He knew the difficulties in the way of- carrying on the financial affairs of the country, and though ho was not trying to blow his own horn, he might say that it was the most difficult task in the Ministry. That Minister required the cordial, sincero and active support of the Hciifc as a whole. They should not try by pin-pricking to pull his legs from under his feet. (Much laughter.) Sir Joseph Ward, with a reference to his nationality, corrected this slip and said that they should not pull at tho feet and the Minister of Finance in order to ;ret at his body and his brain. In ronchi":*icn, he wanted to say that the country wanted a strong Government. 'Hear, hear.) Ho had no sympathy with a man who changed his sido in politics. Tho only masters were the electors, and not committees. No un-r.ftir-a! combination could hold sway until the electors, the masters and mistre?ses of members, said what party* should rule in Parliament. As a private member he would do his duty to

tho pcoplo who had returned him, and his duty to the country. Ho would not be-a party to placing any obstacles in tho way pf tho Administration upon whom 'there rested a heavy responsibility, and whose legislative proposals would have tho light of day let in upon them. Ho hoped thoy would keep the Parliai.*nt on the high plane upon which it had been kept by their prodc.cessors.