SPEECH BY MR. AITKEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 239, 2 July 1908, Page 9

SPEECH BY MR. AITKEN.

WILL NOT STAND FOR PARLIAMENT. Speaking, at tho Accountant Students' din. ner at Go,dber's last evening, Mr.'J. G. W Aitken, M.P.,., iii replying to. the toasVpf " Parliament," • referred .to . tho present industrial crisis. Ho said that all were impiesscd with its dxistonce, but they should not:deceive themselves by believing "that tho . difficulties could not .be! overcome*. His belief was that tho,.people woro as true to tho .law :to-day as they were in tho past. Ha ,behoved that a way out; would . ha found' .which would givo a satisfactory 'method of settling tho questions. Clouds of other days had . passed away,'and 110 doubt this would' happen , again, although the aspect was-' threatening just now. With regard to Wisation-. generally,. Hp would- like to say that' ho. was coming to . the, opinion—ho had been • .doing , .so,, for ..somo time—that the day of ■ .pari* government in this Dominion had passed ;: He had.-a feeling that the Government should ' bo a Government of the people by tho peoplo for. tho_peoplo, .YWhatho meant'was that, many, of .-those ;pn r both sides ;of tho Houso saw things:'from; : a-similar, point of view ' and aU. should .(10. t ieir.bost for tho common good. The Cabinet burdened itself with f-ir too-much of.-the. dotal} work of Parliament, winch should .bo left m tho hands of com, potent officials. Thus tho time of tho Min. isters and Parliament would bo more freo

Mr. Barton -(who had proposed tho toast) referred to a. rumour that ho did not intend' to stand again for Parliamont. . Tho rumour was perfectly true and ho took tho opnortmuty of-saying that during the six 4ira ho had sat in Parliament holiad enjoyed Ilia work immensely, but ho had not enjoyed tha' very lato.hours to which members wero subjected, and he at ail oyents, could not sit 111.tho dreadful atmosphere that had to ba breathed m tho House of Representatives and, ho could sco that tho present habitation would -bo worse. Ho could liot ho there ; lor all hours of tho morning and ho down sarlv5 ar lv lus business. • Therefore, ho had ' decided not. to_ask"thp-jppoplo-for-their euf- : .Irages, (Applause.!"