THE PREMIER'S DEPARTURE

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 19 June 1909, Page 6

THE PREMIER'S DEPARTURE

SCENES ON TEE WHARF.

DEMONSTRATION BY THE CROWD.

ESCORT OF POUCE.

V A GREAT BUT ORDERLY ASSEMBLAGE.

.Comparatively'fow in Wellington, probably, fgrudgod tbo l'rimo Minister (Sir Joseph a trip'to-'.England, in order that he . ( isught represpnt; the Dominion at the Imhyeaei Defenco Conference. But many thou-; ■ Jssisis of Wollington citizens, as was shown Myths indignation meeting in the Town Hall, [SSSBotod strongly his insistence that, at the JBSSy ljoginning -j of Parliament, with importWt matters crying' out for attontaon, the ißfhsle machinory of- legislation must bo j&Wglrt to a standstill during his single ab- ■ 'V MUe *' It .was feared, for somo timo beforeferad, that the-' embarkation Sir Joseph jSHssH.,'would" bo. tho for a final, public •tentest, and,all sorts of rumours wore afloat •-.•■•Bltßuhy as to ■ the ' precautions that ■ were tettng.to bo taken-to-guard against a hostile teuuuuatration. It is doubtful if any sorious flftnaw twins wore needed; a fair proportion efe* several thousand persons who crowded . IfcrQßoen's Wharf to witness the departure : expressed their feelings with much j&aagfli of lung, but thero-'was not tho . ferrftmfc indication or. desire to uso any other toßjgtli. . Sir, Joseph Ward's appearance on PSA.Bbarf, his passago' to the steamer, and Mjiiteiiiliiig for ;ten :minutes 'at, the gang-.

way,. «ith-.a dozen strong policemen at the ffiyk *are accompanied by sustained. hoots, 1 i: HBM'«rflier hostife cries, which far surpassed the spasmodic cheers and friendly of a : small proportion of supv . totaw. lt was a bad send-off, but' there' . this to the credit ;of . tho citizens, l&sis .waa 'no attempt at. roughness or atNk PUBLICITY NOT SHUNNED. ■' t: pfflnrtircumstanCes of His departure must hare ffiisßn Sir Joseph Ward a good deal of anxiety. ' nilffe last moment he was .overwhelmed .with I react} a. Cabinet meeting was concluded only i t&sSt, an : honr before the vessel sailed. A i kqnstoble m uniform had paraded, all day (fang,;,'.before- tho entrance .to -his private' ■ ; ifcw^ long'(before Hho'Prime ;Ministor's ■ *jipearanc6 the Commissioner of Police (Mr. iW," Dinnio), Inspector Ellison, and a .fair .j'Knrfjor. of were moving about . emong tho crowd, which; had already gath-" erod on the wharf."' Even the Prime'Mmiß- . 'it; was,. ni : the' : ntainv a imost ropntable-looking crowd,, and v.y:' anic[?ties jf fett ,'earlier l Kin - ,the; day , probably diminished-its the people gathered. WAITING FOR SIR JOSEPH. •.i.{4^q'^lahHka' : lay|sfc; thci; .usosl imop'rings of Sydney. - boats,". at ■ - north end J .filter ;tcb,. :^he''h^''-Bopk^ ,:: an.'J.nn,-.. usually hm;c: numbor of passengers ; 'special . up in the .". -Bt-eeragu portion for thoso people Vvboso conis . . significant'of p:io ' factor Ah the':'yain\ : needl for legislation. As cabs arrived• wifcHjpas■■"7 sengers for the stoamer, - they were:, sub- - jected to. an eager scrutiny in-case the Prime Minister siiould, be an occupant. Lady Ward I ;.?P^Miss Ward, and afterwards Mr." J. Hislop, ; secretary, of the Prime I Minister, .with Mrs. Hislop, arrived in cabs, I ? Tntfanrt any demonstration being made, and i ftfll there was no sign of Sir Joseph Ward, j 'Among the.-,first arrivals on the scano had teen s number ,of Departmental heads of tha i; j. . Cjril. Servico, many members of both > Houses | ... irf flio .legislature,, some of .whom were ac:,<3anpanied by their ■ wives,v Ministerial ■ secreand other officers , of. the. Scrvice. (she» took up positions, some on board'tho : ; j*esse! l : where they awaited Sir Joseph, and - near, the gangway. After them came ;,.., : |sneiri)er» of.the Ministry, who made for tho #.: itface-: Practically, all, the passengers | , py/fte, vessel were on board, and all the I tasooH-ba spectators had, arrived,' when' the 1 TOzrisge of, Sir Joseph, came in sight, a 1 '

i ESCORTED BY POLICE. : Jj&v JoßCph c&rpo m an open carnage, ac- - by, ffie Hon.' Jajnca Carroll and 3 V,1) -secretaries,, butthe carriage |was not the noted. Preceding it thoro maircJied policemen,; in (loutjlo file,* •" smiling looking _ ratSer fooEsh for ; tihe ■ most part,, •f&r duty... to be a-n;,iliinsua.l jfaia qabarrasamg one. If-. Sir Josepth >had > arpMTO vnthoiit this guard his would tgstoi% hayo beoa mora kindly..' The novel y.;blue ; .preceding tti'e ehief, seemed to exoite.'the ffopu&oe, and gwicral,; sustained Hoots arose, which tho • cheora of -Sir ;,T V ;Woro;net" in r greatnumber at of/.tho".vrliarf,-. were' but afeeble .. p* l>t " p... --Tto hoots increased-in' TOlurtjO as -tho foto^KS ; irassed, vdispkying; six ".-more coii- - fife;: attendant at; its rear,

A SMART EXPEDIENT. ' ;passod -through tto - close-packed pnwd bj*. the usual ronte ronnd the Harbour jßoasnTß bfcg dhod would lav© becm an unpfeujtoni ordeol insiiah : carcinnstances,-but. everyhad been w»U ptemied beforenaad. A dipa®al. passage tfeough the great shiKl, empty jjSow. of people, would bring Sir Joseph digangway.- Tho cJorcn cwistablos, - pmoTed by; the 'carriage and its. second. gna-rd :} (passed. ;tho wide deonrays, and' im^ amidst hoots o.nd yells, fho sliding TOora /wOre; shoved .together., by-tho' ' police ' ;- PrevenUng- any ''entrailce 'of - tho it was uot dignified it' was .smartly, ;nano.. At fiio same moroen-t a dozen.othor - .tMuiilubtes, following the second guard of tax Btppcared, -tlicCT duty-being to keep'; back tho' from pushing too.fast. to.-Sjo gangmemiVers of the detective force, woro distributed amongst tfeo ero-ad.

SCENE AT THE GANCVJAY, In a fw Ir.olr.onts Sir Joseph- Ward was : Bwu: . in the middle of the gangway, ft.jt&ng, bat. in hand, ai on enormous crowd, : of whom ono choored for six tiiat hoofed; SWt . is putting -tho;. .'proportion', .-of ;■ clmscwb lu]?h.. . 'At. tiio gangway's ;. fcxA . a sirpiig posso of police—ttioso t'Tiit had'.-.&coTOd vtho Pjimo Minister, ;. i:mfeMiortf-eW-oked•' tho <crowd, 'and pre-;-';v.?iiii")tJioiri ' .from..:coining ■ too ', far;.': Sir! p.oiv tißod :to. his reception, "and faced-it'-.froiii; gangway, for probably frvo :,snii)mg;'all th» time. For. • . t!o'»t.,:'of -.-tho time tiie _hOo-ts f wore .'vigorous, •.".awl cheers got up by his snpportors had no clv.nce . agamst - .them. .Sir Joseph ■■■■AVjird shook hands with those friends who, yilU ciiroful''. Mrothbiight,. had. boarded 'tho . .wramiMvhofpre .him, for tbejpurpose of saying ' : byf-,^!.Th<>/strain of/Tie's a Jolly, Good I,'v'»bw!''. for one line, against the ': I '.wit*., and : . t!'.en subsided. ' "We'll: haiig\ Joe \rVil on \:r. Sour Anple Tree," was heard .am;!;:* f'Don't was (jal'.ctl by other voices. An cntbnsiastio ■ of the Prime Minister, cribd, at.

frequent intervals: "Finest man New Zealand; has; evon seen!" "Finest man in New Zealandl" Sir Josoph, having faced-the uproar for a creditable period, and shaken hands - with members of the Cabinet, lady friends, and others, mounted the gangway, soil.took-his stand against the side'of the vassal. Some of the ladies who had to come down among the .crowd were plainly-in great fear of their reception. Others put a bravo face upon the matter, and one declared, "I'm not afraid of New Zealand boys." Nor had they any need to bo. Tho protest of the crowd bad 'only one man for its .objectLadies and other friends filed down the gangway, and an open passage was afforded them through tho same shed which had proved so convenient to the Prime Minister.. - Onco Sir. Joseph Ward „ essayed to speak, but words that were audible a very few yarda .from him "Good-bye, and God bless, ybu.'\ AFTER-SCENES. A series of detonators was fired by one of the vessels-in port as the Manukamoved out - into the dusky harbour. There- was still for Sir Joseph Ward the consolation of his friend s Meetings from on board the Janie Sex]don. -.The 'crowd on the wharf ■ dispersed quietly, but when ,Mr. J., Meikle took his stand by the Queen's Statue and attempted wKharanguethem on tho unseemly exhibition which, .to his . mind, they had made, he was hustled and pushed off. his rostrum, and finally left hurriedly. A peaceful citizen,who suecoeded him at' the>. rostrum, -.addressed the crowd ,for., a few- moments,' pofnting .there j was no objection •Jj 'Sir . Joseph's going Home, but that t the people who r had demonstrated did so with a ' natural. • that the country's business should be shelved in a time of unemployment and other troubles..