POLITICAL SOCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1224, 5 September 1911, Page 8

POLITICAL SOCIAL.

SPEECHES BY PREMIER AND SIR J. FINDLAY. TEE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. • Tho members of tho Women's Social and Political League welcomed Sir Joseph Ward and Lady Ward and Sir John Findlay and Laxly Findluy at a "social" in the Concert Chamber Moore acted as hostess. Besides liie principal guests thcro wore present a number of Ministers and members of Parliament. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds and several othera forwarded apologies for absence.. Mrs. K, Brown presided. Mrs. Brown extended, a hearty welcome to the guests of tho evening. Lady Ward was their president, and they were all delighted to welcome her back. Mrs, Brown congratulated the guests upon tho honours conferred upon them, which had been well earned by distinguished services. Lady Warn, having acknowledged tho welcome, read a reply from her Majesty tho Queen to an address presented to her on behalf of tho women of New Zealand by Lady Ward. Tho Queen's letter ia printed in another column. An address exprcs-sivo of the goodwill of tho league towards their guests was read' by Mrs. Moore. Speech by Sir J. Ward. Sir Joseph Ward thanked Mrs. Moore and those associated with her for the welcome extended. The members of the Women's Social and Political League had shown' that they \w>re ready to press tho claims of tho Liberal party in season and out of season, and they would find that when tho programme of tho • Liberal party was laid before them at aa early date it would be found that as iu the past it was on the side of the people Referring to tho work ho and Sir John Fiudlay had dono at the Imperial Conference, Sir Joseph Ward remarked that the Chief Whip of tho Federal Labour party had put it on. record that New Zealand was kept in tho forefront at (ho Conference to a much greater extent than tho Australian Commonwealth was. He did not want to bo misunderstood. Ho did not wish to deprecate tho efforts of tho responsible statesmen who represented Australia. They missed no opportunity of promoting tho welfare of the great Australian Commonwealth! But it wa9 a souroe of satisfaction that an impartial observer in his own country was aulo to say a word of kindly appreciation and recognise that tho New Zealand representatives had dono their best, "Not a Single Mistake," Prior to his departure fronv England soma of the most prominent public men in that country as. well as leading New Zealandcrs had' called upon him. They wero good enough to say that be had not mado a single mistake in judgment. Hβ knew that his colleague, Sir John ' Findlay, had not made a. mistake in his judgment, and ho was in a position to judge. Tho New Zealand representatives had gono to tho world's metropolis at a tiuio of national excitement in tho ordinary acceptation of tho term. To come away from thcro with a recognition of responsible men that no mistake had been mado was a thing, ho thought, upon which thopeople of New Zealand might congratulate themselves. No country in tho world to-day occupied such an advanced position as New Zealand. It was something for us as a pooplo to bo proud of that we lived in tho midst of a community whose members aro every day in their livos taking an interest in tho'life of thn Dominion in which they resided. Even the great Australian Commonwealth would take many years to reach tho position that New Zealand occupied. It would' take Australia twenty to twenty-five years' at least to reach tho point that this country had already reached. The Gov-. crnment was not infrequently subjected to unfair criticism, but would not bo deterred by anything of the kind from conitinning; in the direction of progress.' 1/ tho people ever cume to say that they did not any longer want tho services of himself and his colleagues they would bo quite, prepared to give way to better , men, but up to now he had not 6ecn' these better men. (Applause.) Sir J. G. Findlay's Millennial Hopes. Sir John Findlay expressed the thanks of Lady Findlay and himself for tho welcome given them. He said that there was a growing feeling in England that tho future progress of tho country de-> ponded more and moro upon her women. England was slow to move, but surely it was against tho first principles of liberty that. one-half of the population should be without a voice in tho government of the country. As Minister for. Justice, he had placed certain humanitarian legisla-i tion on the Statute-book, nud he thought ho could not have succeeded in doiiig so if ho had not known that ho had tlio support of the women- of New Zealand.. AVo wero not very far away from the time when New Zealand would bo controlled by her women. In, 1870 thcro wero in this country 70 women to 100 men, and to-day there wero over 90 women to 100 men. A few years henco, the majority of tho voters would be women, and they might welcome that day as being as near an approach to tho millennium as they could get. He would ask the women of Now Zealand to remember what 'Government gave them (ho franchise. ' The aims of government wore changing; it was becoming paternal, and —lie was not afraid of the word—maternal. Governments wero looking moro and more to the health and woll-bcing, moral, and spiritual, of tho people, instoatl of merely to increasing tuo material wealth of the'nation. That was a task' which should be as a religion to them. They should make this country a true promise of the millennium. (Applause.) After each of the Ministerial, speeches the audience rose nnd sang "For Uo's A Jolly Good Fellow." An enjoyable musical and. elocutionary programme was intermingled with tlio speeches. Dancing and supper followed. Thanks to Mrs. Brown mid Mrs. K Moore (secretary) wero expressed by acclamation at tho instance ot !?ir Joseph Ward. .