A REFORM DEMONSTRATION

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1312, 15 December 1911, Page 8

A REFORM DEMONSTRATION

CARRIED SHOULDER HIGH. Of the three Reform party members who spoko at the oflice of the Ministerial organ none received a letter hearing than Mr. A. L. Herdman, member for Wellington North. After leaving the "Times" balcony at about midnight, Mr. Herdman was hoisted shoulder high by the crowd, and carried to the Bank of New Zealand corner. There he mounted a cab and addressed a gathering of some 200 people. Mr. nerdman thanked tho peoplo for the honour they had done the Reform party, and tho honiur they had done Wellington. (Applause.) lie believed that they had now entered upon a new era of public life, and that political influence would for the future bo dono away with. Men would no longer bo able to get into tho public service by means of a political pull. (Applause.) Mr. Massey was a man who thoroughly deserved the honour that had been bestowed upon him. He had in him a fighting instinct which enabled him' to come up so often when he had beon knocked down, and he had always been fighting for what he believed to be principles. (Hear, hear.) If he came into office he would mark out a definite course and. pursue it—(Hear, hear!)—and be (Mr. Herdman) would be prepared to follow him. (Applause.) In conclusion, Mr. Herdman said this was the first time he had had the honour of being carried shoulder high through the - streets of. Wellington. Hitherto he had always had to stand upon his own feet. Once more he called for three cheers for the Reform party and Mr. Massey, and these were given lustily, with three additional cheers for Mr. Herdman. Mr. Herdman was about to leave for home in his cab when willing hands were laid upon him, and he was carried shoulder high up Willis. Street.