I AFTER THE BATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1317, 21 December 1911, Page 6

I AFTER THE BATTLE.

———<> DR. NEWMAN, M.P., AND HIS COMMITTEES. A SOCIAL GATHERING. The member* of (lie various committee-.' which worked so strenuously and >o succc—fully on Dr. 'Newman's behalf during Ihe reee.ut election- campaign were the gmvN of Dr. and Sirs. Newman at a conversazione. which n< given in the Concert Chamber, T:iwn Hall, last evening. There wa- a large gathering, and the function was a very enjoyable one iti every v:-ty. 'J'he gue-ls were welcomed al Ihe door by Ihrir hc.-ts, anil the general arrangements were siiclt that everyoup was ,'onn (|ilite at home. The halPv.as tastefully furnished anil decorated, and with the small supper lables which wive disriibuled about, presented an attractive appearance. Ainw'.g those present were Sir. \Y. Fra-er linember tor Wakatipn). Mr. \\\ 11. D. Bell (member for-Welling-ton Suburb'-), and Mr. C. h~. WiNon (member for Taumarunui), who delivered short addresses.

Dr. Newman, who w:>s mosl cnlhusiastieaily applauded, maile a iclicilous speeeii, in which he thanked the members of his committees I'or the splendid eli'orts which they hail put forward on his liehalt. It was I'iiiit-e a novelty, he -aid. to he able, al'ler the past'weeks of campaigning, to make -i speer-h without being. heckled, (Laughter.) But he. was not going lo make a long speech—ho was tired of the sound of his own. voice. (Laughter.) 'Referring to the election battle. lie said thai the Kef'.uiii party scarcely realised its own strength during the light. ■ Had il known its own strength • sooner, the results would have ' been. even more gratifying/ (Ileal 1 , "he n-.) However, the mana and prestige of the Ward Government had been broken—hopelessly broken—(applause)—and the political situation was now'a very interesting one. lie eulogized the splendid loyalty of his supporters in the campaign, and desired especially lo acknowledge Ihe valuable work which had been accomplished by- his chairman ofcommittees, Sir. I'. -Gilbert. ( Applause.) He assured them .of his-earnest desiro to fight, as their member, for Ihe common good and prosperity of the-country, and the realisation of the highest political ideals and clean and sound administration.

A prolonged burst of cheering marked the conclusion of Dr. New-man's speech, with clicers for Sirs. Newman and for Sir. W. F. Slassey, the head of the lieform party.

Mr. W. Eraser, who had a cordial re-' ccption, urged those' present lo guard against any relaxation from continuous eifort in the direction of permanently consolidating-the achievements of the Reform party. They must maintain eternal vigilance against Ihe influences which were opposed to political reform. Three years ago he had made a special effort to rouse the people in the south from the political apathy into which they had sunk, and to get them to take a practical interest in the campaign against Wardism. On all sides he had been met With tho remark; "What's the good—lhe Government is too strong." 15uf there had now come about a revulsion of political feeling. The political conscience of the mass of the people had been stirred, as was clearly demonstrated at the recent polls. But they must harden up their organisation, and continue the fight, for the privilege of free interrogation npon matters of administration and for the rights of Parliamentary Government as opposed to the autocratic administration of a few individuals. (Applause.)

Mrs: -Newman was greeted with rousing cheers as she ascended the platform to' address the gathering. She was proud (o think that she stood there as the wife of the member for Wellington J?ast. The women of the electorate hail fought a splendid battle for political reform. There was a time when men who courted women in matrimony paid their hoin?.ge on bended knee- Times had changed somewhat since then, but she ventured to prophesy that there would come a day when candidates for political honours would woo their suffrages 011 bended knees. (Laughter.) What the women "of the country had nearest, at heart was the raising np of higher and nobler ideals in political life, and the.v would exact in the future an exalted standard of political _ work in their Parliamentary representatives. She thanked those who had worked side by side with her during the heat and burden of the battle, loyally and strenuously. for a great cause—the ca« c e of political reform. (Apnlausp and elipers.) Sir. C. K. Wilson,, who followed Mrs. Newman, was soon on the best of terms

with his audience, and told of his experiences a.s a back-blocks campaigner. He had been 011 his knees to tlipTair sex ever since lie could remember, lie said, witli all due deference to Sirs.- Newman. (Laughter.) He put in a strong plea for the svmpathv and support of the towndwellers for'the struggling settlers in the back-of-bev'oml. and concluded by reciting some telling verses about "the mingy cockatoo"—the man v;ith the axe who 'struggled for existenco in a wilderness where the only,roads were those on the fnai). Mr. W. H. D. Bell, in lighter vein, said that it hod been related of Mr. Wilson I hot his method of paying homage to the ladies of Tauiharunui was to insist on milkin" the cows at every farm he visited. (Laughter.) He believed that Mr. Wilson must have milked every cow 111 Taumarunui by the time the/final results were declared. (Laughter.) , "Better tb.m klssine the boby! interjected Sir.'Wilson, amid laughter. In addition to the sneechcs a short programme of musical items was also arranged, contributing materially to the entertainment of the guests. -