SIR JOSEPH WARD

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 69, 15 December 1919, Page 10

SIR JOSEPH WARD

* . By Teleeranh—Press Association Hamilton, Dfi'cniber 111. S'.r Joseph Ward arrived this Morning. Despite a misiinderst.uidiug icganUug the time of arrival, 'J'lie Town ilall was crowded. Sir Joseph Ward received an excellent reception. Itis .-oeeeh was on the lines ol previous ones. A vole express Jig thanks and confidence, and the liopo that the Liberals would be relumed to power at the election, was carried.

Under Which Flag? 11l an impassioned address delivered at n Labour demonstration in the Paramount Theatre lust /light, Mr. \' Fraser, • candidate for WcllinijVcm Central, refcr- | red to the Union Jhck unci the Ued Ping. "Mv an advertisement," lie said, ".yoli nnve been asked to consider under which hiu von will vote. The Labour Party has. hut one flag, and I am willing to accc;>t it the Ped Mag—'he /lag of the into'national working class movement, the Itat' til: the uorking and toiling men and women of -evert- country under the sun, and tli« Hi'.tr Ural is pre-des'lined to flv triuriiphanlly over all humanity whoii 1 "Jiuinjin'tv is blended together nuo liviiioin brotherhood. Regarding Ihe oilier ml*, wii deny l;he right of tile Welfare League or any of exploiters to {.tlrn it. The British Hap; is surely too imnnrlant to bo dragged into the land by any gang of exploiter* that like to plaeo themselves around it. . . . Wo believe that their flag is not the red (lag-not I lie red. white, and blue (la ff, hut tha black (las. til'! black flnjj with the skull and crojsbonc-i of the pirate. And you Inive In ohr-cso on election <my whether vem are to vot« for the black' Ibal stand-- for nrrifil perinj;, the exploiters of you and the homes you livr in. flic ex-rloite-s of 111" food of your children, and ths.l: stand-' for everything that is foul and degrading in civilisation—-v.-hrther vmi will .stand for flint black flag and its skull and crossbones of which Mr. Skerrett and his friend.-; are so proud, or v.-liellier run will vole for the workingclass Hag." Jlr.'V.-nser naturally avoided any reference lo (he hardship inipn-ed on the working. (oiling men, women, and children of Tvfw /Miami by the "go slow" in (be c<ml mine--; the hold up and loss of a large caruo of sugar which is placing evervone on sho't commons to-day; (lie increase in (he cost of living due lo the ndoed cost of handling golds and sbipuinir eon.scni!?nt. on "slop-''or!'" meetings and oilier similar practice? of Die dupes of Labour extremists. Hut Ihe worke-s end toilers are tretl'ng lo Veow Hie?o Ihin?-' for themselves. 'e "If v. er's references lo llie Tied Via;;—vo'l, ibe "lecfoi". of Wellimrt'i'i Centra! and Welliuetnn S'Hitli and 'Wellins.'ton North. and oilier soal= will no doubt bear them m mind on Wednesday next.

Soaing Cloar. Mr. Cluthti Mnclcoiiv.if!, tho Government candidate for Auckland En.st, lost his sight in action while .serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, at Galliooli. His opponents iii Ihe election contest liavo not hesitated to allude disparagingly to his blindness, and at almost, al! his meetings riues'ions have been put suggesting that ho is not .fit to sit in Parliament because he cannot see. Ono question put to him hist wpeic was "What, have blind men done in politics?" There wero cries of protest but Mr. Mackenzie raised no objection lo answering tho query. Ho mentioned sevcial instances of men thus afflicted who had done good work in tlie world in politics,. journalism, alid other professions. "Tlieti there teas Samson,"' he said, "irlio jmlleil a temple down upon his head, nnd Milton, whose poetry I havo not rend." He referred to the great work accomplished l)j" Sir Arthur Pearson, and concluded by reminding his questioner that Captain Stevens, of Palnierston 2*orlh, was in Ihe House of Representatives for many years lifter he lost his sight. CVptain liailey, 100, he said, still in the Upper House, had lost.his sight 25 jears ago. The Martyr. The rumour that the elections will bo followed hv a great '"go-sloii""'strike .was rtfevreii to by Mr. If. Isemplo when i-Pfaking at a Labour demonstration in tlie Paramount Theatre, last night. Ho clainii.i that this was merely one of the "bogeys" that, were bring put up lo U'iglilen people from voting.ior Labour. Mr. temple (lid not dwek'ip rile subject anv further, but claimed lhal if th? people gave cither Mr., Mnssey or Si; 1 Joseph Vr.-ird a mandate to carry on t'nev would "put the hi" boots on." "But if vnu do give them this mandate," lie added. "I will ,-ufl'cr for you, and say nothing; I will lay in Ihe dungeon with von'ami be 'lie last to squeal (I have lain there beforo, nnd T will go there againt for I shall never lean to the will of tho tyrant 1 or his lash either."