REASONS WHY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 70, 22 March 1912, Page 4

REASONS WHY.

RETIREMENT OF SIR JOSEPH " ' WARD. A VIGOROUS SPEECH. SLANDER AND MISREPRESENTATION. Sir Joseph Ward delivered quite a lengthy speech 'yesterday in reply to the deputation which urged him to retain the position of Leader of the Liberal party. The effect of hie remarks — that he could not accede to the request — was published yesterday. He wanted, he also said, to explain why. He felt that it was incumbent on him to take the course- h© had decided upon. He had not been requested to do so by any man in politics, but he had thought the matter out, and he had com© to the conr elusion that he could not, in fairness to himself or the country, continue to hold the position under existing conditions. For that reason he made a public statement in the House before a division was taken on the no-confidence motion, co that no one could misunderstand what he was doing, that he intended to retire from the position of Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal party. No one could have had any misapprehension on that subject. He wanted also to refer to the extraordinary contemptible meanness that characterised the large landowners, if they were to judge by what their organs said. (Hear, hear.) As a matter of fact, they had suggested everything thai ( was mean and contemptible — it was a disgrace to journal'»ism — and one had to come to the conclusion that the hirelings on their organs were carrying out the behests and requests of the large landed proprietors, to whom he had been opposed ever spec he had been in Parliament. Their idea was abuse, slander, misstatements, lying, and they must accept the responsibility for* what their organs said. Th« hirelings tvho were employed by .them' could not be expected to do that kind of contemptible work of their own accord, -but if they thought the people of this country, for whose benefit the Government had laboured, was in favour of such a policy, they never made a greater mistake in their lives. What they would find was that their methods of carrying on political life would not only be remembered, but those against whom it had been directed would take it out of them tenfold. (Applause.) The men and women of this country were not going to be dictated to and controlled by a few purse-proud individuals, who are keeping them off the land. They had only got to take what went on in Wellington. There was not a. thing which was in the general interests of this city but what these large landowners and the directors associated with them* had endeavoured to depreciate them to " the fullest possible extent. What had the tradespeople, what had the employees l^ any of the industries, what had the mem? bers of the Public Service to expect from those men in times of stress and trouble or difficulty? (A voice: " Nothing.") They sent their hundreds of thousands of pounds ' out of the country when there was a financial tightness a few years ago, in ojrder to mako the condition worse. Those were the creatures who, when a Government had been working in the general interests of the people, if they did not -start the circulation of these malicious lies and yenoinous statements, kept their mouths shut and never said a word, against a system that was the most 'dajnnable 'that had, ever been introduced in any country- in the world, and they expected that that was going to stop wheve'they hid placed it. "-.''. REASONS FOR RETIREMENT. "As a matter of fact," said Sir Joseph, "the recoil will be upon them for a certainty." (Hear, hear.) "No one, ho went on to say, had~,«ver accused him of lacking courage. He had not decided to retire from any fear, of his opponents or as the result of any critici&m directed against him. He decided to retire, in the ftibt instance, from a belief that the opponents of the Liberal Party were taking advantage of a split, that came into existence- not very long after, the death of the tete Mr. Seddon. At the last election he found this anomalous, but almost inevitable condition of -affairs, existing — the representatives of the large landowners holding out their arms and • professing . to take to their bosoms' the* workers whom they had opposed all their lives. There was not a man or woman who- could say that the Tesult of the elections was brought about by the discussion of public questions or questions of policy. It was brought about by a policy of slander, and misrepresentation, and suggestion of the most evil character, from end to end of the country. On top of that, between the first and second ballots (they had it in Wellington) the cry was "put Ward out," and the Opposition, in its desire at any cost to get/ on the Treasury benches, utilised the workers, for whom the Government had been legislating on progressive lines. Then* it was suggested that he was holding back a pappr m regard to a loan — a paper which he had not received — for personal motives, and he came to the conclusion that if there were men iv the House who allowed that sort of thing to . be said, without denying it, it was time to consider his position. No man could successfully lead a party or any organisation unless he could be sure that wherever he was attacked all those associated with him were prepared to defend him, and in the hurly burly of last election he was defended less, probably, than any man who had held office in, New Zealand. That was not because oiany of those associated with him wet* not prepared to defend him, but because of the fact that they hud to fight' for their very existence against , a system of slander, abuse, and animosity in their own districts. No leader could successfully hold a difficult position unless he had the whole-heuifced and active defence and support of those associated with him ; working for, him in the general interests of the country. THE COUNTRY'S FINANCIAL POSITION. While- he regretted that he could not accede to the request, he must say that his decision had not been come to lightly. He was not prepared to be kept in a position by a number of people in a very improper and unjust way. That evening the party was meeting' to select the new leader, who should have the loyal support of th* members of the party. They should sink minor differences and there should be self-sacrifice Individually — self-abnegation in the strictest sense of the term. If the party rallied round the new leader and- the new Government, it would be enabled to pursue its onward course, which those present were so anxious to see carried out. He was leaving the Administration financially strong and sound. (Loud applause.) To-day the finances of the country were stronger than, he thought, they had ever been in its history. (Hear, hear.) At the end. of; this year, .there, would be a record revenue. He desired call attention to the 'fact tha}> the 'country,' from end to end, was rpros.P.?r£R?. (Applause.) THE LIBEISAL-PARTY. ' The next subject touched upon was ihe public cci vices. Sir Joseph said ho had examined the public tserviciM of ruost -tjouutiiea^ by, which- -ono £guld-

make a fair comparison, and, althuu'ili there might be troubles and diliiculties to individuabs, on the whole our public servants were better off than tlitwe in any parfc of the world. (Hear, hear.) • No other country in the world could ea.y what we could say in reference to the superannuation syeiem, with its provision for widows and children. (Hear, hear.) It could not be denied by the most fanatical of their opponents that the Government had been one of the most enterprising tha country had over seen. (Applause.) la a, practical policy of development, of carrying on t making new and extending existing railways, in providing money for back-block eet-tlei-B. for loading purposes, to enable fresh lands to bo eecured — of no other State could it be said that it had done anything approaching what had been done here during the time he had been head of the Government. (Hear, hear.) New Zealand to-day, in the eyes of the men in the Old AVorld. "whose good opinion it was not only desirable, but essential, that we should have, stood higher than it had fiver stood before. (Hear, hear.) It wae ono of the striking anomalies in qtu'rying on public life in this country that the opponents of the Administration, the Opposition Party, would not be found saying one good word ' about the Government except this : That if they got into power they would not repeal one of the Acts passed by the Liberals. What # miVhty lot one had to thank them for! fCaugi?' ter.) The people's representatives would not let them do it. This should be remembered when they saw the principal organs of the large landed proprietors calling out that the Liberal Party should go out at once, because the other party represented the people of New Zealand. He asked tho people to remember this one fact : The lateral and Labour representatives secured 100,000 more votes than the party of reaction — the old Conservative Party which had been hugging tho Labour unions, not in the workers' interests, for lately they had been maligning the workers. (Hear, hear.) No man felt the honour of boing tho head and trusted leader of a great party more than he did, but he wanted them to remember that, although he occupied the highest position the people could give him, there were circumstances connected with a retention of a position, of that kind which required the individual holding it to remember tho country and to consider his own pride, his dignity, and his honour. (Hear, hear.) But if, later on, his services were required, then ho was prepared, as he had always been, to work disinterestedly and to do all in his power to help on the promotion and development of the country. That evening the party had a difficult task before it, but he believed that task would be- overcome. Perhaps, in twelve months' time, th© voice of public opinion would ensure that an election would take plact>. There would be no uncertainty in the return of tne Liberal and Labour representatives to Parliament, and there would bn no question of the casting vote of the Speaker or a majority of two. They would never bring about a stable condition of affairs untU the people recognised that tley would not be humbugged by those who professed to the friendly to the legislation which they had opposed, and he looked forward personally with complete confidence to the time when the Liberal Party would appeal to the country— and that would have to be done. It might be in twelve months, it might be> sooner, it might be in two years, but he believed that finally the people of the Dominion would insist upon a system df electoral reform that would ensure^ the return of the members representing the majority. ■' He hoped that at some future time he' might be of service to the people of New Zealand, and as a member of the rank and file of the Liberal Party he ought to be occasionally of some user (Applause.) Tho gathering broke up with cheers for Sir Joseph and Lady Ward, and the singing of "He's a Jolly Good Fellow."