THE NEW PARTY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 49, 26 August 1921, Page 7

THE NEW PARTY

DELEGATES ENTERTAIN LEADER

HOPES FOR NEXT ELECTION,

A luncheon in honour of the Leader of the National Progressive and Moderate Labour Party (Mr. C. E. Statham, M.P.) and Mrs. Sta.thajn was given by delegates from all parts of New Zealand at the Grand Hotel yesterday. The loyal and several other toasts were honoured, chief among the latter being that of the health of Mr. and Mrs. Statham.,

Mr. Dun/bar Sloane, in proposing this toast, said the progress made by the party since its irtception five months ago looked like a romance. The delegates considered themselves particularly fortunate in having Mr. Stat-ham as the leader of the party ; it was a great tiling for, the party to have at its bead a. young man like Mr. Statham, respected throughout the length and breadth of the: Dominion. Having expressed the appreciation of the*member? for Mr. Statham's work, Mr. Sloans wished both Mr. and Mrs. Sfcaitham long life to continue the gobd work.

Mr. Statham replied briefly. The rapidity with which the party had gone ahead, he felt, was simply mystifying. Ho'recognised that there was a tremendous amount of irork in- leading such a party, but any man Uvho had the true interests of his country* at ,-heart must be prepared to make sacrifices. The members of the party should never ilose sight of their ideals; it did not matter whether any one, of them ever secured Cabinet rank, but what was important was to give practical effect to their ideals, and thereby render service to their fellow-men. The executive looked forward with very great hope to capturing most, if not all, of the seats it was proposed to contest at the ne-xfr Genera] Election, so that the next Parliament might find them as the official Opposition. They might even do so well that the party would find itself the instrument of industrial and social reform such as the country had never before seen.

Mr. E. Kellett, M.P., proposed the health of the hon. orga,ni?,er (Mr. W. P. Black), whose work, he emphasised, was absolutely honorary. He said that when a man was prepared to give his time and pay his own expenses for a work sncli as tho party had undertaken nobody could fail to admit that he was sincsre.

Several other toasts having been honoured, tho jiatherinn; broke up with the singing of the National Anthem.