SIR JOSEPH WARD'S PREDICTION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1926, Page 8

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S PREDICTION

"You will have a Liberal Party at. the next election—don't make any mi» take," declared Sir Joseph Ward (Invereargill) in the House of Representa tives yesterday afternoon when the Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. M'Leod), by way of interjection, r« marked that the Liberal Party had no party funds. "Would the light lion, gentleman tako the Nationalists in?" inquired tho Prime Minister. .

'' It will' take the Prime Minister al» his times to regulate his own party.'.' replied Sir Joseph Ward, I 'let alone the Nationalist Party. Keep your eye on your own party." . Mr. Speaker: "The right hon. gen-, tleman must address the Chair." "I must excuse myself by saying that I was a little excited at' the., moment," replied Sir Joseph, by way of apology, and to the accompaniment of laughter. "I won't depart again if I can avoid it." Sir Joseph said that at the last election there were thousands of Liberals who voted Reform. Mr. Coates: "They will do it again." "Weil, we shallsee," said Sir Josepli. "I am not going to say that I shall lead the Liberals, I am not.asking that any inferenco shall be taken from what lam sjying." He said that atthe'clection a bogey was raised that the only way to keep Labour out was for Liberals to vote for Beform. Then, again, the change of name of the Liberal Party to the Nationalist Parf.y was, in his opinion, a huge mistake. There were thousands and thousands oi! Liberals who did not know'at the election where they were, and the alternative held out to them was that thoy should vote for the Prime Minister. It was a very good cry, but the fact remained that there were .' thousands of, Liberals at the present moment who wero not satisfied. He knew it, and he believed other members knew it. If anyone ran away with the idea that a party like the Beform Party, which had a very long tail, was going to remain in office for all time, then his prediction was tha,t they woud be mistaken. The Hon. W. Nosworthy: "Tails.hang on for a very long time, you know.'' (Laughter.) Sir Joseph: "I have no intention of interfering to weaken the tail or'to improve the tail." 'The Prime Minister: "To stretch it a'bit?" (Laughter.) "I am saying that that is the posi tion," roplied Sir Joseph. At a later stage, the Hon. A. D. M'Leod said that when he made his interjection he v was taken up by Sir Joseph Ward in a manner different from what had been intended. He had referred to Sir Joseph's recent remarks with reference to being ■ a party of one, controlling its own funds. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui): "You ought to consider its prospects as well as its. funds." (Laughter.) .