SIR JOSEPH WARD

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 75, 26 September 1927, Page 8

SIR JOSEPH WARD

NEW LIBERAL LEADER

QUALIFIED OFFER MADE

A qualified offer to lead a revived Liberal Party vras made by Sir Joseph Ward in his address at Waiuku on Friday evening in support of the Liberal candidate in the Eaglan contest, Mr. T. Parker (states the "New Zealand HeraUU')- Sir Joseph intimated that he would not be prepared to act merely at the request of sections, but only if he were convinced that there was a genuine wish among supporters of Liberalism throughout the country. He expressed confident hopes in a Liberal resurgence within the next eigtiteen months, and appealed to the electors to send a colleague to assist him, the only Liberal in the present House of Representatives. ' » r In explaining his presence in the electorate, Sir Joseph said lie had been a Liberal before he entered Parliament I have come back as a unit," ho added, the only Liberal among 80 men. ± am proud of my position, and I would not shift from it for anyone." * . A ever in the history of English-speak-ing peoples had any political policy so well met the neede of a country as that placed upon the Statute Book by the Liberal Party in New Zealand, he said Attcr mentioning his own share in Liberal legislation from the party's earliest days, Sir Joseph said he did not wish to seem egotistical. "However," he remarked, "a new generation has sprung up that knows not Joseph." (LaughWOULD NOT ASK FOE POSITION. In response to invitations from a number of men in Auckland he had come up to speak in the present contest. He had been asked from a great many quarters to accept' the position of Leader of the iiberal Party. (Applause.) Indeed, requests along that Imo had come from one end of New Zealand to the other. He had not asked nor would he ever ask anyone to give him the position of party leader, "but," continued Sir Joseph if the men and women of New Zealand who go under the broad name of Liberals want me and say so, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to lead the Liberals on* to assist a Liberal Government in New Zealand. It would not do for a man who understands the difficulties of the situation to rush m in response to a request from sections, but I feel it incumbent on me after my long political experience, to' help the people if they wished to attain a better and stronger position than that of to-day." TESTIMONY FEOM PAST LEADEES After making a general criticism of the present Government policy and'recent record, Sir Joseph said he'did not propose to discuss details of Liberal policy. That was a matter he would leave to the candidate' for -whom ho was speaking. After referring to the Liberal Party's record, Sir Joseph said: "I have the testimony of Mr. Ballance' and Mr Seddon that I materially assisted them in the preparation of their legislation. There are men and women to-day who are just as' ready to help forward the movement to what I may term Liberal prosperity. It is not a good thing to have the representatives of the people in Parliament nearly all on one side." Sir Joseph was heartily applauded at the close,of his speech, and the au&iance of about 500 carried, without dissent, a vote of thanks and of confidence in him as Leader of the progressive Liberal forces in'Neiv Zealand.