THE MEMBER FOR PAHIATUA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 13969, 27 January 1906, Page 7

THE MEMBER FOR PAHIATUA.

A COMPLIMENTARY GATHERING. SPEECH BY 'THE PREMIER. [From Our Correspondent.] PAHIATUA, January 26. < A conversazione was tendered to Mr Roes at the Olympic Theatre this evening. The Mayor (Mr D. pre-s-'aed, and the Premier, Messrs' C. Sail, M.H.R., and J. T. M. Hornsby, M.H.R., were present. _ . The chairman, in congratulating the district on the disappearanoe of the rancour of the political campaign, expressed tho hop© that at the next election there would ho nobody to oppose the Liberal candidate, and they would say© all the trouble and expense of an election. (Applause.) ' Sir Seddon said he felt_ humbled by the' result of the last election, with the great confidence the people had placed in the Liberal Government. _ They had greatly increased his responsibility, and ho hoped that it would he well placed. (Applause.) There had been a good deal of bluster and' bounce on the part of the Opposition. There had been none with the Government, and, ho hoped there never would be. Time arte* time, in the last Parliament, there had been the cry, “ Let us go to the people. Then we .shall have the end of - corrup- ; tion.” He very properly allowed the opponents of the Government to go on like that, because he those ■ who did what was right and just to.* the people reed not fear. (Applause.) No man in a public position had a right to say there was corruption, and in- • jure the Government, unless he was prepared to prove his charges. (Applause.) Had a single charge of 6or-i rnotion been proved against the Liberal Admin istration'. (A voice: “ Not one. ”) He would 'challenge his ' opponents,. if they were in office to-morrpw, to change the memo system. It was impossible to carry on business on tho old system by letter. If a man tried to carry on business under the old system he would find it slipping through his fingers. Ho must do it by cable and telegraph. Instead of all the old copying and recording, the memo itself was the record. The country paid his fare whenever he went on any steamer in the colony, and so it should. (A Voice: “ Quite right,” and applause.) He was deeply. grateful to Mr Ross and the electors of Pahiatua for again hoisting the Liberal flag over Pahiatua. Touching on the subject of light railways, Mr Sadden expressed his confidence in this method or' opening up districts where there was no metal for road-making. He believed that if one were oonc'.ructy, - ed there would soon be others all over-, tho colony. (Applause,) Speeches were also made by M*. Hornsby and Hall.