HON. MR.HERDMAN SPEAKS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 90, 18 April 1914, Page 8

HON. MR.HERDMAN SPEAKS.

REPLY TO STIWOSBPH WARD. ] [PjiLSS Association.] i n^SLLix\G-TON', April 18.- ! Lour; beio-re eight o'clock las.t- night iha Town Hail was full a.ud tho doors closed on the oocasiou o-fc a political address by the Hon. Mr Headman, who fiuokc ml reply to Kir Joseph "Waid. IDo I\nnL*r»ei' began U'bJity minutes ]yi(y^ t^e advertised time, ai>d spoko without serious mt-e-rnijji-ian, devoting the greater part or his speech to del -nco of tfc Goyernmeuii in connection wall tUo strike.. He> complained that Sir 'Joseph Ward's speech deaH. only with tills.*, pa&b, a.nd gave no hope for" i\w> futmo. Kis politics wore deplorable. Spooking of the stale <jf political parties he said thai siicji was th'd general feoling of tlie couiitry that at throe by-elections held since ih© general election the Liberals had been defeated. Tho Reform party was supported by a large body of solid and «iiund thinking wording mou, who roaLisod that ii the county was to prosper it must be done urukn- condition.'-, where soifiiety was kept in order. This sort of nvoiking man one day hoped to be- ' eonio an employer. The Liberal party to-da.y consisted of a number of hangers-on, and disappointed billetiiunters. ,

Mr Herdittian then proceeded to ! -daiU with, tih© state of public affairs when the Ma&sey Govern merit came into power and the- difficulties il had £o face, contending that it was im- ] possible to- gauge the merits of the I Gcnerumeui> unle-vs t'h;>«3 difficulties weie fully understood. ' He enumerated tho legislative mohievonients oi tho Ck)veri«ne-nt,, claiming credit for having kept the wickets, up and for bavins fulfilled election pledges. Spt-aking of t'ho strike, Im? said that • ±ho Government liad a. simple duty to psrionn thai was very critical in the history of tlh« Dominion, and it did it simply, and he hop-wi well. t There were certain fundamental principles Ttihi'ih. musts bo1 maintained l)y any Adiainist ration in powjp.r. Jt was the duty of the AdminLsfcnition to preserve order and 'to protect citizens and their property. lt> duty was to make provision for thf> protection of people who wanted to a;o about their legitimate calling^ or- ervooation. It \fas a plain jmdsinvpte deity that the Government endeavored ' to perform and it performed*1 it to the best of its ability, £f anotfhW occasion aross and there wan a simitar set of circumstances bt?, as Minister for Justice, would do precisely the same thing as ho dud then. Everyone who looked impartially in«t» tihe strike "from the day it started till the day it finished woukl see- that the Govenimeni) did its best. Th^re were lru::----dreds who did not want bo go out on strike, but thsey were misled by their sam useless leaders, and if "anyone had suffered by that- 'unfart'lnate strike the blame lay at the door of tfhe iWiard Government. ' Replying ";'fco ian interjection Mr Herdman fei&id that the strike had cost about £100,000,- Finance and land settlement were also dealt with. in both of.'wiiich respects the Minister claimed credit for the Government as tending to promote the progress of tlw» Dominion. • At the conclusion of blvs> speech a .. motion was moved that fclus meeting '" thanks Mr Herdman. fcnr his address, and expresses entire confidence in the .^lAdministratioa of whi<?h Kb is a inenif^fe'An amendment of rK>-confidence in jlffiiffa-Q Government was'itf^ed, but the lly|i&irman declared it Tc»t and the mo,'jHfon carried.