THE COUNTRY'S NEED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13872, 5 October 1908, Page 6

THE COUNTRY'S NEED.

CALL FOR STRONG MEN. OPPOSITION BANQUET. A CRITICAL TIME AHEAD. [BY telegram:.—special correspondent.] Wellington', Sunday. The Parliamentary Opposition gave a banquet at the Grand Hotel last night,-.to bid good-bye to those members who are not seeking re-election. The whole proceedings were marked by the utmost enthusiasm.. - There were .present,: Messrs. W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition (in the chair)," J. Allen, W. Hemes, W. Fraser, Lang,. Aitken, D. Reid, Mander, Alison, Bollard, Lcthbridge, and Oakey, M.P.'s, and also Messrs. Duthie and Martin. After the loyal toa-st had been honoured, Mr. Massey proposed the health of his friends who were retiring from politics for the present. The regret which the party felt at the retirement of Messrs. Lethbridge. Reid, Alison, Aitken, and Lewis was, he said, shared by many men on the other side of the House. (Hear, hear.) It was not sufficient compensation to know that the men who would fill their places would, for the most part, take their seats on the same side of the House. It was not sufficient compensation to know that others, who were oh the other side of the House, were also voluntarily retiring. Nor was it sufficient compensation to know that others on that side would be eompulsorily ■ retired within the next few weeks. Their retiring comrades were men who had stood shoulder to shoulder with them in many ■ stubborn contests, both inside the House and outside it. They were experienced and reliable men, whose services the Dominion could ill afford to lose. Indeed, there had not been a time within the last 20 years in the history of New Zealand when strong, reliable men were so much needed in the Parliament of the country as at the presenttime. In saying that he did not wish to reflect in any way on members on the other side of the House. Ho was condemning more the political system into which we had drifted, a system, that was '. inherently bad, and capable of manipulation, leading to waste and extravagance. That we were going to have reform he was certain, but strong men would need to be selected to bring it about. What would happen within the next few weeks it was impossible to predict, but one thing was certain, namely, that there was a very large section of the community that was desirous of having,an improvement in Parliament, a parliament worthy of the Dominion, and one that would be less parochial, and that would do justice, not to one section of the community but to all. (Applause.) They wanted a Parliament that would. make just and liberal laws, and not such laws as the Second Ballot Bill, with its "gag" clause, which aimed at the freedom of the press, the liberty of the people— hear)— Bill intended to prevent minorities having any representation ,in Parliament at all, and one not intended to benefit -j>he community as a. whole, but only those in power for the time being. Anyone who had read those figures that, on the preceding evening, were placed before Parliament by the Prime Minister must have come to the conclusion that there was a critical time ahead.

Mr. Lethbridge (who apologised lor the unavoidable absence of Mr. Lewis) was the first to respond to the toast. He said he was retiring purely for private reasons,-and because he "wished to see something of the world. i If, after a time, his follow-settlers thought ho could be of use to them in Parliament he would place liimself at their service. (Applause.) He paid a very high tribute to their leader (Mr. Massey), and to his lieutenants, Messrs. Henries and James Allen.

Messrs. Aitken, Held, and Alison also responded. The two former explained that they were retiring in order to.give more attention to their own business, while Mr. Alison explained tilmt Ms medical adviser had told him he must give up politics for some time. One and all said they were extremelv sorry to dissociate themselves from the party. Sir. Alison said there was no more energetic, vigorous, zealous, whole-hearted man in Parliament than their leader, who was endeavouring honestly to serve, not only those whom he specially represented, but also the whole of the people of the Dominion. (Applause.) ' - Mr. Aitken proposed the toast of " The Leader of the Opposition," and said that he often marvelled at his assiduity and his strength. Day after day, and night after night, he stuck to hie work in Parliament. He had a grasp of every question discussed, and of every clause in every Bill, and was alert all the time. (Hear, hear.) If the community realised the splendid work he was doing it would ,'"■ return a very much larger percentage of his party to power. He was sanguine that the next- Parliament would see a much stronger Opposition than the present one. One thing was certain, that never in the history of the country was there so much need for a strong Opposition as there was at the present moment. The country had given, the Government too much power, with the inevitable result that neither logic nor argument availed in Parliament, when the leader of the dominant party made up his mind that .a Bill must, be put through. ;It was necessary that, occasionally, there should be a change of Government for the country's good. f- Mr. Masse v. who waff ' received with hearty applause, said a man who led 'an Opposition in a- country such as this, in which the Government had at its disposal all the power of the nurse and public patronage, had a hard task; and yet the position had its compensations. In the first place, he knew the work of the Opposition was thoroughly appreciated by a verv large number of their fellow-colonists, and in the second place, he knew that he had always the loyal support of the men of sterling character who formed his party. He paid a special tribute to the two men who sat on 'hit right and left in Parliament —Messrs. J. Allen and Hemes. No leader could have had better support than he had received from those gentlemen. (Applause.) He also said that, in proportion to their numbers, the House and the country had every reason to be satisfied with the" work the Opposition had done., They had influenced, to a very considerable extent, the legislation put upon the Statute Book, and they had influenced also the politics of the country. They had also prevented, to some extent, the extravagant; expenditure of public money, and had . succeeded in altering very materially the Government proposals contained in the Land Bill of 1906. (Applause.) They could take pride and pleasure in the fact that, had it not been for their exertions in Parliament, it would have been impossible for many young New ZeaJaiiders (o make their homes their own. To Mr. W. Fraser he gave great credit for the excellent work he had done on the Lands Committee of the House, in connection with the famous Land Bill of the present Government. (Applause.) The Opposition, he said, stood for true Liberalism and genuine democracy, and they had always steered a straight course. (Applause.) He did not say they had not ■ made mistakes, but he did say that they had very little to regret. (Hear, hear.) Their record was a good and a clear one. He confidently predicted that, when the new Parliament met, fore pegs would be needed in the Opposition Whips' room, and more seats would-be needed on the Opposition side of the House, than was at preseut the case. (Applause.) :'./' ; Mr John Duthie (who. was one of the honored guests), in responding to the toast of his health, said there was no doubt that the present Administration had, by their use of the public puree, debauched the com stituencies till we were now in' the position of having an autocracy under democratic institutions. The system could only end in financial embarrassment, ■and though they must all pray that that was a long way off, it seemed as if it was the only thing that would bring the country to its senses.. ■■ -"".-.."■■.•■ ]?.*""'