SIR J. WARD'S REGRET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17346, 18 December 1919, Page 9

SIR J. WARD'S REGRET.

DEFEAT OF HIS PARTY.

NO PERSONAL FEELING.

STRONG GOVERNMENT NEEDED. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, addressed the crowd from the balcony of the Times office to-night. At the outset he was greeted with sporadic cheers and hoots, but these soon subsided, and he was permitted to speak without interruption. Sir Joseph Ward expressed regret at the defeat of hie party. So far as his own defeat was concerned he viewed the matter philosophically. He personally hajd no regrets, and was not going to complain of his reverse. At the same time, in reviewing the whole election, he could not compliment his opponents on the methods they employed in order to gain their vic-

tory. Sir Joseph said ha had served a very lomr time in the public life of the Dominion, and he wished to tender his deep thanks to the people who had stood by him and his party. He looked upon the position quite dispassionately, and it had to be borne in mind that it would probably take a day or two before the definite state of the parties was known. He was anxious to see that the outcome would be the formation of a strong and wise Government in the general interests of the people of New Zealand because he realised the country had before it very difficult tasks, which would take all the brains and all the efforts of the new Parliament. He assured them that throughout the whole time he had been in public life it had been his effort always to do the right thing. There- were those who did not see eye to eye in politics who were disposed to take the worst view of a man' 6 efforts in public life. That was one of the worst features in the public life of this country. Sir Joseph Ward expressed keen regret at the number of old Liberals who had gone down in the struggle. He referred particularly to Sir James Carroll, whose services and fine personality he eulogised. He expected all the others, who, like him. self had been defeated, would take the position like sportsmen should do. Personally he took it as such.