SIR JOSEPH WARD AT HAMILTON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12254, 3 June 1914, Page 8

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT HAMILTON.

RECO.RD ENTHUSIASM. STANDING ROOM SCARE, By Telegraph. (Special tn Oamaru Mail.) • Hamilton. June 2. Sir Joseph Ward has received splendid and enthusiastic meetings wherever he Jias- spoken, but if exception can be made, perhaps the meeting he addressed. at Hamilton to-night- has been the most crowded a.s well as the most enthusiastic meeting he has yet- addressed. Long before 8 o'clock the Town Hull was full. Every available inch of space was utilised, including the stage,, and people were content to stand throughout the evening, in the passages - and alleyways, not able to obtain a seat.

Throughout the meeting applause and cheers were frequent-. The Mayor (Mr A. E. Manning)' presided, and introduced the sneaker. . He alluded, amidst applause to the great work Sir Joseph Ward had done, not only fo,New Zealand, but for the Empire. When Sir Joseph Ward 1 reached the hall and walked through the vasr audience, he was greeted' with thunderous .applause and cheers, and this was repeated when he took his place on the platform. In opening. Sir Joseph -Ward'./referred to the great achievements of the Liberal Party in regard to placing people on the land b'v bursting up large estates, and abolishing the property tax. Thes.' measures wore consistently opposed by the, party that was now in power. The Liberal- Party had) been christened the seven 'devils of socialism, because tliev ,liad acquired large estates to enable the people to be placed on, the land.. The Liberal Party had sible fo'r placing 130,000 people on the land'. ' They had laid, the foundation whereby they had prevented a few m'en, whom they had nothing against personally, from retaining most of the land of the country. These la-ndholders had looked on horrified: at the Government buying land and allowing the people to settle- upon it and establish homes for themselves. —(Applause). In referring to the Dreadnought' pift Sir-Joseph -again-prophesied that the increase in the death duties, which had been made- to meet the cost of the Dreadnought, would pay for the battleship, including sinking fund, ire. a. period of te* years from the time of the alteration of the law.—(Applause). He 1 -explained that before the death duties

■were .altered, a 'person died leaving | £BOO,OOO, and he disposed of his estate in such a. Tray that no'death- duty was paid. The law had been altered by his Administration so that nothing of the kind could occur again. He reminded his -audience that ho had 'been undefeated at the poll, and undefeated in the House. He had declined to go on as leader of the party because he had recognised the responsibility devolving upon him. and lie was not inclined to go on in an unsatisfactory way, and be at the beck and' call of one. or two members.—(Applause,) In replying to an .interjection, Sir Joseph said there were mighty few who had got their holdings converted into freehold under the Massey Government's Bill, and they-would not be able to'get the freehold until enough money was borrowed to enable them to do so. (Applause.) Sir Joseph spoke for two hours and a-half. and received as fine a hearing as it is"possible for a man to He had, the audience with him from the start, and the. one or two isolated individuals who _ attempted to interject were so effectively answered, by the re-

torts of the speaker that they very soon ] collapsed. Sir Joseph was. frequent- ' ly applauded, and when he resumed j his seat received an ovation, the prolonged applause ending in continued I cheering. " " _ On the motion of Mr Veitcli. a vote of thanks was accorded to Sir Joseph Ward, the resolution expressing confidence in the Liberal Party, and hope for their success at the polls. This motion was carried witli enthusiasm. There were a few "noes." but. the Mayor stated: "I declare the motion carried almost unanimously." The meeting closed with cheers for Sir Joseph and Lady Ward.