NATIONAL PARTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26816, 6 July 1948, Page 4

NATIONAL PARTY

ANNUAL' CONFERENCE The eleventh annual conference of the New Zealand National Party opened in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall yesterday morning. There was an animated scene as the 350 delegates, representing over 1100 branches, took their seats,. Mr W. J. Sim, K.C., Dominion president, occupied the chair, and on the platform were the leader of the party, Mr S. G. Holland, and the Dominion secretary. Mr T. G. Wilkes. Mr Holland was greeted with the singing of “ For He's a Jolly Good Fellow,” and the conference opened with the National Anthem. Opening the conference, the president expressed the thanks of delegates for the hospitality extended to them and for the excellent arrangements that had been made. Extending a welcome to the delegates, he expressed the hope that their deliberations would be productive of much good. The party was breaking precedent in allowing the press to attend the conference, he added, but there were many matters of a purely domestic nature to be discussed and when this point was reached the press would be advised that the conference was going into committee. The conference yesterday devoted the major portion of the day to a discussion of remits, but short addresses were delivered by Mr J. T. Watts, M.P. (St. Albans) on youth, Mr W. Sullivan, M.P. (Bay of Plenty), on housing, Mrs Ross, M.P. (Hamilton), on the work of hospitals, and Mr W. H. Fortune. M.P. (Eden), on matters relating to defence.