RECEPTION AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, October 3.

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 33

RECEPTION AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, October 3.

Several thousand person? met the Prime Minister at the railway station yesterday to welcome him back from London. Cr J. P. Luke represented the Mayor (who is away from Wellington), and was supported by the other councillors, by many members of Parliament, the beads of the civil service, and prominent representatives of the Maori race. As soon as Sir Joseph and Lady Ward stepped on to the platform, a dance of welcome was- led by Gliiefs Te Heuheu and Tukino and others. Cr Luke then welcomed Six Joseph Ward, and, on behalf of the city, he paid a tribute to the enterprise and patriotism fcliown by the Prrne Minister in London, and said that he felt a tribute was also due to the late Mr Seddon. who had struck the first note of Imperialism when he took up the attitude that New Zealand should not join the Australian Federation, but should work out her own destiny. The people of New Zealand were proud of Sir I Joseph Ward, because he had kept up the traditions of the Dominion, and the outcome of the Defence Conference would be of benefit to the whole Empire. 1 Sir Joseph Ward's opening remarks were drowned in cheers for himself, Lady Ward, Mms Ward. Mrs Seddon, and the Dreadnought. Tlw Prime Minister thanked them for their welcome. He fully recognised that the 'ate Mr Seddon had laid tho foundations of New Zealand's strong Imperial feeling The unique and historic Defence Conference had to lay the liase upon which the structure of the i future was to be erected of a kind to meet , the varying conditions of different portions ! of the Empire. Considering the com- ' nlexity of the work; the outcome*'* had been a scheme of Imperial co-operation and adhesion which made for protection and progress. New Zealand was going to help the Motherland to keep the navy

' suprrior to any other in the world. This { Dominion was nol goirur to* be stupid ' enough to find fault on small matters of de- | tail. Our duty was to attach ourselves to , the most powerful navy the world had known. It was realised that the Pacific would be the future theatre of conflict. N T ew Zpala,nder.«, therefore, ought to be proud that they would have here for the first time a safeguard in the shape of seven ships, two b«in£f cruisers of a class incomparably Better than we ever had before Some peonle who professed to be on the i'u\p of Emnire w^i-e not above •■"• something contemptible to try to stab one who happened to be the leader of a prominent narty in New Zealand! Forty thousand citizens had enthusiastically welcomed him at Auckland, but a miserable, contemptible effort was made ov some creature to try to discount it; All he could say -was : " Have pity on