PRIME MINISTER TENDERS HIS RESIGNATION

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 99, 8 December 1928, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER TENDERS HIS RESIGNATION

WARD TO BE ASKED TO FORM NEW CABINET.

STATEMENT TO be made soon.

INTENTIONS OF UNITED PARTY

P ■'ess Association —Copyright. WELLINGTON, This Day'. The Rt. Hon. j, G. Coates has tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and that of his colleagues to His Excellency the Governor-General. It is expected thht Sir' Joseph Ward will be sent for tc-tfay, and asked to form a new Cabinet. It i 9 understood the new cabinet will be announced on Monday. ... Li the House yesterday afternoon Sir Joseph Ward, said that ou behalf of the United Party he wanted to express his appreciation of the kindly offer of assistance made by Mr Coates in the course of a very good speech. Ho thought- the whole House would recognise the difficulties and the position in which Mr Coates was placed.. Such a a tiling came to everybody who was in politics for a long time, and it was a source of gratification that Mr Coates should,, on probably the last occasion lie held the position he had occupied so honourably express such kindly sentiments as lie had done. STATEMENT TO BE MADE. Sir Joseph added that some time after the House reassembled he womo make a statement on some important matters. He was not going to say anything further at that stage. At the moment he felt he was unable tot say .whether another session would bo necessary. He wanted to'avoid in the interests of the Douse and of the countryj* and he hoped when he was in a position to speak with authority to be able to make a proposal regarding his. policy and how he proposed to act. i

MR HOLLAND’S TRIBUTE. ]\lr H. E .Holland, leader of the Labour Party, also paid a tribute to Air Coates as a, clean fighter, Me have) had to fight and we fought wdh the gloves off,” said Mr Hollamr. “Every fighter likes another hghter, and when the scrap is over friendships remain the same. I want to express my appreciat ion .and, I am sure, tie appreciation of every member of the

party on these benches, of dim manner in which the. Prime Minister accepted defeat and I am sure he. will forgive me if 1 say he never appeared to better advantage, even in the moment of his most decisive victory, than in the hour of his defeat to-day. The Hon. Sir A. Ngata, speaking on behalf of the Maori people, thanke;d Mr Coates for all he had done i» the interests of the Maori peopw. His actions would not he lightly thought of in the years to come. most unexpected. Mr Coates said the remarks ouido concerning him were most unexpected. He had received so many bricks during recent mouths that he had not thought he would receive any bouquets across the floor of the House. He would ever remember the kind remarks which had teen made. No doubt they would cross swords in the future, but they could always look forward to the fact that whatever they did in the House was not allowed to interfere with thenfriendships outside. On Tuesday* concluded Mr Coates, be would like to have an opportunity of making a short statement, as to the attitude of the Reform Party would take up in regard to Sir Joseph Ward's administration. The House adjourned at 2.35 p.mtill Tuesday. ■’ | a meeting of Reform members was held after the adjournment. A resolution was unanimously passed recording the highest appreciation ot the dignified, manly and statesmanlike speech delivered by Mr Coates; It was felt that the speech was the finest effort Mr, Coates had made since be assumed the leadership of the party.