LIBERAL PARTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1920, Page 5

LIBERAL PARTY.

HELP OF LABOR SOUGHT, j CO-OPERATION WITH MODERATES. INVITATION FROM LEADER. By Teleeraph.—-Press Association, Wellington, Last Night. A public reception was tendered to Mr. T. M. Wilford at Petone to-night by his constituents of the Hutt electorate in tonor of his appointment as Leader of the Liberal Opposition in Parliament. There was a-large attendance, presided over by the Mayor of Petone, including ft number of Liberal M.P.'s, who all congratulated Mr-- Wilford on his appointment, and assured him on their loyal support. In thanking his supporters for their congratulations, Mr. Wilford said he felt the great responsibility of his position, and he would always do his best in the true interests of New Zealand. The Liberal watchword would be "Forward." What the Liberal Party had to do in the future was to build. The greatest plan in the platform of the party was a reduction in the high cost of living, around which was wrapped every other thing they could think of. In political life, the Liberal Party stood for the moderate men and women of New Zealand, and stood as a/ strong will or buttress against extreme Toryism and extreme Labor, and it stood for King and Country. "The Liberal Party holds out its hand to moderate Labor," said Mr. Wilford, "and says will you grasp it firmly. It says we have stood to you, will you stand to us? " To-night, as leader of the party, I hold out my hand to moderate Labor, and say come into partnership -with the Liberty Party, which you have proved worth trusting in years gone by, and see if we cannot, out of the chaos that is existing in this country to-day, lead towards better things." Mr. Wilford added that he wished those people who believed in constitutional reform against direct action to realise that there were young New Zealanders who were willing to stand to those who neoded assistance.