SIR JOSEPH WARD

Thames Star, Volume LIII, Issue 14069, 17 December 1919, Page 1

SIR JOSEPH WARD

FINAL CAMPAIGN BROADSIDE TOUR" OF TARANAKI. (Press Association.) HAWERA, This Day. The tour of the leader of the liberal Party ...Sd-r Joseph Ward, was brought -to a. fitting conclusion, last flight, when a great I iberal rally ?na» held at the Opera House. The , ineeiing; was "greats i n ... every sense•'of the word. Settlers and townspeople assembled from all part s of the Province in such gtreatt fdroe that the commodlious buitLdfmg; was crowded long befoire starting time. Every foot o ,f the space was occupied, ancT.yet' hundreds, wea'e turned away. As Sir Joseph .Ward entered the Hall he was greeted by rounds of applause in a manner that left 710 doubt as v to his extraordinary popularity. In <a, vigorous address, he expounded %© policy oi the Party in a convincing manner, and the finest political meeting.-ever-held n» the T'aranak'i district was "Brouoiht to a conclusion) with tbe ■ passingl of a vote of thanks to -Sir Joseph Ward for his able address and a motion oiF confidence in the Liberal Party and its leader. Hue ,positdo<n ,-in Taranaki 'is a .Uiiberail waive, and defeat odE the Reformers is pirobaible. Interest in the election contest® in the Taranaki district has been very keen for some week® past. The lepresefntatiyes of the Liberal Party ;oi« putting up such a strenuous fight as t<> cause consternation in the ranks of the Reformers, and in their realisation that the seats would likely lie wrested from their graspl. They Thatye ibeen istaiuggling despeiiately, but even so it appeals extremely likely that the Egmout, Patea and , :Sitrajttfpir|d <sea% (will pass into the hands of the Liiberad Party. This ha®-been cieaa'ly indicated in! the strong support that lias been given \ the nominees of the Democratic l Party, aiid by the great receptions iiccoijded iS-iir Jloseph Waitl. The latter, 'hi refearing (.0 the general ; local '.situation, stated last night that he had little doubt Ma*. Masters would defeat 'Mr. Kins that Mr. Astibury would wicnrat Mr. ' HawOsen, and that Mr. Morri^/n i^vouild be vtictoiwus in. his contest with ' Mr. Powdi'ell. In the letter electorate the Red'oa-mers had secured the withdrawal of Mr. Pearce, the sitting member, but from information he {had freoeivekl lait. tho eleventh hour, the move by Iris opponents might act as a' boomirang:. Really speaking,, #he situatidn was remarkaibly bright, and was indicative of ( that which was at present pei"vad;i'ng , the Dominion. The.: Result would . be the return of the Liberal Party , as tihe next 'Government. ■ ■ At Wanganui and Patea,, while en route to Haw era, Sir Jtfaeph Ward received requests *o address gatherings at East Town Wangamxii, \ and at Patea. He ac<piesced l and spoke to< large meetings- at "each p-lace. At Patea the Liberal leader was? welcomed by the 'Mayo-r. and after address'flor some 500 people in the square, he' was entertained at tea. Motions of fcharfcs a-nd . confidence were caimed by acclamation at footh meetings.