THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10417, 22 March 1912, Page 1

THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

_ THE LIBERAL AND LABOUR CAUCUS. LAST NIGHT'S MEETING. ADJOURNMENT TILL TO-DAY. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, March 21. The important caucus which means so nnieli to the Liberal-Labour Party commenced in the Government whip's room to-night, Messrs Veitch, Robertson, Payne and Atmore being among those present. Great care was taken to ensure secrecy, the passages leading to the corridor in which the assembly room is situated being guarded by messengers. The proceedings opened at. eigiit o'clock. The caucus rose at one o'clock. The Prime Minister stated:—"We have had a pleasant time, with the utmost good feeling, and we will meet again at eleven o'clock in the morning."

DEPUTATION TO SIR JOSEPH WARD. ASKED TO RETAIN THE PREMIERSHIP. SIR JOSEPH DECLINES. [Peb Press Association.! WELLINGTON", March 21. A deputation representing the Liberals of Wellington, to the number of about three hundred, waited on Sir Jeseph Ward at Awarua House this afternoon to request him to reconsider his decision to resign the leadership of the Liberal Party. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward received the deputation on the lawn, and were the recipients of sympathetic and hearty greetings from those present. Mr J. Reed, in introducing the deputation, said that when the original meeting was convened ladies took a very great interest in it, and the following resolution was adopted:— " That this deputation of Liberals, supporters and friends of the Right Hon the Prime Minister, desire to express our regret upon hearing that you have decided to resign the position of Premier of the dominion and leader of the Liberal Party. Wo are in sympathy with you in the circumstances under which you may consider it necessary to take that step. Looking back on the years have led Parliament, and the many important Liberal measures you have introduced, and which are now brought into law, we realise that they have not been in tho interests of any one class, but for all the people of the dominion. We are not unmindful of your good services as Postmaster-Gen-eral, of which the Post and Telegraph Department bears record in its up-to-datedness, being second to no other department in any part of the Empire. Indeed, the whole of the legislation during your term of office bears the mark of progress, as a result of which the dominion is now quoted by the world's statesmen as one of the most progressive parts of the .Empire. We regret your resignation, and we would sincerely ask you to reconsider your decision, feeling assured that the majority are with you and that you retain the confidence of the people; and finally we wish to impress this fact upon the Liberal and Labour members in Parliament."

Mr Reed sakl that he was chicled by the meeting that lie hail not put enough in the resolution. Only the Postmaster-Generalship had been mentioned. One speaker told him that he had omitted to mention that Sir Joseph had a heart, and thnt it was beating in the right place. (Applause.) The deputation had not come to Sir Joseph to tell him what to do or what not to do. They had come as friends. These friends were not the sort that came in the summer and kept awav in the winter. They knew that he would do the right thing for himself and Ihe country. Reverting to the Postmaster-Generalship Mr Reed Paid the New Zealand service was the most up-to-date in the world. Visitors were astonished to see up-to-date methods in vogue in the postal sendee. He referred to the initiation of the penny postage scheme and contrasted it with methods obtaining elsewhere. He held, in view of the reforms brought about recently, that Liberals were not class legislators. A fow years ago the affairs of this country were sinking down in financial depression, but they were rescued and brought to a successful issue by the brains of a man now standing a-mongst them. He reviewed the work done "by the Liberals in educating the people to the best possible way to get the most out of their products. He waa bound to say in connection with Sir Joseph's resignation that he was heartily in accord with one man, who was not a Liberal, who had said rooontly that Sir Joseph "Ward stood head and (shoulders above any politician iu the, country. He hoped to see Sir Joseph leading the Liberal Party again. (Applause.) If tlio Liberals were unable to find a leader Sir Joseph would find, if the party was unanimous, a very great difficulty in refusing the leadership. He would say that whatever course. Sir Jospph W nrd decided to follow ho would have the loval support and confidence of the Liberal Party. Mr E. Arnold, Mr A. L. Wilson. Mr Gray, Mrs Keay Brown, Mrs core, Mr C. Hall and Mr H. Parata spoke in eulogistic terms of the work done for the country by Sir Joseph Ward, and all requested Sir Joseph to reconsider his der«riou to resign the leadership of the party. Sir Joseph Ward, who wrs greeted with cheers on mint: to respond, thanked those present for their kind representations and utterances. Though be would be unable to givo effect to what they asked he Avould always remember their kindly wishes. Tie could not in fairness to himself or the country retain the position he now held.

He had made a statement to that effect on the floor of the House. He attributed the present political crisis to the " extraordinary contemptible meanness of the large landowners." Provided they were to judge them by their newspapers those people had directed their efforts against him, but thpolicy he had pursued in Parliament had not been ejected against any individual but in the interests of the whole community. They would find a. recoil in their methods. The Liberal Party would take everything out of them for what they had done in the way of keeping Ihe people, from the land. "What, he asked,. had tradesmen and the public sreneraHy to expect from those men in the ease of difficvltv In financial difficulties they s<*nt- their money out of the country so that they could, step in and buy up property for nothing. They now expected that thirds would remain as they had put them, but they would find (he recoil upon them. He had no per.wnal desire to retire from the position he occupied. He believer! that the opponents of the Liberal? had taken advantage of a split which had occurred in the Liberal and Labour ranks shortly after the death of Mr Seddon. Since then an anomalous and almost unbelievable position had grown up. The representatives of the large landowners were taking to their bosoms the workers they had n'waya opposed. Ho had had to submit, to misrepresentation, slander and suggestion of a most despicable character. The sole cry of his political opponents had been '"'Put 'War'-I out.'' He had been associated with John M'Kcnzie. Ballance and Seddon and had always worked in the best interests of the country. He had been subjected to the most outrageous abuse in connection with the flotation of the five million loan. He had been requested time and again to produce papers in connection with it which those who asked for them knew were not in the country. No rna.n could successfully lead a party unless when attacked all those supporters in the locality where he was attacked defended him. Tn tho hurlyburly of the last elects he was less defended than any public man had over been. The reason was that others had to light for their very existence and coulu not help him. lie would like to yield to the requests made to retain the leadership, but he would not be in the position of being a bugbear to push tho Liberal-Labour Party out of power. Tho party was mooting that night to select a leader and would have to sink rll petty differences and do the best for the party a.s a whole and the country. He was proud to say that ho was leaving office with the country financially strong. It was sounder and stronger now than he believed it had ever been before. At the end of the year they would have a record revenue. The country from end to end was prosperous. In connection with the public service, -he was sure it was better off in this country than it was in any other country in the world. Every man in •the service had superannuation, which Provided for him, his widow and chilren. The Government of which he had the honour to be the head had been most enterprising. No such progressive legislation as it had passed had ever bofore been put through in the world. At the present time New Zealand undoubtedly stood higher in the eyes of the world than it had ever done before With regard to that legislation, he said that even the Opposition had beeu compelled to say that it would not repeal one of tho Acts which his Government had placed upon the Statute Boob. He pointed out that there had been over 100,000 more votes cast in favour of the Liberals at the recent elections than for tho Opposition. He could assure his hearers that ho appreciated fully the highness of the position he was vacating. No man had felt the honour more than he had, but he had to remember the country at the same time as his own dignity, pride and honour. If in the future the people of the dominion showed that they did not believe the scandals the liars of this country had disseminated, ho would be prepared to again assist in the _ work of the country. He strongly objected to the abominable low-down South American system of suggestion, slander and personal abuse of public men, but he felt that within twelve months they would find that tho voice of public opinion in New Zealand, when appealed to, would in no uncertain way return tho Liberal and Labour Party to power. There would be no castingvote of the Speaker or majority of two. He asserted that some of those people who had been using their money and motor-cars in the interests of tho Opposition would find if that party got into power that they would be pushed along on the line of declination. He appreciated the very great kindnesses extended by those present in coming to'him and he was extremely sorry that he could not give them a favourable reply. He hoped at some other time to he of some use to them, and as a member of the rank and file he ought to be of some use. He and his people were packing up to leave Awarua House, and he regretted that some of the representatives of the large landowners bad gone so far as to push their noses into his family affairs, the necessity of evacuating his house having been referred to in Parlanient by one Oppositionist. (Cries of "Shame!"') He, concluded by stating that besides the resolutions published in the Press, be had been the recipient of many hundreds of similar ones. Ho could assure them that public opinion would swing back rapidly and the party would come back strong to carry out the work of the country.

Cheers were then gven for Sir Joseph find Lady Ward, the gathering breaking up after singing "tor he's a Jollv Good Fellow."

AN EARLY ELECTION. [FKOM Ouu COHRRSPOXDEKT.] WELLfNGTOX, March 21

Tho probability of an appeal to the country at an earlier date than 1914 is generally discussed among the Liberals. Sir Joseph Wnvd holds that opinion clearly. Rper.king to tho ellington Liberals this afternoon, he as id that tho party in deciding upon its future leader had a difficult task, hut he believed they would do it. The duty of every progressive member was to sink his individual preferences in this time of crisis, because it would not bo very long, perhaps twelve months at the outside, before it would bo found that public opinion was setting strongly in favour of tho Liberal 'Party. Thus when the voice of the people was taken there would be no uncertainty about tho result of the Liberal and Labour members' appeal. "I look forward personally with complete confidence to whenever we appeal to the country," he added. " I believe finally that- this will require to he done. It. may bs twelve months hence, it may he sooner, or perhaps two years from now, hut finally we, will have, representatives returned, not by means of any such unnatural alliances as were seen at last election. 1 hope thpfc the electoral system will be reformed so as to give a majority to those who have to carry on ill** work of the country without subjecting tliem to unnatural processes in the attempt."