THE COUNTRY PARTY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8307, 10 December 1906, Page 5

THE COUNTRY PARTY.

Quite unexpectedly at the banquet tendered to Mr Field at Paekakarikt, on Friday evening, the member for Otaki blossomed forth as the chairman of the "oountry party," and in a speech in reply to the toast of his health, set out on an exposition of that party's attitude towards the Land Bill./ "In the House at the present time," he said, "we have a small party called the 'country party.' It is not an aggressive party; it is composed of loyal members of the present Government who are anxious to stiok to the Government to which we have given allegianoe for so many years. Much naicale has been heaped on the party without any just cause. It has been said that the party is about to start an aggressive land oampaigu throughout the country. Well, lam the chairman of that party, and 1 think I, therefore, know something of it, but it has not. been decided to do anything of the kind. There is a party, or a small band of members, who are prepared, if tbe time arrives, to do what they think right, proper and fair in the way of putting their views on the land question before the Government. If tbe time does .not arrive when ic will be necessary to do this, they will be perfectly justified iu taking the course of aotinn indicated; and they will not do in a way antagonistic to the Government. Their main foundation is loyalty to the Government. Tbey do not want to leave the Government patty, until they are pushed out, and I don't think it io the desire of Sir Joseph Ward to do this, I hope that before very long we will come to a satisfactory solution of the difficulty in regard to land leglslaGion."

CABLE NEWS.

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