POLITICAL SOCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 572, 29 July 1909, Page 6

POLITICAL SOCIAL.

SPEECHES BY MINISTERS. LIBERAL .AND LABOUR 'FEDERATION. PARTY ORGANISATION. , ; ' Tho upper room at Godber's,- in Cuba Streot, was well filled last evening, when tho local branch of the Liberal and Labour, Federation hold a social' evening. Music, singing, ami recitations wero interspersed with speeches by two Ministers of tho.Crown (lions. J. A. Millar and R-. M'Kenzie), und other gentlemen... '."•■.- ' .' Tho president (Mr, R. Fletcher),'. after announcing apologies for absence from sevoral members of tlio Cabinet, all tliosn present tn take a real , and -active "interest in political affairs. The present Ministry bud p,i(<si'd a great many .measured which woro especially valuablo on tho social side, and though their opponents might say that they would not ropeal any of theso; yot the party wJiich pnvo tho country thoso laws dosorved a continuance of their support. (Applause) Ho would ask thoso present to rally round and help to galvanise* fiqmo fresh lifo into tho Lihornl and Labour Federation. (Applause)

Speech by Hon. J. A. Millar. Tho Hon, J, A. Millar (Minister for Tlaijways) rasiilled Uio pnrl.v nrjjjMiieafioii ns it oxisted in t!io dayii of Mm Into Mr. Scullion, whoso personality drwv .around - liim many who would not othenviso'havo come into tlio organisation.' Uiifori.uimtoly ;,circumstances had Jntoly compelled tho dloi'ormncnt to do things that musti nmltothorn iuu>opular, but it was Vhoir duly us tnisleos-of- tho national' ostato to conserve ll\(tt (istalo. - (Applause) Nobody had parmod moro uncomfortable hours than tho numiborn of ■ tho Ministry, for it was very painful Iβ linvn; to take any man's living away from: dim. : So'mo peoplo ivoro saying that if thp'Govnrnmont had acted differently in tho'past, thoy .would : not havo been placed in tho posiUon ho had alluded to. But in public lifo moil wero apt to 'bo led away by years of prosperity'. When they looked back'at tho wonderful.cyclo of prosperity experienced , by 'New■..■ Zealand;; during tho last ten or eleven'years, they could eco tliat it was ■quito" "possible' that the same amount' of cure' had'.not becir exercised as would; havo been tho case had tho country not been so remarkably.. prosperous.' The Government had. boon forced',.to look carefully into tho whole 'position;'and they weretrying to. let tho blow ;.foil as lightly as possible.: Things •wore,' , now 'improving, and after a while tho Government would be able to do moro than they were doing now. Ho urged < them to perfect. their Organisation. The enemy'never slept,, and its i'prgpnjsatioii could only bo counteracted' by making their bwiiwhat it ought to'.bo,: the'most. , powerful in tho, land. When-Sir Joseph'W,ard returned, from England,, ho /would .bring -.back. such, a message as would,make his olcHricnds spring round ; him again: ■ : Their leader had been suffering, a great deal of .opprobrium,.unfairly and unjustly; but: thoi result 1 of his labours ..would, justify-'all' that-he had done , up. to the present. :,. ...;.,.•..;;/

'■ ■' The Defenod Conferenoe. . In his place in the Imperial Defence Conference, the Premier would uphold the , prestige of, the public'.men of'New.'Zealand,'who had been .our representatives in. the "past. (Applause.) It would be the most important conference that i had' ever 'Been-.held-'in".the history..of;,the Empire.- .There,.had ,be,en, no p'ractjcy'''s'teps';tiken''u«til"'tO:Say,',Varid'..thp results of the comiiig ; cbnfere'nce:would-,bb'to lay -the ; -foundations 'iii, siich^a"Wanner^'that the, Empire we had tallied"abou'ti/and.dreamed of would become .a; substaiitial'.r.ealiliy. ,. When we saw. thh' feverish ha'ste 'ij-ith which tho nations were aruiing;; it Tboiipved us,; who Were'prbu'd of belonging.'.to.'ithe,greatest-Em-pire intlie world, to Bo up and doing. To discover the cause of. "the "■excessive haste among the; nations- in., the.jmatter [of,meuts, : ;dnehad, billy to. look: at, the movement for preferential trade within' the Empire. The other nations,;could,psee that it was time .;.'Jfo'r'. them vf .to "fight' .;■.for their trade-and: commerce:; ■ If we,' , on. ..our... part, saw..another..nation -preparing sto'ita'to" pur trade away , ,'■■ sKqUlttffight 'for ii'Xocli There was,'. hoiyeyer,. than being prepared.,tp'jight.si,Ho.;(Mri'Milla'E) -fullyiagreed' with tHo.remark iinade; that on Xuch'ijnatteirj-'musi; c'bme-!.fr'oin- ; tbe younger. nations of the Empire! , '. '~ .■-•.■; ■.

1 The'Mon'.jß: .MVKenzle's Remarks.':/' The Hon. R: <M'kenzie;(Minister'.for' -PubHj AVorks) exp'ressod regret'for the falling-, off.'of'the Liboral■ and''Laborir Federation, but -thoiight , the' .'preseflt : gathering' might bo the, nucleus.' , 'of a: great body. 'He urged them to clear their ra/nks \qf": misunderstanding. The. leader'■ of the'party was-going to give, another impetus; "to the'progress of tho country, and'his visit to. Eiiglaud.'would be beneficial -to : ;New Zealand in many ■ more ways , than one.'". (HearV ; 'hearV)'. :;V ■■'. •<''• ,■■•' : '.;(" Mr. Gallichan also made some remarks oh organisation,. and a. vote; of:, thanks to the two Ministers had had/.spoken'was moved , -by Mr.. Glanvillc Hicks, ~'spoken to ,by Mrs. iTaskor-and Mr.'/AV.' D. .Gosham; ahd ; carried by 'acclamation; ; ''*'; ; !<i'.'j.\' - :';'.,'/'..■■