PREMIER'S RETURN

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 626, 1 October 1909, Page 8

PREMIER'S RETURN

' ! < ARRIVAL AT AUCKLAND, k- A PUBIIC WELCOME. ~ MESSAGE FROM KING EDWARD. (By Toletraph-Presj ABSodallon I t \ Auckland, September 30 '>?f^t';tirip':on:Jthe;paft;^ 'i« ;ii. L A;:v: •: <■ Challenger,'• Sir., Joseph /Ward, who. complotcd i hi?' homeward voyago from tho Imperial Do- ' fonce : Conference ;in -London by- the .-warship; ;> ifirived r m Auckland to-day earlier than was ' v of,-noon,- it. ; was. scarcely . JO Ssfti'f-s'rji/M/ataXwhen'fthe V.Challenger; came .to'hef,/ an/i.ohorag?.in;tho,stream; off .Queen -Streot Wharf. 1 Light rain fell in the early forenoon, but before midday it was bright overhead, and tho j^^;^vS;;;;fineSwMtjWr;lMyd^until^f;pii; : ,-There : was-a ■;-f; k: liberal. display of'bunting on the shipping and buildings m the city. ,t ~ i:/ ; " .The Honß. J.,-Carroll (Acting-Prime Mmister), Geo Fowlcjs (Minister for Education), and J. 1 :••••• '. A, Millar (Minister for .Railways), and - the : the;Eeceptioh &mmittee. i wentijbn A'ii-'----,.boardl and Sir; JosopnWard camo on deck .to gi^^.his^'colleagues^and^the'.visifa)rs./~: Cordial vt- > .wereesteiided: both, by Sir . Joseph ..- - and' Lady/Ward (who also' appeared to bo- in -. -. ■ the best of health).- Both tho (Prime. Minister SpKSvjf'r'andvnis/wife.spoke in.gratified terms .of the • povisions made for.their comfort on thoChal-ti:i'.:-"«'":--'.-':-.'''IeiiBor,'-where a cosy.'anita.of cabins had been I' fitted up for them. p;:-.; --: . - 'Having ■ disposed of->hu interview '■ with ' the "i; : .1 ■- committee;- Sir Joseph held a consultation with Sfe j&fev-a ?• : tho . greater, ipart;', of the time-intervening l prior, | to landing m the afternoon. [ > THE LANDING. ' ■ 1 /.-; :; FroM; 2 .pjn.'onwards for an■ hour- the main - thoroughfare presented ,an. animated appear- -.: lace, large numbers; of' -people - making -their "way down to tho water-front A company of ;•». .-. bluejackets.from tho '.Challenger took up their " lining the street and .keeping! the-crowd Dack. ' 'A-number of/veterans, wore , also present as'a guard*of honour. ,-^v,Promptly-jit 3 pjn. Sii Joseph Ward,-and-Lady Ward landed from one of the wardship s «si';-' ■: ;launches,-"and .'.were.-formally, welcomed .by• the ; 7 > Mayor (Mr. -C. ■ D,' Grey) - and the > chairman of the Harbour Board (Hon.'E. Mitcheleon), MmswKw;:.\'i6t?rs, SfJ'.'s, and:members of■ the' Eeception ■ • Committee. A procession -was formed: ■ anil 'the • . ten. carnages containing tho Prime .Minister and'party, 'and < officials and guests; proceeded,', :: to . Albert Park.' Tho-streets en -routo .- were iw.wv:.- lined .with;spectators. "Verandahs,- shop-doors, tes-wi-v.-i.wnidows,- and roofs for tho -whole distance con?' ,;bfonlookers.';i ; Thoi'UK'large'Vnumber' ~oi\ persons in. :Wellesley • Street; - ■ R-om Victona.Street- the streets wore lined.by J.n : i .. volunteers, those who turned out not being' A occupy therentire,line : . >. -.of: -procession.jfi Occasional cfyeers -greeted the. ' Prime Minister, but these were mixed with occasional "boohs." Thero; was a good '■ crowd around /at- the ; park, "and -heie' cordial -'re'eep- ' , tion awaited tho Prime Minister i ' ''■ - ' ; 'l-he.' '-Mayor,' : m welcoming Sir Josoph, re- ., -ferred to. the.patnotic actiof -the-Dreadnonght. offer,"' and" -to'; tHe" Tery-*. creditable.- rflaiiiier . in: : , : which-the Prime; Minister had.represented tho yi I Iv'>,. ;' i ;.-I)omimon <, at , -.the Defence ■ Conference. ' The *' il i-' : Mayor then presented Sir Joseph- with- an llln- ;,. minaled address in album : form' emblematic : of. ' . the Dreadnought offer. ' i.) > t THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH. ' ;. .; Sir 'Joseph Ward, who was received-with loud. l]Ff\/'ti'kw;iM4;;prolenged : 'applausßi;',intermingled7with 'a • h'- sifew boohs," thanked the .citizens: of Auckland for-their -spJendid xedeption,'coming, as it did, !&i;%sHU';'Vfrom : SaU,vshades..;of-. :, pblittcMv^ - 1 hear) ,He referred to the conference tljat had gSthfirings ili^ritish]'Kist6ryV , :Tliero'n cklrfl-reflection' that'what had bee'u.done 'at , /would 'be'lo, the benefit not-only; J;- 1 ' -.of"New Zealand 1 but- of the Empire-. vfjiole. . - ■ (Applause-) 'Thoy would ;'have a fleet of. seven _ tHb Sprotection^oE'tEfi'^Bdr^ ■■New the.,headquarters,"ofi'this , fleet would bo in Auckland harbour (Ap , : p(ausei)STnvrcgard;to';tte''.p^ot£Cti6n ; ■ - itapoVtant o'n'dieipanding Pacific interests;, they; S*#\ :! - -i- V ; .would(have .three units'.under! the 'yw- arranfee-r . At;the,conference there necessarily, had p.^^:-^'lwii;a^^t'id^l''bf'thVgiVMßS-ialM-iHadpl^ M K : mutual; .understanding:, it [i'Sj'J''- l W'-;would' ; hav impossible ;to have done any--■thing; of any practical. effect. ■ They .had: laid - fiki&WS;-;'. tKe:definite! that so far'as naval ; defence .was /concerned New Zealand must dis-' cinctly and' emphatically -be*- attached ' to ' the'. as- ajpart;of -it, and ; not;;as>a section pf-'it. : (Ajpplause:)^^/The^^'construction^-.of ; ' ;. ; a "local ;navy had j its' attractive aspect/ but it; ! capital;;dutlay.' ! and* an 'annual. expenditure -altogether;'beyond;,the.:bounds ;ofpossibilittes of ;dur;,pbpulatiqii, even-, if it were - ; - 'or--ten ,tim(a-greater ; than -it -n'as at pre- ■ sentii/'He'^^had;not;swerved:one.iota, i of tho ■'; people 'of'- this ' country,' viz.; 'that -they should; ; V ; giVe- : a;>'battleship' , ' , to'.the; main 'navy.-- .' (Ap- ; piatut') -•'ffliat was- required- was-that • iiaw-r.'. . ahould so build up and strengthen the British'. .! the •; • centred So ■•long 'as : ;the-' centre remained un-. ,1 ; ;bro^©A : 'Copld' fiot!break- the 'ends.;- , : '' If, ' /however/--tnrough; any . became-broken, .what.advantago would-- it. be, I S^i!i" :: -'''sto-;havtj at7the^end3>a''small;local,.nivy;?,'/'lt; / far; better 'f6r- ; -us';to'.-atfach'/ourselves; to;./ most; powerful navy ini;the 1 than '. that .we'should, as a young country with a. populatiqn-of only/about a-million, endeavour 1 to build a local navy for ourselves The ofiei i ; .-irr?;/;.. of a Dreadnought by New Zealand-had served; j v ! iV- ' as'an object-lesson to the people of tho Old i ;i they could idly upon the young' cubs going to / ■/;;;,/* --/{-, ;, ;';the -assistance of' the- mother lion. (Applause.) 1 ; ; fMtVthit ,: thiS*spirit^wM ! ,appreciated,;by.> J ''P»s?i;c'S/- : the"pttblio:^&iln:; l the:'od/Cpunh7;, ! apar al- ; 'i -the'tact dfisucKalMge 1 number of'members ] {'of the;'Hflnse'of Commons;':ihcludirfg: tKe/Prime;,'! Minister and tho,Leader, of tho Opposition, < iKKft/'i'(i; meeting'together approval ■' J ■*//; .;-' r;- ; -and admiratio'n of-tlie otter. (Applause.) There , 1 was not a man m the Old Country v, ho did not I thought, of /war, but they fiad'then great- ". the pfcdple of,NeiV j ■% 5/V V2feiland;''>in'; commons with' the j i power -to ensure the protection .'of that Em- ■'. $}?£;:'■■ f'pire-in ; tiines.iof '.'trouble'; ;and. to stand'.behind - :; a»^n^in'the'"defence-'Of'-themselves.;anditheir-' -; , r, ..- -. Motherland. ;m (Hear, hear.). He. had, • much fc? V• pleasiire'i indelivering-/ to .the' : people'.of New ; li/fiW;' ::/- -;'^alahd' ; the ;King,;.which liis; , Isß'S';Majesty//had.igivfin.;to-;-hini. i : ;' The ;;King;:;had; J them" that. h'S-'took /■ •i.'df'epMt't-ihtereSt/^n;'-|he';';.v , elf are"', of - .New. -| 'fiiS> i ',-: : : :J;|/ : ;;? ;^l*;velbpmeht; /w closeVattention, , ' l and;:that;';he;; ; ■SJ/Cii'M^wished/the/people^of/theiDominion ;eyety : pos- ; ; .- . ■ ' . .siblo'success. (Loud applause.) He eipressed ■ ®H'fc! : ''i.'^ihis ,i "pleasriWvat l arriTing in New Zealand again ( wMA&hX: aniiast.sudh/beauliful/surroundirils as those of ■ f.;^Kvf;,-'H-i'''A'iibUand'f-pn'd---itij : harbour. He also 1 / acknowledged the'good:work dono by his c 01..... ..... ' . ltogues in carrying on the work of the.'coun-' ' Ks&;i;j//^''/i/try .his 1 ,-absence.1 ISSS'':^J:-:!;'lThe.;giithering'conclidM, with, cheers for. Sir ,< Joseph and Lady Ward. c ;The;'Pjime.--MiMster;and.otheft]ftiiiisfer6'.wili. i leave? . S 'J'; ■'.