THE HON. A. L. HERDMAN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1511, 6 August 1912, Page 6

THE HON. A. L. HERDMAN.

: SOME OF HIS DUTIES. ' A TIME VOR SERIOUS THOUGHT. > The, Hon. A. Ij. Hcrdman, like his colleagues, wa 4 received with great ap- ) plau.se. Mi'. Herdman that as lie was t ths second last item on tho programme— t (laughter)—he would bo brief. Most of t the points which could be put before the . gathering h'""! Ik-cu voiccd hv .the pre- • "nous ywakm, When ho (Mr. Herdmnn! ilMd 1m» a bis uj

the Town Hall, lie. had been a candidate for the people's suffrages. Since then times had changed, aild the Hon. Mr. Massey had invited him to join tlie. Ministry, which was not only an honour to himself (Mr, Herdniau) but an honour to the electors' of Wellington North, which, Mr. Herdman dcilarcd, was ono of the best electorates in the Dominion. (Applause.) It would iie remembered that the portfolios of Justice and Prisons had been allotted to him, so that he was "the Chief Policeman of the Dominion." (J.augliter and applause.) In the future he would have to see that a, policeman's life was a lmppy one. (Ap- ( ■ 'Ho would also havu_to seothat the enterprising burglar was kept within bounds. (Hear, hear.) As he was, also, At!ornoy-l.!eueral, lie would need, too, to get his colleagues out of trouble if ever they got into it. (Laughter.) He hoped j that in tho performance of his duties he i would not meet the misfortune which ono r of his predecessors had met when (hat 0 predecessor had been wandering about the ( | country. Coming to a country town, tlio Ministerial predecessor had walked into a the office at the local police station. "I 1 suppose you don't know me," he had said C to tho constable. "No," the constable had answered, "such a number of curious- „ looking individuals j>ass through our hands that it is exceedingly difficult to 1 remember everyone." (Much laughter.) f Mr. Herdman said that the occasion was i undoubtedly ono of rejoicing. Uo con- t gratr.lated tl|e Hon. Mr. l'ishcr for tho t distinction which had been conferred f upon him (Mr. Fisher) by his constitu- t euts during the evening. While it was ' an occasion for rejoicing, he continued, ' it was also an occasion for serious e thought Whilst the Reform Party were , tlie conquerors, it was, also, for the Re- ( form Party to show that they were earn- t est and zealous iu the performance of ' their duties. Mr. Herdman said that he \ believed that the people of the Dominion rejoiced because they bolieved that in the future, instead of a Government which had been vaccilating, they would have a ( Government which had a strong back; because, where in tho past there had been a Government which lacked courage,'thero would in the future be a Government which possessed courage: because where there had been a jack of business methods, they Would, have men , who would carry on the business of (he country iu abusi-ness-like way. However, Mr. Hcrdnvm said; he did hot believe that the people of tlio. country' wanted to be flattered, or to hear the Prime Minister and his'colleagues say pleasant things; lie believed that the people wanted to sec tlio Ministry do the right thing. . There was'never a time in the history of the world when the difficulties of fho administrator aiifi the public, man were greater than they wore today. There were the great internatiouil issues which the Empire was concerned ill, and which were felt, no doubt, indirectly in New Zealand. Mr.- Herdman said that tho Prime Minister had conferred a great honour on, him, and that his earnest hope was that in the position which he occupied he might, in tho years to come, be able to do good for the people whom he represented, aud bo of use to the national, life of tho country. Ho hoped tluit. the Government,, led by his honourable friend the Prime . Minister, would be of good service not only to tho people who lived in these- islands at tho present-time but also' to the .people, who would; inhabit . tlie'm' in future years. (Loud-applause.) ■' • '