LEAPERSHIP OF THE OPPOSITION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 7

LEAPERSHIP OF THE OPPOSITION.

<1 ♦ •./ n" A CAUCUS -V 1 POST TO BE OFFERED TO SIR J. G. WARD. Sir Joseph Ward, when lie returns 'to Wellington this morning, -will bo met by an invitation to assume tho leadership of the Opposition party in Parliament. This was decided upon unanimously, according to tho official story, at a meeting of tho party held last evening. The official report ol' tho mucus conveyed no information as to the number or names ol' members who attended, and a number of Oppositionists who worn questioned-on tho subject said that it had been decided not to go' beyond tho official report. . In face of this general reticence quo or two scraps of information wero ol>tainod. Mr. A. M. Myers, stated on being questioned, that he had not attended the caucii6.

It is understood that none of the Independents attended. Olio member said that neither the Hon. J. A. Millar, Mr. Wilford, nor Mr. Isitt were at the meeting. A member who attended said that thcro were about twenty members at tho meeting, and six or eight others accounted for. Mono of the Labour members wero either invited to attend tho caucus or. did so, one of tlioir number stated on being approached.' Ho claimed that it was now definitely recognised that tho five Labour members stood apart from the two main parties.

Tho following official report of the nteetiiig was supplied by Mr. G. W. Kussell, member for Avon:—"A caucus of the Liberal party was held last evening, at which-the ,wholo of tho members of tho party wero present or accounted for. Mr. Colvin presided. The following resolution was unanimously passed:— ' " 'That we, tho members of tlie'Liberal party, request and invito Sir Joseph Ward to accept tho leadership of the party, and pledge ourselves, if he accepts tho position, to loyally follow and assist him.'

"The proceedings throughout were characterised by absolute unanimity and enthusiasm."

Speaking in the ITouso last evening, Mr. Statham said that 1 tlio Opposition party consisted of 25 members. The statement passed unchallenged by Messrs. Forbes, Mac Donald, and \Yitty, who were in the House at the time.

Sir. J. C. Thomson, member, for Wallace, informed a reporter that ho had not attended the caucus, and had not been invited to do 60. ' .