HON. A. L. HERDMAN.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2005, 12 March 1914, Page 5

HON. A. L. HERDMAN.

bPEECII AT WINDHAM

REFORM PARTY'S ttORK REVIEWED.

SIR JOSfPii WARD AND Till STRPfI

(By TelegraJh.-'Prcss Association.)

Wyntlhain, Mure!! 11. The Hon. A. L. Hcrdnuni, Attorney- j General, addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting at Wyndkam to-night, Mr. Felix Shaw, chairman til lira Town Board presiding. Referring to the cawing elections Mr, ' Hfircviwan _ foreshadowed a. .desperate- ■■ battle. Tiro so-called Liberals wotihi fight Willi thy ferocity of doomed nwii. . There would also be. a plethora of Social Democratic and Labour candidates. Sir Joseph Ward, lie said, 'cotiW not hope to control n majority in this House without combining with ono of tho .other parfcfes. Thousands of workers support* cd the Reform-Party, bceatiso they .ma4o no class dist'liwit-ions and did not goVeru the Dominion in the interests of any one section of the community. Mr, Jlassey came Mo poster after a party bad domino-ted the country for 20 years. That party lost tho- confidence of the people because they ivofo transparently insincere and without stability. The new Cabinet wim comprised of men wbo had never pwiottsly held office. They had to face the heavy loans maturing, labour, troubles, and eifoor The Wnihi strifes then fyll n.po;n thorn, theft the ' smallpox epidemic spread through the north., and then, to cap all, tho gigantic strike of 1913. If over a (j'Oi - erfS!.»eiit lived in the storm this one. had. Tiie storm had raged, but tlioy weathered it. Now things were taking a ploa.sant.fir aspect, and bo Ivljovefl we were entering on another period of prosperity. (Applause.)

Sir Joseph Ward and the Strike. Mr. 1-lerdinaii traversed the history of the shite, during which, tho Government's actions worn misrepresented, paid a great tribute to tlio men .from the country, who Were the cause of tins strike being .broken. Kothing finer had over been daws in tho history of tlio country. (Loud applause.) Be strongs ly condemned Sir Joseph Word's speech concerning tho Post Office:' Square incident. It was a most critical and sefi*oils moment, and a very thin lino separated constitutional Government from a state of revolution. Tlio action of the special police at that moment was a <JctewnininH factor tn smiring aft ul'tiliiato sctttanehi. There was no. ju&t'i-■fic-atkm'for the strike; and the men had to bo brought to their senses. Mr. Ma-ssey never wearied hi, endeavouring to bring about a scitienven'f, and no tfs» distance whatever was received fronj ,'S.?.'r Joseph Ward's party. On tho contrary; every speech by Opposition loaders helped to keep tho red flag- flying,' 'Sir Joseph Ward's StMiptaint- that lie was accused of boiiag the bead a ; n.pl front.of tho striko was without foundation, Ho' Joseph Ward also said ho 'eOu.ld have Settled tho strike. He Would . bar© settled tho strike Just as h.e. himself and his jMty^by^giWn*/in. The strike waft not a contest between -Labonr ''a/ml : 'Capital, but between order and disorder. Mr. Jlordniaii' ;folt ■certain that' tho recent 'Trades Disputes Afft'jVould-.3j0-f<nin.<l a big advance ffii previous legislation in ■ 'flrofonting strikes.

Refprm Work Revfe.vy.Gß. Tho' Govcrnnvent had been tsvitted with not rcdo.eini.ng promises thoy'liad made, 'f hey had only been in, poiver tiro/ stesions, and GoftsmorLng the o'b'si-r.ue-Hon thoy had met with,in the Houso last year ho thought they'had doiio fery, well in carrying out thofc j?q,licy- ~By the ond ,oi ii&xt'sessiott tho GovcniiijeA Would have fulfilled, 'jjractjbally piftiinisp it had Wade. (Applauso.) "■"'■ i.fr. Bordwraij outlutod ir'hat tho' Government b,a.d doiio t&Wards laii.d. settlement,, with Which tho fut'uro of. ly'ew ■Zealiaud w'Os wrapped up. the Sovei'n 1 ment recognised that tho land fljtist ho. sottledj and if tho present meaMS wo.yo not tjiijck enough , other. Bioa:ns .itonjd havo to bo devisOu.. He. ■agreed- with Sir Joseph W'ard that too inuch, taiid th&nld uot ho tiirowJi on tho' .msdvisfc' atone thno. iDu.rhvg tho twcJrty ■months of Mr. Mass'oy's adrninMratipu., . 3393■pcoplo liad been put On tiro kiicf, tho total area eonoerned being '1 5 Q55,.891 ■ acres, Mr. Herdnvan referred to tho success of the new adrnfeistratioii of- the Publio Soyviee, which, 'had done .toray with politieat int.eriW.n.co and favOnr'it-i-sm, Tlu> Opposition endeavoured to stir up strifo amoiig the .publio sorvant-Sj hut ■the. Public- Service no* appeared reasonable., 'llio flrst rogftiromoiits should ho pffieieirty and loyalty to the.State, and. given Ifteso reqnirouwnts tho sorvioo ehoU'td bo Kbei'a'liy 'treatod,. Mr. Herd-' ■jnau recounted what tho G.GVcrniupht had done t«i increase the pay ■ajid ihi,■piavo tlio conditions ahd pos.sibiKtiW of promotion, A now prevision woivkl pro' bflbly bo jirado whereby widows, of officers would reccivo first eoiisJdesratKni hi' appointfflouts as p.ostmislSre.s.s'e's.

T.ho Naval Question, Coming to tbo naval question, ho could not understand the speeches <tf Sir Joseph Ward Mid other Oppasition leaders., The Governmeirfs first duty was to consider the victi's of Great JSntaiii. iliore would bo Ho ij.se tiaVifig o portion of t:hi3 fleet ill the Pacific if tlio Hoiflc float was ill danger; Mr safety; deppiidv od piitho security of Britain. The conditions had'altered since Now Zealand .first eontri'btital fo the Ifevy, ■and the (Jeverunieirt had no otiiej' caiivSe but *o fall, in with the. wishes of those VfJio Sad to safeguard tie British Empire. (Applause.) In addition, the Gwe.rn-iiient wot© defraying the cqiit of «■ Bristol cr'uisor, and so. ivtsro doing their best for the protection of our own coinmerco as well as their .paramount duty to tlio Mother Country; (Applaiis:o.) Sine* they had been iii o.ffico tlio Govei'iyii'ieiit hart put tlio finances Ml » sounder basis, improved th.o qoiid.it.ion af the Civil Service, given tlio freehold., made tlio graduated fend -'tax more cqitttbk, ■imjii'dVcd the old age pensipn sclieriiO, i*ais«?d tlio funouiit iii' tlio jrd* varices to settlers' limit from SuliO to ~SIOOO, improvod the ; Native land logis* Jation, put narai defence oh A jjonnai.!i'lit iwd. smtu) footing, apiwinted * rail-' ways oSperfc who promised to pvit tlio railways oil a. mijclt-inip#ved foatii!}} by ptti'stiiiigj a stoadyj saber .policy, iilvd not depending m Isincliglit, 't-ijisclj and •paint. A feeling of eonfiflciKXs had been created. (Applause.)

Forthcoming Legislation. ■Of thfiif promises to lip fulfilled vrtts the reform of the. .kegishtiM) Go'tfneil (and another effort 'sv.oiilil bo miirtp next session), and tho edi.te»tio:ii Sy-stjoni had alsa to he ifirproved, • Jli'. 'Allen WoiiW bring .down a fljll-. text Is'v\v tlmt woakl ba aWg advance. tElw ques-tion-of ■Piji-BnfticM'kfJ' .(j'raiite. awl tlitt control of thi.i <?spejidit : .uMj troiild be tho subject i)f legislation iVbis'' ■Bftss.iq'ji* He had .ibsototo faith in tie futafe of New Zealand, add -that fittuirp. cbiild well bo left in tip hands of :a'::,j)rflg*ossiv6 : Gofei'iiinmifc bent o.'n U.io sotlkineiit of the land, and the■quick .marketing silts prodnoc, 'Alp. HwilnmM, who had hod a. inpst 'fa-v-oUraW-o ■JiiSai'ini;, was loitcll.y'Jipplniisiflil at the eteo'of Ms spoec'h., and. rceejVoil a tsnanimous vote of thanks and 'effnfi-' dciitk?. A ceeial folteivfiis tlio westing was also "ell «l tended and ofitlni.siii.stiß.