NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2008, 16 March 1914, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

Some cornraenfc has bcoft made on. the absence of the member for Nelson from his district on the occasion of the Prime Minister's-visit. , It Certainly -used to be the custeifli of members of Parliament to make it their business to be in attenda-ftce at such fciiti.es, hot iflcrely as a matter; of eowtesy to the head of thft Gov* ci'Smientr, but also.to take advnntago of thy opportunity it afforded ftf bringiOK directly under tho notice of the Governfflont tho needs of the district, ■Mβ. Atm»re app'arcnJUy was far too busily engaged .running about tlie country efilling tbe Government names k>. tToablo about so trifliaga matter as the waats oi his own CMssiititents. §o far as caa be pthe«d from tiio telegraphed reports of the Pkime MiNJSTfiU'e jotirncying.s iii the Nelseii province the absence of the metnbav foi- tto disfcriot has in no way detracted ffoin the liar-Bifl-ny o.f the proceedings whatever cfect it may : {kiv« on Mft, AWorb's owtv political prospcetsr

It Is a little startling,- to find that the- local Wardistjotirnalisa-ble to coavinee itself that the towdy beha-vi-mir ,at Mr. Fi-sjißii's .meeting on Friday evening can be regarded as "it wholesome fact." ■So far as can bo gathered,. . from its somewhat trailing, discavirsc o.n |ho subject, the disorderly aad liß-Britsish behaviour of the rowdies was "wholebecause it was-, in the opinidii of the Anti-Edfpm ipwuai., whitt the Minister of Marine deserved, for his political actions. ' Nα dottbt the New Zealand Timc&> like the Red Federation* has Httle love just now for any nioinbtr of the Ministry. The coltiraus of the papol- have been given ovey for rftany moaths p*st to daily attacks o.a, the Govetiimeiit, in ivhie'li the Minister of Marino has been honoured wM, quite censpieiious notice, But, on reflection, -oitr eonteriifior-ary will perhaps pereeivc ; that bitter aatagortisflf t<i a pol-itkal opponent, is hardly aufeient war- ; rarity for organised efforts to de- ■ prive hito of'the libcr-ty of • free -'speech. A great -many people .ia Weffl-ngton, f-p-r in-sta-tice, thoroughly -detest the- political njethods of Sis Joseph Ward,, but it wrsnld b6 very improper of tfteni to organise. a force to disturb' his meetings and p ; ro"en-fe hirn.getting a hearing. But that is not tto only point. •' Where is this sort at thiij-g' goi.ng to- cfitN The liberty of free speeeh js a great ■thi.ngj'but the preserving.of la* and ■io,.rde.r is equ-ally great. Possibiy.the' , ■'Wtttdist. icVuj'ira.l would Hot h-a've dfe-. the treatment .aqcor-ded tho-i Minister of Ma-H-Jie as "wli.olesotns" j had it not been hliotled, byits.,Mtfedj of the Governnteiit, to the faci ttyit sn«h belja-viour as was indu-igeid i-rt hy, the Ited Fetlefation-. eiemsnt a-.t Mr, ' Fisher's raceting .is bpflnd to {jrovtiJce reprisals. Indeed, this was .eviclcEwd, a-fc the tneeting . in. question, when qnite two-thirds of those present shouted .geafcienian eho-EC-li by tho Origi-nfil' di : s> fcwbars of. th<j- matittg to deoate w:itli Mr. FisheH. If peaqca-bk;-sober-Koing citizens ca.ft be so spcpdily stirred ..to -such Iwat as" flamed o'u'C* , In. -resetttmerrt of the tactiteg- of: the "Bed Feds" , then, it is a,? ■eej''tai'n as can bo that such tincoua.tcrs, if not checked, will; very soon pass from Words._tb blows. If , the iTcw Zealand- Times -GO-ulitl en occasions forget its hia-trcd , m the Government ft might renicrnbet these things a-fi-d, realise that it owes a duty to.the public as well as fe Sin Joseph Waep.

The speech delivered % M& (J.'W. Ik'ssan a* Ch.tkte'hirreh recently secitts to h&tQ been thti re'vei'sc of ptf.th.ing in its effects en §ie Softialtkmotrats. Indeed, Sir Joseph Warß'S first.lifeutenaiv! to have stirred up a>hornet's flegt.: At aft meeting iti Ch-ristchaittli on Friday evening last, addressed hy leadiiig. members t>l the SQBialrPdnfltira:ti:c! Party some very sweeping tlji&gs were said , .' llfc J. Tab M,' for in.stanc&, remarked: ; ■

'~'SEf. Bussall's speech Jitid emkavourwl ;to silence Jilr. MaSffy ijndt to 'recreate ■i)& liibefal i'urty- with M-ofktn*x;lasa . Vjjtes, It would foil t» do a 'in tko of Mr., Slasscy, tluit gonlleiua'a 'iraj astute enoitgh ttf-,- i-etoft that Mr , . Eiisscll wtis : BGii('teii).Dv.rig him lot following 'ftn csaiiiple set, liy the Mbersls ' tliCTiselves'i it wmM fail oft tlie ofcjjoi , ■fctod bec-ause fii* tforfcm were getting . inctCHshfSly ivdojy <s£ lectiirea on the thprae "CoiUin. i.s your friend.,, .jiqt Slipri" He no doiiftt ti:ui in tim.e tlto yistiito ■rtitttber for Atou wouhj supi/lflitt Ms tewles , , Sit , Jossph Wftrrt, but Vhjto wei r & smho things that Mr. Eiies«tl' co.u)<l ii.ot do. He could hots for eSninjle, cpnvtac.e tlicnl that Sir Joseph Ward was progres. sivei .aivd Sir. Massey Macii6«at.v, l>e--■«iuse the kttef foliotfed Stt .tosop.h ■W«r<l's iiieasnfcs. Mv, Ijusselil Mil -comniewlc.d BirJeSeftli Ward lor ii6t disctas■:in.g hi« policy, oil {lie grftUwd thlit Ux. Jlcissej' would steal it. If Mr. JTasi-ey .jfes ,coo.d eiioqgh to etcaj Sir Jose.ph Ward's progressiva Soljcy, \v% ilid not J[f. ißnsssll joiii tho Iteform CioVefuruent? Mt.' Bnsscll Vitis of the rcibis "Vatcentdiw," and his party was A eongloiiKii*tio.i.l nf vote-satehers. 'Not so loii? «go. llr. Ttiisscll, as clminmin of the ©oiiwl of Grtvenuwa of <Jienterbin«jp dfilJcgd, had ftliposefl tlio "ClfHiicfli," a Safcis.listic oi'ga.u, heitug filed aiiioUs other Bspei's.- iii. the fiijblie Lil>«iry. But now j!r.' Eusa™ WMS a Statfl-Socialitst. (liaiiiflfter.) 'I'ii.o .iiietnbci , for Afon obviously ilioitght mo.ro qf tlip interests ol the ,tib«ml Party ttaii of tft'e fights of the jieopfev

Another speaker, Mm' % J. Howard;, was still Hif>v« tstikind. Accordisig to the-1 puWisiwtl report o.E tlio meeting be confined his remarks to Sin, Eussell's attitude on "militarisrtl."

, Mr. Russell, Hie "IndopwidonJ. Mr. tsitt," niitl other member* fit' liio literal Kirty, ho lirgti, were takiitg »p tlieir jites&nt Attitude loViirds tho Befehee Act, Waueo ftey realised ttwjt tl.i« ibiiti-miii-tJivisls lw.il a lot of votes. By rioi-iipf this. Mid other .tilings, they we ortJy showing tlwvt the Lifcm-nl Party irfts the gi-ea.test hoUtitfai fraucl tint No* Zealand, KttowD, Wβ liibernl Party w;ns <lea(}. and it should either Ixmmiip a rf's-jjfet-IvMp cotpse or Tesurreet itself ■h-Hh' the ltotp of Biff Mftsscy Qnycrnmant, th.o Bn.ci«l-Dfi»>ocisTtic Pnrti' ltml no jisq for it, 'fire l.vinible iti Cliristclinrch appeal's in liH ttif.it flic Soeiai-DciiKiet'fits hiuigiiic. tlioy can win tim seats umv lifikf tltpivs by lite Wurtlists, whu, ip most they Ti<*l.pt?cl to .jmt into etlira'!. In cottsoqiuni(.'.o,MiiSSi!S. lli;s----sfflx, Issi'iT, Eli, n-i«i Co. are stated to lie fitr from Iwpjjy. jiist, now rogartHftg their political iifospeots.