LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2322, 2 December 1914, Page 7

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

SPEECH AT DEVONPORT. (By Telegraph.—Presa Association.) Auckland, December 1. Sir Joseph Ward addressed an audience of 900 at Devonport this evening, and was accorded an enthusiastic reception. ; The .Mayor, Mr. W. Handley, presided. .It had been suggested, Sir Joseph Ward said, that he proposed to admit manufactured goods free of duty, v'hich was incorrect. He proposed to admit a certain class of cheap clothing for the benefit of those desiring it. The Government organiser, interviewed in Auckland, said there was an alliance between .the Opposition and the Red Feds. As a matter of fact, seven of the latter were opposing the Liberals. Six J. G. Ward told his hearers that tho organiser was a "Red Fed." He had contested the InvercargilL seat, and expressed advanced Radical views, which' were so advanced that the Radicals would not have bim. Now ho was standing against Mr. Seddon, who would beat him. Referring to tho Navy, Sir J. G. Ward insisted that'the. Government had not answered his request for -information why the agreement, was not complied with;"'lt was nonsense to say that things were 6ecret. People had a right to know if a change was to be made before the war was over.. He criticised the repeal of the second ballot without 6ome other provision, and added that a minority might rule. In Parnell and Eden the split, of votes was making a present pf the seats, to Reform, which was exactly what, the Government counted upon. They should appeal'to the common sense of the two men in each case where there was a splitting of votes, and have an understanding, so that one. would retiro 'and thus leave a straight-out issue. (Cheers.): The argument that it would be unwise to change horses while moving across the stream would not go down in the minds of any unprejudiced porson. That was asking the people to believo that the Government of New Zealand was going to have a say as to how the war was to be conducted on the Continent, or as to how it was going to end. The stream was not in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, or South Africa, but in the British Isles. (Cheers.) Oh the motion or Mr. E. Bartley, seconded by Mr. G. A.' Smith, Sir Joseph Ward was accorded a vote of 'thanks and confidence in-him a's leader. The motion was carried unanimously, amidst loud cheering. ' -"