DOMINION POLITICS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 March 1930, Page 3

DOMINION POLITICS

ADDRESS BY SIR THOMAS SJDEY.

WELLINGTON, Feb. 28; “There is no parallel to the conditions which exist in our Parliament,” remarked Sir Thomas Sidey, in the course of references to the situation at the dinner of the New Zealand Accountants’ Society. Sir Thomas said his hearers knew that the Government was holding office on sufferance. Times were difficult, with unemployment and the fall in the prices of produce, causing diminished spending power of the people. All this made times anxious. “And notwithstanding this,” be added, ‘our difficulties have not been made any lighter by members of our own organisation. Notwithstanding those difficulties, even up to the date this Parliament has some noteworthy tilings to its credit. Acknowledging t !, e re ere bees of the president of the Prime Minister, Sir Thomas Sidey expressed his appreciat on, particularly because some recent references to Sir Joseph Ward had not been so generous. Sir Joseph Ward had spent a lifetime in the service of the people, and this long effort must na've been a contributing cause to his illness. When Sir Joseph was asked to place his long experience at the dh

postil of the United Party lie might well have declined-, saying that lie had -I if lily deserved a rest. Therefore the speaker eould hardly conceive anyone with generous instincts, no matter wlint his politics, failing to extend to the .Minister the utmost consideratiion in. his present condition. v Applause.) The accountants owed their incorporation to the present Prime Minister, for the measure, after failing to secure adoption in the hands of private members for three years, was taken up by the Government, placed in Sir Joseph Ward’s hands and passed. The next session was supposed to he the working session of Parliament, hut if his hearers believed all they heard the Government was not going to got an opportunity. However,, its legislating pirogfanlme was moire forward tl an was usual at this date. “We are a minority Government.” d c la red the Hon W. 11. Taverner Min istor of Pail ways, in a lrdef reference to the situation, “but the onlv wav is to nail our velours to the mast and go ahead, no matter wlint the result.”