WHAT NEXT?

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8346, 5 February 1913, Page 6

WHAT NEXT?

The squatters’ organ commences a comment upon his Excellency tho Governor’s naval address to the New Zealand Club by endeavouring to make Lord Liverpool’s remarks convey a lesson to the people in this country “who call themselves tho ‘Progressives’ or the ‘Liberals,’ or what not.” The comment closes with a cheap sneer at his Worship the Mayor, Mr David McLaren. We can conceive nothing in worse taste nor more singularly inappropriate. Our cablegrams this morning tell of the inspection at Portsmouth of his Alajesty*s battleship New Zealand (at which historic gathering, by the way,, the Hon. James Allen, Defence Minister, was present and spoke). That battleship was presented to Britain by tbe people of this country on the initiation of tbe Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister at the time and for a generation one of the foremost leaders of “the ‘Progressives’ or ‘Liberals,’ or what not.” is that sufficient answer to the coarse jibe of the “Reform” mouthpiece? As for Air McLaren, the “very head and front of his offending hath this extent,” that he has a record of long and honourable association with the Labour movement. Therefore he is asked to “carry the sentiments of the speech to his Labour friends.” The inference sought to be conveyed by the insolent commentator is that Air AlcLaron’s presence among men listening to a patriotic address by tho King’s representative somehow or another placed him in an awkward or false position. That this is not so is proved by tho fact that he is at the present time president of tho Wellington branch of tho Navy League. If that is not enough, then we might bo allowed to suggest that ho is Chief Alagistrato of tho City of Wellington. Surely he may bo allowed to pass.