THE LATE ELECTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3366, 19 December 1919, Page 6

THE LATE ELECTION.

THE VICTOR’S SENTIMENTS. ‘MR MASSEY APPEALS TO ALL T 0 » WORK FOR THE COUNTRY. A_ ‘ WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. Mr Massey appeared at the “DO- - result board shortly after 11_ ;p.ni., his appearance being the signal fora. great ‘outburst of cheers. ‘He said that though the election returns were notyet complete a majority for the‘ Government was assured. He} wanted to thank the electors throughout the Dominion for the expression of confiidencein the Government which -had been recorded at the polls that day_ Many experienced politicians had fallen out of the ranks and their -places had been taken by others, but he felt certain the verdict of the elec-- I tors would be accepted in the proper spirit. He believed the services 91 the men Who had been unsuccessfui that day would not be lost to the public, but that again they would be found doing their best as they had done in the past in the interests of the Dominion. They would have heard that one Minister had been slefea'.tr_-d and three ex-Ministers, and also sev-. eral men who had taken a very" important part in the councils ef the Dominion. He believed that a substantial majority of members had been returned to support law and order, and so far as he could understand a sub—stantial majority had also been re "turned to suport the policy cf development in connection with reconstruction‘ which had been put ferwar-ii ‘by the Government. Mr Massey .added: “I hope now that the election is practically over We shall forget the inci’-' dents of to—da.y and any little bitterness, and that whatever our ipolitics zmayfbe we shall be found working together, -forgetting oul“pal‘ty politics and-all doing our level best for the country to which we belong.”

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS.

REGRETS HIS PARTY’S DEFEAT_' H BUT ACCEPTS IT PHILOSOPHIC- ’ ‘ALLY. H ’ WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. Sir Joseph Ward addressed a crowd from the balcony of the Times’ Oflice. -At the outset he was greeted ‘with spondanic cheers and hoots; but these soon. subsided and he was permitted to ‘speak without interruption. Sir Joseph Ward expressed regret at the defeat of his party. So far as his own defeat was concerned he viewed the matter philosphically. He personally had no regrets, and was not going to‘ complain of his reverse. At the same’ time, in reviewi_ng the whole election, he could not compliment his opponents on the methods they had employed in prder to gain their victory. He had -served a‘ long time in the public life of the Dominion, and he wished to tender his deep thanks to the people who had stood by him and his party. He looked upon the position quite dis- ‘ passionately, and it had to be borne in mind that it would probably take aday or two before the definite state of the parties was known. He was anxious to see that the outcome would be the formation of a strong‘ and wise Government in the general interests of the people of New Zealand, because he realised that the country had before~'it very difficult tasks which would take all the brains and all eflorts of the new Parliament. He assured them that throughout the Whole time he had been in public life it had been his effort always to do the right thingTherc were those who didn’t see eye‘ to eye in politics. who were disposed to take the worst View of a manfs efforts in public life. That was one of the worst features in the public lifeof this country. Sir Joseph Ward expressed ‘his keen regret at a number of" old Liberals having gone down in the (struggle. He referred particular--I}] to Sir Jas. Carroll, whose services and fine personality he eulogised_ He expected all the others who, like himself, had been defeated, would take the position like sportsmen would do. Personally he fook it as Such. -.