OPPOSITION BANQUET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 17, 13 February 1909, Page 2

OPPOSITION BANQUET.

TO TAHANAJU M'sp. IXTEUESTLNtJ SPEECHES. (By^Tolegraph.—Frein Our Special Beportcr). Haw-era, -Last Night. The Opera House, Uawcra, was the. scene to-night of a largely attended function—a banquet tendered to .Messrs +l. Okcy, 0. V. Pearce, J. B. ltiue, ami 'll. Dive, the successful Opposition tauiliilatcs for the Taranaki electorates, and ilr. W. F. Massey, Leader of the Opposition. The Opera House was gaily bedecked with Hags, nnd promtacut on the front of the stage behind the Loader ■of the Oppuistion was a line bust of the 'late Sir Harry Atkinson. The gathering was a very representative one, including well-known Opposition supporters, and members of local bodies from all over Tarumiki. In addition there were present: Messrs. E. Newman, 1). Buick, and \V. Eraser, visiting -\i'sP. ilr. Jas. Davidson, of Jlawera. was in the chair. , and Messrs. W. Dingle and 11. W. Sat ton were the vice-chairmen. After din . uer had been served in sumptuous style •The King" was ho.iored, and apologie: . were read from .Messrs. W. C. Buchanan | <M.l*.. li. 11. .Rhodes, .\l.i\, Jas. Allei . M.l'.. .W-wort'iv. .M.l'.. !•'. W. Lang

■\!.!'., .1. liolhird, -M.l'.. W. llerries. M.l'., Hardy ll'nk.iiui. John Dillhie. 11. !•'. Anderson lOorc). .1. Urvcc I Wiiiiganui), Sir Win. I'usscil, and' several others. .Mr. John Uaihic wrote: "This -ucccs.-, •which has been so general along the toast, is id' special value in its good mural ell'eet through New Zealand, and I mist thai vour jralhcring wiil be ,i celebration ci|!ial to the occasion." Mr. K. .Newman, M.l*.. proposed "The

Army and -Navy," and, looking at th question limn it New Zi-alandcr's |)oin of view, lie -aid tilt weaker we bccnm in defence, mill lln- richer a- a commit!] ilv, the greater was the respousibilU d.'i the force-, lie referred to the abse lute unpreparcdneas of the Dominion i. the ca-c ul' an attack. Despite th uotiplc of millions recently spent in de fenee, not one port in New Zoalan< could lie successfully defended agnbst tingle man-of-war. The number of me: suqunintcd with the use of arms wil vidiciiluiisly small considering the prox imity of niillioiis of Easterns inimical t ii-, "and whoso susceptibilities wer 'Wounded by the rcslrictioiia which w iievcrthelcss espoused as necessary. Til Chinese and .lapanese were now awaken ing to their power, and with the open liijj of the Panama Canal, the l'atiti Ocean would be the scene of mucl naval, coniiuerieal and political import ante. With. Britain engaged in war _ii .the North Atlantic, Japan could ensil; (blockade New Zealand ports, lunTMietat ilcrius. To help England, every youn; anan in the. Dominion should be traincJ ■at any r ate in ritle shooting. Cuinpul sorv conscription, as> understood in Eur ope, however, would never be acccptabl, ■here. In no public duty had the preacii ■dovcrnincnt been more remiss than ii the matter of dcfiiuee. Unless the pec ■pie took the initiative, the Covernmen 'never would. i Mr. D. Buick, M.l\, responded, rcgrel ling that the reply bad not been en iru-tcd to one of the veterans of T .N'gutu-o-lc-Hanu, or other noighboriu battlefields. He congratulated the Clc wrnniciit in its interest in the cadet' 'but said they should go further in tha movement, and every man should b itrained to the' use of arms, i Mr. E. R. Martin, organiser of th il>arty, also replied. Tlio necessity fn universal trainiug was urged, and h Biiiil that the i'urniers would be it heartiest supporters. The volunteer; put in a lot of time, but this was no •realised bv the public or recognised In •the Department. Farmers had contrl Bin I eil S."> per cent, of the lnounlei forces, so the fanners had done the': share. There were members of the Diifcncc Council who would, if given a fn'i hand, soon put our defences on a mori i-atislnctory basis, , Mr. It. C. Bruce proposed ''The Parliament of New Zealand.'' The Opposition. he said, had irons' back comparatively •weak a win, but though they were •small, as Aristotle said: 'Truth gracr■ally lav with the minority." This was «ir'would be the best Government the folonv had seen from the days of the •so-called Conservatives, if Mr- Massey •could keep the brake on optimistic Sir Joseph Ward. Mr. Massey had never 'trimmed his sails to catch popular favor, bntalwavs kept the ship's head towards the goal'which all knew that some day he would obtain. The gratitude of the enlouv was duo to William Rolleslon, Captain Bussell and John Bryce, who were faced with abnormal difficulties and nn abnormal majority of (lovernment supporters. .Mr. W. Eraser, M.P.. responded, lie maintained that electors were to blame fur the sinful ami extravagant expenditure of loan money, for they roliirneil "(Venders again and again, anil returned (heir members to gel for their districtu full -hare of roads and bridges, bui 'the golden shower was coming to ai: end. Borrowed money could not be si 'readily obtained as in the past. Tin people were awakeliine: to the posilioa as was disclosed by the results 01 tin November election' in Tarannki. 11l had great faith in -New Zealand a. * ic-ull of fifty year-' residence in it. lb trusted tin- Tarnnaki members won'' rise to the occasion and justifv the cuor moils trust reposed in them. .Mr. la-. Davidson proposed "The Sue cc.-I'nl Tarannki Candidates." lie sail he hail been working and waiting fo twenty years for this banquet. Tarn uaki's new members were true represcn tativos of the people—farmers ever; one of them, with the interests of th farmers and the colony at heart. Th 1 ■biiiiipiet was variously styled the "()|i : pusitioit banquet" or "Massey'.s ban quel," but to hiiii it was a marriag' fea-t celebrating the political union o 'North and South Taranaki as il ha; never been united bei'qre, and he hope iTarainiki would never be divorced iL'n km was strength and a thrcc-'toli cord was too easily broken. Here the; ■had a fourfold cord, which he hoped a next election would become a hawse strong enough to haul the Oppositio: hliip into port. Then there would be a: opportunity for Taranaki to get it long-promised portfolio. Mr. (Ikey, responding, traced much o the legislation of the previous scssior d'he late 'Premier had had a one-ma: 'Parliament, and in the present state o 'the colony they had the result of il •Now the Opposition had been strength ened. and this involved extra rcspons: Ibilitiis. The people would look to th Opposition now to stop much of th Voolish legislation, such as (he Shearer; Accommodation Bill and the dairy rcgu 'lations. The Oppositionliail undoubted lv been of great service in preventin, the pas-inginto law of the regulation as drafted, but the crowning work n Mr. Massev as Leader of the Oppositio had been 'in connection with the Jigh against the Land Bill. Mr. (!. V. Pearce. M.P. for Pater laid the .statement that the dairy n .'illations were responsible for the sin ■ess of the Taranaki candidates was a josh. The real reason was that 111 •nuntry was dissatisfied, with the mm' lie attending the land laws. Employe! mil employees alike were dissalisfie villi the muddle of the labor laws. Mr. .1. It. Iline. M.P. for Strut fori aid the factors which were rcspnnsjhl 'or hi- return were that, the peopl nuked lo the Opposition for the relet ion r,f the right lo obtain the freehol in! to the active and enthusiastic e

■forts of the ladies in his electorate. In 'Parliament he would, irrespective of party, support measures brought down for the welfare of the people of the 'whole Dominion. '■ Mr. 11. Dive, M.l', for Egmoiit. believed good times were in store. Ticjnrination wa- coming, and he trusted the 'Taranaki members would he as united in securing that reform as the electors ■were in reluming them.

"Mr. 0. Ilawkcn pvojiosoil '"'the- Load"v ol' tin- Opposition" ia a highly eulogistic ■speech, referring to him as a man such. as ha.l made the British Umpire by 'unswerving ilevolion to duly ami iin'lliiiching tenacity of purpose. Tie enn'gratulalcd Hi 111 mi the return for Taranaki of four men who would not lie lookin- for holes vlion lighting came. 'He trusted 11 r. Massey wotihl have the opporlnniiv to liisplnv in prus|icriiv ami power those qualiths that lironsflil liim I 'fame in adversity. : HI!. MASSEY.

' ' Mr. Massey, wlio was received with ■ Ion;; ami enthusiastic cheering, thanked : tliein for the grand reception "from the slimlie-t. of sliir.lv settlers of Tara- ' 'imki." What had happened in Taranaki a! lln- general election was oulv what 'mighl have heen expected, for the people here were New Zealanders in the 'lniiist .-cuse of (Ik., word, anxious as they were to see llio couiitrv properly and econouiically gocel'ned, which had not liecn the case for lnanv years past. The lime. Mr. Qkov was clotted at the | live election marked llio turn of the tile | in (hi' Opposition history. The people ,' oi Taimiaki at the last ejection declared ■llii-r could manage ilu-ir own iiiduslrv (without lioverniuent inicrfevcnce or inspection. They looked .suspiciously upon I it l!overiiiii"i't which cmilninod reprosOMlalivcs of (In- silicic-tux elenie-at and of ihe land nalioiialisatii.u theory. Tn liU 'lifleen ycin-s' political life he had never --.'i-ii m. iniii-h interest in puhlic alVairs as now, and uolhiug was so conducive 1.0 •pond U-allliy government, lie complain-1 ed that the Parly in power had at tlio I elections instituted a system o£ slander

'iu circulating supposed extracts froi their speeches, ami so on. This Part had contained some of the lineal men i; \'e\v Zealand's political history, viz., Si Jarre Atkinson, Win. Kollosto:i, Join Irycc, and Sir Win. Itussell, and he hiu eterinined to do his utmost to main' uiu the reputation of the Party for ouesty and integrity. The Opposition .'lis stronger now than for fifteen years, VithJ!6 of the best men in Parliament lid fiio best in Xew Zealand he could iroinise them that politics would lie nore interesting during the next three ■ears than for long time past. He ritieised the new Cabinet. He ridiculd the idea of Mr. Roderick McKenzie Minister for Public Works) working • 11 harmony with Mr. Hogg (Minister for , toads and Bridges), etc), or Mr. T. Mc-' venzie (Minister for Industries and lomineroe) with Mr. f'owlds (Minister fir Education). A house thus divided gainst, itself must surely fall, if Sir oscpli Ward had possessed any politiii 1 principles, and he was beginning to loubt it, lie would have selected six ■icn of his own way <,f thhiking ami be irepared to stand or fall by such a Cabnot. The whole history of the Ward Vdniinistratiou had been a series of lack-downs and compromises, which ho numerated, and the Government seem■A willing to alter its principles when'ver required. As for saying there wis 10 dilferenee in the two parties, the lill'crenee was this: "The Opposition are nxious to see the country governed in he lies! interests of the people, who bcuii;f toil. Thcl.'ovoniiiieiit.ou the oilier uind, are anxious to see it governed in he interests of the Pnrtv in power and if friends who support' it." He conciniied the Covernnient's interference n election', and eoinplninud that it was icver intended by Parliament that Mr. fgata. as representing the native race, ■lionlil have charge of Departments rhicli should be in the hands o' ! men esponsible to European constituencies. ]e accused the Premier oi direct inlererenee in the'soutllern district Maori lection to secure Paruta's return, an iction which was improper and undigniied.

' Other toasts were: "The Dairy Industrv and Farming Interests" (proposed In* ill'. Jacob Marx and responded lo 'b'v ilr. J. (I. Wilson and Mr W. Borric); ••Commercial Interests of the Dominion" '(proposed bv ilr. T. C. Fookes and responded to by Mr. 11. '"'nlhrie, M.P.) and the usual concluding compliments.