LIBERAL LEADERSHIP

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 226, 22 March 1912, Page 5

LIBERAL LEADERSHIP

THE CHOICE OF A LEADER. NO DECISION YET. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wiellington, This Morning. At I o'clock this morning the Liberal caucus having failed to come to a decision adjourned till 11 a.m.,this ingTHE LIBERAL CAUQUS. Wellington, Last Night., A caucus of the Liberal Party to select a leader in place of Sir Joseph Ward js being held in Wellington to-night, v Proceedings commenced at 8 o'clock and are still going on. Some say the caucui may last several hours yet.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S RETIREMENT. MAY TAKE HELM AGAIN. MAY TAKE HELM LATER. EARLY DISSOLUTION EXPECTED. Wellington, Last Night. A deputation of about 300, representing the Liberals of Wellington, waited on Sir Joseph Ward at his residence today and presented the resolution passed at a meeting on Tuesday night, requesting him to retain the leadership of the party. Mr. Reid, who introduced the deputation, referred to the great works performed by Sir Joseph and the Liberal Party. Other speakers were Messrs E. Arnold, Gray, A. L. Wilson, C. Hall, and Parata, and Mesdames Keay, Brown and Moore. Sir Joseph Ward, who was cheered on rising to respond; thanked those present for the kind, representations and utterances. Though he would be unable to give effect to what they asked, he would always remember their kindly wishes. He could not, in fairness to himself or the country, retain the position he now held. He had made a statement to that effect in the House. He attributed the present crisis to the "extraordinary and contemptible meanness of .the large landowners, provided they were to judge them by their newspapers." Those people had directed their efforts against him, but the policy he had pursued had not been directed against any individual, but in the interests of the whole community. They would find a recoil in their method of doing things. The Liberal Party would take everything out of them for what they had done in the way of keeping people off the land. What had the tradesmen or the public generally to expect from people who during th'e ifinancial depression had sent their money out of the country so as to enable them to step in and buy up propertyfor comparatively nothing? He believed the opponents of the Liberals had taken advantage of ,the vsplit in the Liberal and \ Labor ranks shortly after the death of Mr. Seddon, and were now endeavoring to press the Labor Party to their breasts. The sole cry of his political opponent* had been: "Put out Ward:" He had been subjected to the most outrageous abuse in connection with the five million loan, and was repeatedly asked for papers which those asking knew he did not possess. He would like to yield to l the requests made to retain the leadership, but he would not be the bugbear to push the Liberal and Labor Party out of power. He was proud to say he was leaving office with the country in a financially strong condition. It was sounder and stronger now than ever before. At the end of the year they would . have a record revenue. The country from end to end was prosperous. The Government he had been head of had been most enterprising. No such progressive legislation as they had passed had ever been put through in the world. At the present time New Zealand undoubtedly stood higher in the eyes of the world than ever before. He pointed • out that even the Opposition had been ■ " compelled to say they would not repeal - one Act put on the statute book by his Government. If in the future the people. • of the Dominion showed that they did not believe the' scandals that the liars ' of this country had disseminated he would be prepared to again assist in the work of the country. He predicted an- • other appeal to the people inside twelve ■ months, .when the Liberals would come back stronger than ever, and when there would be no victory on the Speaker's, casting vote or on a majority of two. Cheers for Sir Joseph and Lady Ward concluded the function.

FURTHER RESOLUTIONS. Taihape, Thursday. Mr. Anthony Nathan, chairman of the Taihape Liberal Party, sent the following wire to Sir Joseph Ward on behalf of the Liberals of Taihape and district: "I desire to convey to ypu sincere thanks for your able and tactful leadership of our party in Parliament during your term as Prime Minister, more particularly for the splendid way you led tho party to victory on the recent no-con-fidenoe motion in the* House of Representatives. The sincere wish of all true Liberals in this district is l that" your retirement from the leadership of the party will be but temporary. We deeply regret that circumstances led you to a step fraught with serious consequences to the welfare of the Dominion." Gore, Thursday. A meeting of the Liberal Party resolved_ last night to' place on record its high appreciation of ' Sir Joseph Ward's services to the Dominion as leader of the Liberals, and expressed the sincere hope that he would resume the leadership at an early date. Hastings, Thursday. About eighty Liberals assembled at a meeting convened by Mr. Alf. Dillon, ex-member, and on his motion resolved: "That this meeting of Liberals of Hawkefe Bay regrets that the Premier has decided to retire from the position of leader of the Liberal Party, and urges on him the expediency of again guiding the destinies of the Dominion by leading the party at an early date." Mr. Tan Simson, who said he was present as a Liberal and a Democrat, moved "That this meeting expresses approval of the great services rendered to the country by Sir Joseph Ward during' his term as Prime Minister, and the good work done by the party under his leadership, as proved by the commercial and general prosperity of the Dominion." - Inglewood, Thursday. The following wire was despatched yesterday to Sir Joseph Ward:—"The Inglewood Liberal Association desires to tender their regret at your contemplated retirement as Prime Minister. They hope you will carefully reconsider the matter. If you can remain leader of the Liberal Party you will find such a rally of friends as your meritorious publie service so well deserves."