Untitled

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 166, 30 November 1912, Page 4

SHI. JOSEPH WARD. f V At the banquet given him at the BIUJT prior to leaving for the Old Country. >Sir Joseph Ward made a speech worth? of that gentleman when at 'hiV top form, They all knew the ups and downs of life, with its many variations, particularly in polities, and in that regard lie said he would like to say that the man who could not take.a. beating in public life without wincing, whining and fault-finding ought not to be in public life r.t all. Personally, he did not mind fighting so long as it was an honorable fight. Fighting often led 'to the best results, and so long as they fought on these lines good results'would follow. But lie did not like unfair political lighting. It was said that all was fair in war and politics, but he did not agree with that. No good could come to a country if public opinion were riot behind the victor, nor could lie see that the business of the people could be carried out successfully unless those at the head of the affairs of the eountrv had the goodwill of the people. He was not sor.ry to be relieved of the responsibilities of oflice, particularly when the parties were so evenly balanced. 'lt was quite erroneous to say that the party in power represented the votes, of the people, because they did not. It was due largely to the* Second BallotIt was not possible for anyone, unless he had the absolute confidence and whole-' hearted support of his, party, to carry on. It was practically impossible for any' leader to do so with,any self-respect. : He was not beaten ■in the House, and he need not have resigned.' He gave no pledge to any member of the House before he made the statement that he would not go on. He knew he was going to win the division long before it was taken, and that he was going to win on the casting vote of the Speaker. It would have been impossible for him or any man without the hearty co-opera-tion of his party to carry on with a majority that consisted of the Speaker only. He would not place himself in the position of being kicked about from pillar to post like a football, and so out he went. In the first place, the party of which he was the head had been very long in power, and it was only natural that the other party wanted to get into power. He thought that perhaps it was a good thing that the other party should have an opportunty of showing what they were capable of. So far as he was concerned, said Sir Joseph, it meant a rest from a very heavy strenuous li.fc, carrying with it very heavy responsibilities, every day of it, and he was not sorry to have a rest for a few years. It required a man of strong physique and intellect to prevent difficulties arising and to combat them when they did. (So he was not at all displeased on personal grounds. He was now able to take a trip to the Old Country, where he had a number of old a,nd sincere friends, and a good many of them were desirous that he should go Home. He was not sorry to get the complete rest that such a trip would afford. He could not get it in New Zealand. He found that he was just as busy out of office as in it. He had had a strenuous life, and he, told them quite frankly that the only way to have the sufficient rest to which he considered he was honestly entitled was to leave New Zealand. He would also be able to do a certain amount of business which he could not conveniently do on his other visits to the Old Country. If there was anything he could do there in the interests of New Zealand he would, do it, and he would do or say nothing' that would be inimical to the interests of New Zealand.