COMPLIMENTARY SOCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 150, 1 December 1914, Page 5

COMPLIMENTARY SOCIAL.

TO MR. D. J. HUGHES. The friends of Mr. D. J. who recently left Manaia to reside in New Plymouth, and who is contesting the Taranaki seat against Mr. Okey, tendered him a farewell smoke concert in the Town Hall, Manaia, on Saturday night. About sixty or seventy, from various parts of the district, sat down to a repast provided by Host Russell. iMr. M. J. Meldon presided, and in proposing the health of "Our Guest," said it was a tribute to the popularity which Mr. Hughes enjoyed that there should be such a large gathering to do ronor to one so well worthy of their rejspect and esteem. Mr. Hughes waß a ! mim with a right sense of honor, who Iliad always ably taken his share of local body work, and they now looked for,ward to the day when he would unfurl the great Liberal flag in the New Plymouth district. They all hoped that Mr.< Hughes would soon be one of the great Liberal party, to take hia place in th« Parliamentary buildings in Wellington, and he (Mr. Meldon) was sure that when he got there he would be a credit to !New Plymouth and to the Manaia district, which could always claim him from his birth. His friends in Manaia and district wished him all success, and sincerely hoped that on December 10th-he I would top thu poll by a big majority, .(Applause.)

| Mr. Hughes, on rising to reply, was most enthusiastically received. He remarked that the function was really a gathering of the great Liberal party, 'and reminded him of some of liis com,'mittce meetings in New Plymouth. It i was hard, at first, to realise the Strong feeling there in favor of the Liberal .party, and that party with its record of grand achievements in the .past, and fine proposals for humanitarian legislation in the future would, on December 10th, win the.great silent vote. He felt honored at seeing so many present that night, because the gathering was really a political one, and he was pleased, too, to see some of his Maori friends amongst them. He had always fought for the rights of the Maori, and would always do so, and he had challenged his present political opponent in New i Plymouth, notwithstanding his superiority of eloquence, to debate this matter on any platform. He was a young New Zealander, born within sight of MountI Egmont, trving to resurrect the Liberal banner, and keep it flying in Taranaki, and lie was not at all afraid of being able to do it. (Applause.) Already between forty and fifty had spontaneously signed his nomination papers, including representative townspeople and farmers, and that night he had received a telegram from the president of the Liberal and 'Labor League of Taranaki, requesting him to return to Ne.w Plymouth to sign more nomination papers. That was but an indication of what waß taking palce. throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand; they were up against the element, that was governing the country to-day—that legislated for the classes, not the masses; the element that caused many of those present to leave the land of their birth. Furthermore, [ he would remind 'thorn that Taranaki—-pre-eminent as a dairying district—had not one single dairying man in the House to fight their battles or further their interests. The member for Patea had nothing ill common with dairying, and the member for Egmont, whilst admittedly a keen commercial man, did not know the A.B.C. of practical dairy farming. The only thing his opponents could get against him. (Mr. Hughes) was .that he was a "Red Fed." Now, what was their definition of a Red Fed.? Anyone who was against the party in power, or anyone who was not against the laboring man. He was glad to see his comrades of years ago there that evening; men whom lie had worked with, differed with, hut had never fallen out with: men whom he had dealt with, and taken a shilling off, and who had generally got two bob back. (Laughter.) .Reverting to a remark made by one' of those present, Mr. Hughes said that the history of this and other countries told J them, that when a man was poor, and wanted cheap money, he was a strong iLiberal; as soon as he was well off he became a Tory. But it was something to be proud of that legislators from I other countries had to come to Now Zealand to bo taught the elements of democratic legislation, and was it not something to be proud of also that although I the Tory party had denounced the Liberal legislation, the Reform Government dare not repeal one of their Acts. Ho had always fought for measures before | men, and would continue to do so. He , had been twitted with having once nominated Mr. Dive for the House, but the reason he did that was because his opponent had traduced Dick Seddon. The ; present was the greatest opportunity for a bucolic politician to stand for Parliaiment, because his opponents had not a leg to stand upon so far as criticism jwent. He would have also as his credentials the grand achievements and traIditions of the great Liberal party, and there were going to be some surprises on December 10th. Tn conclusion, he thanked all present for the great honor done to him that evening—an honor really was intended for the Liberal party as a whole.—Star.