THE DEPARTING CHIEFS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1918, Page 5

THE DEPARTING CHIEFS.

CQMPLIMEOTAE.Y REFERENCES. i ' .... END-OF SESSION. By. Telegraph.— Press Association ' V*< Wellington, Last Night, Mr. Colvin read an address to Ml Massey and Sir Joseph Ward, e&pressing the goodwill of members oil the eve of their departure for Britain to take part iu the Peace Conference. He said thpy ' were going to a great conference, and .. were going with the confidence of the country to meet the great men of other lands. They were leaving a great' country, and he felt confident they would do it justice. Mr. McCombs, in seconding the mo< 1 tion, said he did so more heartily -be«, ' cause their leaders were going away un? der happier conditions than on previotis . " oocoaions.. Sir Jamas Allen said the leaders -s would go Home with the complete eon*'''W fidence of the people of New Zealand'.' • They were going to the greatest council ever known, and'he hoped the spirit of justice would dominate the deliber- ■ '■ •: ations of that congress. If interna*' jj tional wrong had been done t>y individu- X als, then they should have jnstice meted; j out to them, but in the spirit of justice,, not of vindictiveness. He hoped our l -' leaders and people would not forget the « future: He knew a feeling was growing up in some quarters against militarism, • but we should not forget the soldiers, the work they had to do, and how they' had done it. We must realise rftat our road is by the sea; therefore the navy, ■, must be kept up, so that the way of the "t; sea is kept open to us. He hoped tho leaders would take with them kind messages to our boys and sisters at the " front, for we could never forget, what • they had done for us. He appealed to ; members to loyally observe the spirit of the compact they had made asnonmt >; themselves. He hoped there would pre- ' « vail the spirit of unity, the spirit of ' determination, and that they wofild ban- . S 5 ish party politics, so that when the lendy 1 era returned they would find the people of the Dominion happy and, rekdy to confidently face the'future. '■Dr. Pomare, as a-representative of the Maori race, delivered Maori message ,'1 to the leaders, and asked them to tell the councillors at this great conference , - that never again must the Polynesian , i'ace be put under the heel of the despicable Hun.

The Hon. G. W. Russell and Messrs. Harris and Stewart also offered tha'r felicitations to the departing leaders , Mr. Massey thanked the speaker for ! their commendations. Ho and his col- 1>» league would have preferred to stay at 1 home, but recognised that duty called theiji abroad. They realised the importa,nco of the conference, and felt- pride . that they were called to represent New , ■ Zealand thereat. Tlioy could not forget ; i the great ,part New Zealand had p'lyeil in the war. and liopad .they would never' '• * forget the 100,0(10 lighting men who had j. gone forth to fight, and that they would i never forget the 15,000 men who "would / never returir. Tliey should not only he proud of their fsllow'«iti?cns of New V'-: Zealand, but also of their fellow citizens - j of Britain, who at the start of tho War were unprepared. Britain was now ten .S times stronger in every de'iart.r'ii 1 7 To had seen a part of Britain's .Army, Flc:>t ' • and Air Fore?. It made.'him prniul to see these soldiers and civilians putf!!'.™]- A in work for one end, 1«. t > vl,> \ > itory. The British, people -hod made takes in the past, but, after nil, there ' [were none to compare with their.' "\X-Sr '■ -si has shown us our shortooniing.s, ihr.i have hardly done our duty to oiler > avM of the Empire, that we nnifit iio>v Oieii»-■ ;;f :! building up our Empire and mc-pr.'e n> .defend it against any danger tiwt nugi.t arise." Peace had nearly arrii od, though ' i 1 war conditions were still with us It was : the duty of those at the coming confer- -V enec to see tjhat' there was 110 p'wiifciliiy» ! of such a condition of 'affairs again aris- " * ing as had been seen under Germa-isn). '■ Those responsible for the war crmeu ' must be made jto pay the penalty. ' p : • Sir Joseph Ward stated this'county bad a terrible weight of indebtedness, duo to the actions of <uie or two men ip V liigh places. Twenty-five thousand mil- : lious had beaen spent 'by the Allies on ; = the war. One thousand .two hundred ancV ' fifty millions, or 5 per cent, of tUiq amount, Aliould bo paid ovory year the enemy till tEe debt was paid. The ' > enemy would ha,ve done it to us if he 1 .■) had won. (Bea.r, hear.) .He was glad to see a chajige of spirit was taking place in Britain Offie high old ideals r. were giving to the feeling that the' greatest murderer {he ages should i appear before the bar of justice and. ex- i , piate his crimes Britain's spirit and '« sourcefulnesg lwd «nade victory possiblh' ' 7 New Zealand was «, o'ountry with a great ' destiny, how gVMt we could not tell. '

Our men were second to noire in thi world, and had made a nam? for th" r country that would go down in honor. ; for all time. We must Tecogniae to the >• full what wo owe to these men. ' 5 At 10 o'clock it was announced that 5 the Governor-General had assented to the Appropriation Bill. Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward > :■; complimented the -Speaker upon having. I presided over a short but useful eee- 1 sion, and wished all a ]iappy recess and a 'bright and prosperous future. - \ The Speaker returned thanks, and the ' '] members then rose and sang the Na- '*s tional Anthem. ' ; i-j On the motion "that the House do now adjourn,", a division was called' for, 1 ,j | the motion being carried by 25 to S3, .yc and the fifth session of the nineteenth ,J r parliament carpe to an end at i 0.19, , During the session the House sat on 24 days, with a daily average of G hours 9 minutes. Thirty-seven public Bills received the Royal assent, and 28 p were dropped or otherwise disposed of.