SOCIAL TO MR W. C BUCHANAN, M.P.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10657, 12 June 1912, Page 5

SOCIAL TO MR W. C BUCHANAN, M.P.

lIM THE CLAREVILLE HALL. Iho settlers' of Clareville, Ta_rnt;ilii. ami Cairisgtcir -twncd out in force fet evening, to do honour to the member for the district.— Mr W. C. Buchanan, ,M.P. Tho Clareville Hall vas crowded to the doors. Mr William Perry (Chairman of the Wai—rarapa South County 'Council), presided, amd in opening the proceedings referred to the forty years rthat Mr Buchanan had spent, in the. Wai rarapa. In the early days the' member foe Wai rarapa bad occupied a sen t oil Ithie Mas'tarton H ijrinvay SBoard. Then he 'became a County Councillor, aiul afterwards a .member of Parliament. He wais one cf the foundersof ithe Wellington 'Meat Export Company and of the Wai rarapa P; aud> A. Society. .Hie had aJso done splendid work as ia member of the Wellington Education Board;, and for twenty-six years Shad represented tho district in Parl'iamen fc. Still 1 he ,was as young and vigorous as ever, and could drivehis motor car without Using glasses. {Applause). Mr Perry expressed the JptoaisurG that was felt hy all at the opportunity of doing honour to th& member for the district. (Applause)." At the invitation 1 of Mr Perry,, three liean ty cheers were given, for Mr Buekanau. Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P., in an apr propriato sjiecch, paid a warm tribute to Mr 'Buchanan, .who, he said,

bad earned a lasting memorial on account <of his efforts to- establish, thefrozen meat industry; and more recently on account of his beneficent gift to the old anid anbunaible people of the district. He stated that from what he had heard in the House he-

had been almost convinced tihat theReform Party were a set of hardened Tories. But when he analysed, their programme he found them the t4'»v3 (Liberals of the country. (Applause.) They rwere up against syndicalism. Socialism, and every other (Applause.) (Mr Sykes expressed the hope that Mr Buchanan) would! longbe spared to represent tlhe Wairarapa. in Parliament. (AppHauee.) Mir Biutrihanan, 'M.P\ who was received with loud applause, said he could not find language to express the pleasure he foit t :at seeing so many kind friends,..'.present to do him honour. He had come to the district for a first time forty-isix years agoi, and it was the kindness he received at that time from the old settlers that induced him to come to the Wairarapa instead of going to as he had intended. When he first arrived, ther'e were no railways. Great changes, he said, had taken place in. forty ytecuns. Thj'rty-on© yeans ago he had ibeen to the honourable position cf x'epre&intative of the district. ,Si«ce thTat feme he' had fought elleven efectionG, and had , been successful in -.all but two. Mr Buchanan then proceeded to deal with the politico J events of the last few monltlis. He .stated that the last election hlad resulted in forty-one members being returned to support Mr Massey. Two members, had (broken their pledges, and the result was now known. Mi - Buchanan, said; h.o may have fallen far short- or the pccple'.s expectations as a representative, but he cllaimed that he-had nievci* been guilty ' cf breaking a pledge. (Loud applause.) He expressed .the opinion that the inducement offered to Messrs Rloberteon, and Payne'for breaking itheir pledge was. the resignation of Sir Joseph Ward. The 'Premier had kept his pledge, and Mi* Thomts Mackenzie had succeeded iliim. The present position;, of an inority Ministry controlling the affairs of the countfy, /was unparalleled ''in the' history of the British Empire. The •present Prtemier claimed to be a jfriend of th© farmer, hut he had only one mam in. the Ministry (Miv McDon- ' aid) who was a pr'acticlal faiTner. Mr Buchan'an then quoted the eptntton of Mr Mackenzie, as published' in Hanzard, concerning several of his col-. leagues in th© Ministry. He also Quoted tili e opinion of Mi' Laurenson concerning the Prime Minister. The present .Government, said Mr Buch- , anan, had .set up a number of Cbmmissions •to frame a policy for ?tJ' The -speaker epid that Piarliameni Would meet on June 27th, and in his opinion the Government would be defeated. The .Opposition would do its dluty in the future as it had done in. the past. Mr Buchanan said he had miever seen to. caucus so unanimous as jthe Opposition:. caucus. irecontiy held mi Wellington. The whole party waff united in its support of Mr' Mofisey. (Lloud applause.)

The following excellent programme of amide;, song and recital was rendetfed:— Overture,, Carterton Brae® Band;%ang, ;Miisis Feist ; Highland

danoe, the Paailing quartette (encored) ; reoitationi, Mr iH. S. Mbss; Bong, Mr Opi'e (encored); recifatipn r Mar jGr. R; Sykes, M.P.; .piano and vioflin solo,' Misses McDonald (encored;, •isong, Mr Opie; 'euphonium solo, Mr (H. 'Woodl'ey; Highland Jance, Pa.nlSng family i(encored); song, Mr F. A. 'Belter; eeleotion, Oar.tfc'ntoii Brass'.Banc!. At ithe conclusion of ftlie entertainment the hall was cleaved, anjd dancing \v;ii9 kept spiritedly facing until an efcirly .hour tt'his morning.