SIR JOSEPH WARD BANQUETED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 33, 7 February 1906, Page 9

SIR JOSEPH WARD BANQUETED.

i TIIE MILLION LOAX. I ' I TARIFF REVISION. LAXD TENURR (By TelegrapU.-Press Association.) WINTON, Fe-bruaiy 2. Sir Joseph Ward was fcanqnetwl by I the electors of Awarua at Winton this | evening, there being a larsre and repre- I sentativo gathering, including all the ; Southland members, chairmen of public ! bodies, and prominent commercial men. I Prior to the banquet, the Minister was I presented with a sword by the VViuton Rides. Replying to the toast of his health, which was enthusiastically honoured, Sir Joseph Ward said he had no intension of making a political speech at j such a gathering, representing all shades of political opinions. The country was to be congratulated on the recent notation of the million loan in Victoria at 4 per cent. net. He was also glad to see that the Victorian Premier ("Mr Bent) had beon able to -provide for the financial requirements of V ictoria without going outside of Australia. Jle did not agree with Mr Bent's cabled comments with regard to New Zealand. The fact that New Zealand went to Victoria for money did not put New Zealand ih an inferior category. ( As a matter of fact, moneylending countries had not generally been the most prosperous in the hroad sense. For many years London had been supplying the British colonies and all outside countries with money, but the general condition of the masses of the i people in England was not so satisfactory as that of the people of New Zealand, and other countries that obtained their money from London. The London money market had been hypersensitive lately, and it was not desirable to go there just now for any large loans. If the necessary productive works of the colony were to be carried out, it was impossible to cease borrowing. Some believed that New Zealand ' had; reached the height of her prosperity, and mulst decline, but there was no foundation for such a theory. All the evidence went to Ishow that the prosperity was going to continue. This was proved conclusively by the barometer of the public exchequer, which stood at fair, and showed no signs of falling. There was every reason to believe that tho basis of progress was sound and Rood. The tourist asset was enormous. It was generally realised that great strides had been made in recent years, and what used to be valueless streams now teemed with trout, and a man in the Old World, who followed the sport of angling, was able to come to New Zealand and enjoy good sport, and make the whole tour at less cost than it would take to fish in the waters of Ireland or Scotland. Sir Joseph Ward said he did not intend touching on what might happen when Parliament met. except to say that the Customs tariff would be revised. At pi e*jent there were incongruities alike fiom the standpoint of the business man, the home consumer, and he distributor. First of all something must be done to cheapen commodities used daily in the houses of the great masses of the people. The land laws would also be considered, and the question of granting the freehold discussed. He did no* think the freehold would be granted in connection with lands under the; Lands for Settlement Act, ann the question would have to be settled in accordance" with the wish of the major ity of the people. At the Postal Conference he would do his utmost to obtain an independent vote for New Zealand. Tho Minister xras entbasiastically I farewelied by Ms constituents.