Sir Joseph Ward and Mr James Allen, M.P.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 55, 15 June 1908, Page 3

Sir Joseph Ward and Mr James Allen, M.P.

, THE PRIME MINISTER'S REFERENCE.

The following taken from the Christchurch Press report ot Sir Joseph Ward's speech there last Monday will be read with interest. —" A Single Tax Government."— After referring to Mr Gladstone's opinion of land nationalisation—" If they mean to pay for it, it is folly; if ihey don't, it is robbery'— Sir Joseph went on to refer to a statement made by Mr James Allen, M.P., to the effect that if taxation was increased the single tax would be brought about. He said that Mr Allen had voted for the only measure introduced by the present Government which had increased taxation. Because his (Sir Joseph's) col-league-Mr George Fowlds was privately a single-taxer it was said that single tax was the policy of the Government. This was very unfair to Mr Fowlds in the first instance, and equally unfair to the Government. Sir Joseph pointed out that though the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour was a supporter of bimetallism the Government of which he was a member was not accused of being in favour of that reform. So far as the present Government were concerned, the policy of the adoption of a single lax system had never been suggested. Why, therefore, should it be said that because one member of the Ministry was in favour of that system all were. To be a single taxer one must of necessity be an out-and-out freetrader. It was impossible to have a single tax system so long as a system of protection existed in any country, and in this country how many of our people would be prepared to see our industries that were being built up by protection destroyed by outside competition ? The Government asked for the judgment of the people on their policy as a whole, not on the opinions of one member, and if their policy did not commend itself to the country as a whole, then the right thing for the people to do was to put a Government in who Wiaild give them the policy nearest to what they believed to be right.—(Applause). It was a very difficult thing to get eight men to agree upon everything, and ue would mention the case of the late Sir Harry Atkinson, who in his day and generation was one of the most advanced thinkers and Radicals, but who was at the head of a Conservative administration. Yet his party were never called Radicals or anything else, because ot the views entertained by the head of the administration as an individual. Mr Allen had also said that on the Otago railways the Government had expentedonly six per cent, of the amount voted last year, while on the West Coast railways 109 per cent, had been expended. As a matter of fact 18 per cent, had been spent on the Otago railways. On the West Coast railways, three different lines, the amount expended the year, while on the Otago, three lines, the amount was —Coalition Rumours.— Mr Allen also suggested that he (the Premier) should indicate what his views were regarding coalition. In Auckland, some few months ago, he had distinctly stated that no suggestion of coalition had come from him, nor had it come to him from the Leader of the Opposition. There were only two sets of circumstances which would even suggest the possibility of coalition in this or any other country. One would be in the time of national peril, when division of opinion would be fatal, and the other would be when, owing to the state of the parties, the business of the country could not be carried on without a coalition. In this country to-day the Government had a large following, and until they knew that the people of the I country were not prepannjg to trust them with a majority sufficient to carry [ on the work of the country, it was not i his business, and it certainly was not j the business of any member of the I Ministry, to ask their Opposition friends to coalesce. Nothing of the sort, however, had been suggested by him, nor did he intend to make any such I suggestion. —(Applause). —Railway Rolling Stock.— I Referring to further criticisms by Mr Allen regarding the importation of railway rolling stock, Sir Joseph Ward said that since 1902 the whole of the rolling stock required for the use of the Railway Department had, with the exception of seven Jocpmotiyes recently built by Price Bros., Thames, been constructed at the railway workshops of New Zealand, and the output had been sufficient not only to keep pace with the increased traffic, but also

to reduce the deficiency whiui formerly existed.—(Applause). MR JAS. ALLEN'S REPLY. In the course of an interview with a Daily Times representative in reference to the foregoing, Mr Allen said "It is very flattering to me that Sir Joseph should pay so much attention to me. I hope he will continue to do so, for lam sure it will be for his good. With regard to taxation, there is no shadow of a doubt that it has increased during the past ten years, so much so, indeed, that the taxation by the State now is more than the combined taxation of State and local bodies ten years ago. Although there have been a good many decreases in taxation through the Customs, which have been continually advocated by the Opposition, there have also been decreases which we have distinctly not advocated—notably open boats, -and mining and agricultural machinery, Then look at the preferential tariff, under which items have been increased enormously, and thereby the taxation increased. The customs revenue shows that there is an increase, due no doubt, partly to prosperity, but also to other causes as well. —The Single-Tax Minister.— '• The Prime Minister ought not to chafe under the criticism that is ■levelled at his single tax colleague. He look that gentleman into his Cabinet, and 1 must take the consequences; He is there and has not abandoned his single-tax principles, and that his being there influences the Cabinet is evidenced by the Land Bill of two years ago. Shortly put, a single-taxer is a confiscator, without compensation, of all private lands. He will tax, and tax, and tax, till the full rental value of the land is taken by the State, and that simply means the confiscation of the capital value ot the land. The Hon. Mr Fowlds is a single-taxer, and these are the singletaxers' principles. —The Opposition and Coalition.— "In the matter of coalition," continued Mr Allen, " I and others have simply had to deal with the matter because it has been raised, not by us, but by outsiders. The position is perfectly plain. The Opposition is not asking for coalition, and never did. It is perfectly prepared to do its duty to the country in the position in which the electors have placed it. But Sir Joseph is quarrelling with his own party. He is continually parading before the country his objections to the principles of revolutionary Socialism, and it has to be borne in mind that revolutionary Socialism gradually broadening to the revolutionary stage, is just as bad and worse, than the out and out thing. It is the Prime Minister's trouble with the tail of his party that has caused his friends to talk about coalition. If he does not like the tail ?> of his party why not get rid of it and be done with it? He is probably strong enough, even then, to carry on. If he does like the tail, then stick to it and be influenced by his advice I And they are a growing power. I do not see how he can blow hot and cold. Either he has to be with them, or against them. It is not only the tail which is saturated with'these Socialis-

tic principles, but some of his colleagues are tainted with them too, and they are no standing menace to those who believe that industry, energy, and ability ought to receive some Wards, All that I have said on the matter is this: If the Trime Minister is in earnest about the fight with Socialism, and finds he cannot carry it through without the aid of pthers who are also against Socialism} then, if he wants it he can ask for help. Meanwhile the Opposition, as organised at the present moment, apparently is able to influence the Government and its proposed legislation. If that influence is for good, as I believe it is to be, why should the power-for good be disturbed ?'

THE LOCOMOTIVE QUESTION.

In regard fo the Prirne Minister's remarks, and the statement tftat " Sir Joseph went on to refer to Mr Allen's reference to railway matters and denied absolutely some statements by Mr Allen in regard to railway lqcomotiyes, : ' as appearing in the Otago Daily Times on Wednesday last, and said to be an excerpt from the Prime Minister's speech. We have not seen Mr Allen in regard to this, he does npt refer to it in his reply to the Prime Minister, but what he did say was; " That the duty on locomotives had been raised. This last doubtless was done in order to encourage the building of* locomotives in New Zealand, but what was the result? Attempts had been made to place and order in New Zealand, but the answer had been " Too busy, cannot construct." After

ai they proceeded to get locomotives abroad."

When Mr Allen wds elaborating this I point owing to the length of his speech lit naturally had to be curtailed. I What he did say in L\\, wa:; 'Juii in the ! case ot an institution he was interested ! in, they wanted a locomotive, and they wished to place the order in New Zealand, but when lhey applied to Messrs Price 8r05.,. Thames, the, answer came " Too busy, cannot construct," and accordingly they had to send the order for the locomotive,out of the country. There was no insinuation that the Government had done so. Sir Joseph from our report evidently thought Mr Allen had said the Government had recently been sending orders tor this class of work abroad.