POLITICAL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14971, 19 May 1914, Page 7

POLITICAL.

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT NAPIER

j (rnrss association- TBi.Kr.sAMs.)

NAPIER, May 18. Sir Joseph Ward addressed a packed audience in the Municipal Theatre to-

night. The Mayor, -Mr J. \ igor Brown, M.P., presided. Tbe Liberal leader received an ovation on rising to speak. He said that tho last time ho was in Napier he turued the first sod oi the East Coast Railway, and it was his intention at that, time to contiuua tkt> work as the votes allowed. The present Government bad delayed tho work for three years, and their excuses were ot a most paltry nature In three or four other placed railway construction works had been delayed." One of tho Government's excuses tor the discontinuance of tho East Coast Railway was their inability to get an enjjm.* across to Westshorc before tho "embankment was constructed, and flu's Sir Joseph Ward characterised as absurd. Dealing with tho sources of electrical energy, .>ir Joseph said his party recognised tho great utility of electric power. They recognised tho importance of tho LakoWaikaremoana scheme, which would be easier than carrying a twopenny-halfpenny engine across to Westshore. .The Prime Minister had stated in Napier that during their first year in office tho Government bad purchased 52.000 acres of laud ior closer settlement for £425.C00. The Liberal Party had been making negotiations for the purchase of this laud beforo Mi* Massey came into power, but tho Prime Minister took all the credit for it. The Liberal Party had spent £i>,00;>,000 in purchasing land, and placed 130.000 souls on it. Sir Joseph eaid ho thought Mr Massey's statements that the Liberals would sell their immortal souls to get on the Treasury Benches was Oeyond fair political criticism. "YVe don't want office unless we can got it in a .proper way." said Sir Joseph. (Applause.) "Wo don't want office unless the people aro behind us." (Applause.) The present Government had only one.third of the electors behind them, and got into power through some of tho members breaking their election pledges. The Reform Party had characterised his (Sir Joseph*) surpluses as bogus surpluses, yet they contradicted this by the statement*made to tho people of' England when endeavouring to raise tho four and a half million loan. That statement was to tho effect that since 1891 £f),2c"o 000 out of surplus revenue had been transferred to tho Public AVorks Fund, and a large amount of it was paying interest and constituted clear- profit. Sir Joseph wont on to deal with the. Dreadnought question. Ho paid a leading Government newspaper refused to publish his reply to the criticisms of Ministers on this question. Provision was made to pay for tho Dreadnought in seventeen years by an inercaso of the tax on bank notes, an increase in tho totaiisator tax, and an increa.so in the death duties on largo estates. There was therefore mr imposition on tho peonle. With recard to the Navy. Sir Joseph said tho Reform Party had no authorI tv , ""oro the people to repeal the contributions to tho British Navy and constitute a local navy, which was no aood unless it was an efficient one, and this would cost an enormous amount. RenrAdmiral Henderson had estimated tho cost of a local navy for the Commonwealth at £25.295,000. Sir Joseph ridiculed the suggestion that ono Bristol cruiser was sufficient to protect the trade routes. Tho Government had cancelled tho New Zealand contribution to tho Imperial -Navy, and the naval policy was now deferred till the conference in 1915. Tho Lihcrals were deadly opposed to a local navy. (Applause). The Reform Party that tho Troasury chests were depleted when they assumed office, yet Mr Allen was able to show a surplus of £607,286. It was not the Reform Party's surplus but what had boen loft to them by the previous Government. During the past two years there had been a great shortage of money throughout the Dominion. Tho present Government lent £1,600,000 less than tho Liberal Party during a similar period. Tho Liberals had always done their utmost to help the workers, back-blocks settlers, and local bodies by way of loans. Mr Massey's Party had .criticised the Liberals' extensive borrowing, but since the present Government bad been in office they had borrowed even more. Ministers were going round the country full of promises they would never bo given the opportunity to Tieep.. (Applause.) They wore so full of promises that in a short time thcro would be more breach of premise cases than they would care for. (Laughter.) Tho Reform Party wero going to decrease tho cost of living, nut it had. been increased by 3.03 per Late ! hours in Parliament wero going to be ! stopped and provision was to l>o made j for industrial peace, bnfc neither had been accomplished. If tho Government carried out all their promises next session, tho session would last for fifteen months. Sir Joseph spoke at length in reference to tho strike, which he said could have been prevented from spreading at all. The Government had not gone about it in the right way. They refused to listen to his suggestions in Parliament. With reforenco to the stonowall. Sir Joseph stated that the Liberals^opposed the repoal of the Second Ballot Act "bocauso no provision was made for a substitute. Sir Joseph criticised the Press Association for their reports of the Liberal Party's meetings. He said 80 per cent, of tho newspapers were on the* side of tho Government. In conclusion, Sir Joseph said he trusted that at the general election tho electors would realise what the Liberals had done for tho neoplo and return them at the head of tho poll. A motion of thanks and confidence was carried amidst loud applause and cheers. (SPECIAI, TO "THI! PRESS.") NAPIER, May 18. Sir Joseph Ward hatTa very good reception here to-night, bnt ttie Napier folk have not yet warmed up to the same political feeling that exists in the larger centres. Ccnsiderincr. that Mr Massey answered questions by tho dozen when he addressed the Napier public, it was presumed that the fun would come at the end of Sir Joseph's meeting, especially as tho local newspapers had so prominently announced his meeting, and in tho Press some very telling questiOnshad been put forward for him to answer. But Sir Joseph is too old a politician to be canght, and when he had finished his address, the many appeals to the Mayor, who is also the Liberal M.P., failed to get any response to questions. At last Sir Joseph was appealed to, but he shook his head. Then the motion was put, and carried,' leaving the audience still thinking that tho fun would come with the quesHona, but it never came. Thoro was no, enthusiasm, though the meeting was in Sir Joseph's when ho made telling points, if true, against the Massev Government.