THE PRIME MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 194, 11 May 1908, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER

•TODR THROUGH V/ESTLAND. " PRESENTED WITH AN ILLUMINATED Address. MINING, SETTLEMENT, AND TOURIST routes: 181 TEI.EGEAMI—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) , Kokitika, May 9. . Tho Preniier concludcd his motor tour ( through Wcstlantl, and left this morning for , Rcefton. Ho had a very cordial reception in tho southern district yesterday, and at Ross last night was entertained at a largely, attended "social," and.', presented with an illuminated address of a congratulatory character. .■ ' Various important projects, for assisting gold mining, promoting settlement, and opening tourist routes wcro brought under . his notice, and consideration promised, in varying degrees, to meet, tho requirements. Sir Joseph's reception everywhere has been of a vory' cordial nature. Tho Prime Minister and "Ward wore accompanied throughout tho. tour by. Mr..T. Y. Seddon, member for the district,-in respect .of ivliftm the Premier spoke very, highly on different occasions. ■ ' t . - v , Westport 'Tvill bo reached on Monday, and then will. folio,w visits to D.ennisjton, Ka.raand Nelson. Tho weather ' for the greater part of the week' has been rough a/id boisterous, but the Premier was ablo to keep all his engagements, although a largo and extended programmo was carried out. V SPEECH AT REEFTON. LABOUR AND ELECTORAL • \ LKGISLATIOM. ' s Reef ton, May 10. Yesterday tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) arrived at Reci'ton, and was warmly welcomed'at the County Council .Chambers. The cadcts formed a guard of honour, in thanking the residents, Sir. Joseph Ward specially dealt with the subject of tho drilling of cadpts. He said it did not foster any-jingoism, but made for tho Vl'onco' of their native country. In tho afternoon the Premier opened a section (live miles and a half) of tho Reef-tion-Wdstport Railway: to Croindun. Speeches • wore made at Cronadun by the Premier and Messrs. Guinness, Colvin, and M'ivenzie,; JLl'.'s. Afternoon tea was given'.' by . the Cronadun residents. LAND LEGISLATION.' / ..,-Iri tho evening the Priir.j Minister, delivered' a speech to a largo audience, the County Chairman presiding. Ho stated that ho would refer to tho past actions of the Goyorn'mont in regard to. land' legislation, as many'.. people had criticised tho conditions and legislation. 1-ie Nvould give a short account of tho progress of the legislation. of the country.' Many' laws had been placed on tho Statutk Book last session lor every walk of life. He ; reminded them that -tho. population of the. Dominion was less than' a million, and tho territory a littlo loss'than Great Britain and Ireland.; lie 'referred to,tho condition of the land Icgio- • lation of those/ countries—tho game laws, and-the. aggregation of large'estates for tho of'tho .fp.w i against , the many.V . duty, $ '^egjsiajipr.s,. here, ...was to. i improyo:,. conditions of tho people,, and raise .tho country to' a higher plane or civilisation than that of the Old World.' The Government deemed it liecessary . to' tako stops, to . prevent tho. abuses. and r anomaliesin the Old Country fre®, growing up here. AVhat J>ad ttoy done? Tho/ people" here would not - allo\y to monopoliso the land. Men had. said the. Government wanted to confiscate the land, 'but not a' single Bill or :■ word'. oftho Govornmont could bo taken to mean this.' They introduced graduated taxation,' proyonting/ a , man, having more than" £40,000 'worth of land '-unless he paid a, graduated . tax.. -In consequonce many landowners would: sell out to escape the tax, and'thfl land would- : bo liUod with ■peoplo. instead of., cattle ,and sheen. Tho second Land Bill provided for national re- ! serves.for the endowment of education and old ago pensions. ' The Nativo Lands Bill vmld also open up a great .area of Native, unoccupied land for tho benefit of settlement.j ' TAXATION. - . ■ ' Gdvornment' 'had.- reduced taxation by £1,559,000—£45,000 Cjustoms, £274,000 post telegraphs, £860,000 railwavs, £20,000 sheep-tax, .tho people getting the practical benefit : of this rocluction . and rdmission. Eeferring to the success' of the superannuation schemes for tho Civil Service, _ /police, ,-aiid .'railways, ■. tho Preniier promised a- scheme for tho general superannuation' of all workers to be" placed be?oro Parliament this coming session. This would be a corrollary to tho superannuation scheme already in forcGj and would • enable any person on.reaching 65 to.retire and end his days m peace and happiness. The Premier spoko strongly of'the necossity of assistinc the farming interests, as all lived on' this industry, ,: He : commented strongly on the competition-of Canada and tho Commonwealth, and said tho Dominion suffered- in England at the hands of tho Danes, Germans, etc, ' . ' LABOUR LAWS. '.•.Spteaking of' the Arbitration and ConAct, tho"~ Premior -said next session tho Government would brinf down , measures to.amend the Arbitration^Court. The . Court was a good piece - of machinery, ( but fonuired somo alteration, * which the Cabinet would-make, and tho Cabinet would do ' its, best to prcsorvo this portion of our i laws, as it had been of the groatest benefit ■ to the worker. Ho would bo frank enough to tell those concernod that tho. Government ! of Now t Zealand would never allow anything to be done, either by employer or employee, ■ that would //causo disrupt-ion of industrial peace. . (Applause.) He said pcoplo spoke of the Government as a divided concern, : because -of views adopted by this member i 'or,-that on land,or single-tax. The Govern- , meut was simply composed- of men v/ho abided by tho verdict of tho majority, (and once, a decision ,was arrived at it became tho ! expression of tho Cabinot as a whole. The Cabinet resolved that next session the minority elections should be done away with, and they',-would introduce a Bill for that ■ purpose. Whether it would provide ' for • voting by means of absolute majority ,or a , Bocond ballot ho could not say, but they ] wero determined that no member should got , into tho House by a minority vote, as had i happened in t!io -past. Tho Premier asked , them to judge tho actions of tho Govern- 1 inent, not by rumour, but on tho work done, i which last session had been very important. ] Hearty votes of thanks and confidence , wcro carried with tumultuous applause. j

ARRIVAL'AT WESTPORT. Wostport, May 10. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward arrived overlawJ from Uoofton by motor-car to-day. Thov Iftfl, tll.O Mir Oil tli« other sido of tho river at NiilO Mill.', tho Kccnc of *tho soiisatioual iiccidoril caused by the ferry punt brwilsillf/, away, and crossed by a nmail boat driving iiiU> We«tport. They wero jnot at tho punt by tho Mayor and other representatives of tlio towimhip.