PREMIER'S SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 460, 19 March 1909, Page 5

PREMIER'S SPEECH.

AT CHRISTCHURCH. A REPLY TO MR. MASSEY. ALL ALLEGATIONS DENIED. (BI TBMKIttAI'H—IMIESS ASSOCIATION.) f Chrlstohuroh, March 18. ; > At the complimentary banquet tendered to- " night at Lyttclton to Mr. G. Laurcnson, "• M.P., an interesting speech on subjects of v public interest was delivered by the Prime s Minister. Sir Joseph Ward, who was ror ceived with continued applause, said that ho V was not going to deliver a policy speech, but * ho desired to reply to sorno allegations made 5' by tho Leader of tho Opposition as to what 0 tho Government had done. 0 The Allegations Summarised. , These- allegations wore that tho Govorni, ment, during tho last general election, prof mised positions to men in tho Legislative _ Council, and promised billets to pcoplo 1 throughout tho country, and that tho Gov--3 eminent bad bridged tho constituencies. Ho . had challenged tho Leader of tho Opposi- . tion to name one instanco where anything of , the kind had been done. Ho had also been i accused of sending private telegrams at tho 1 'public's expense dealing with election mat- , ters, but nothing of tho kind had been done. , It had also been alleged that differences of , opinion, between himself and the Hon. Jas. 5 M'Gowan, had led to that gentleman's re--3 tircment from the Ministry. There was not ; a scintilla of truth in any of those nllogal tious, and the Leader of tho Opposition had t boon unable to indicate ono instance, in . which tho things alleged to have been done. . wore done. . Mr. M'Gowan and himself had i discussed certain circumstances that had . arison with tho greatest cordiality. ; A Cable to Sir Robert Stout. In tho latest allegations made by tho ■ Leader of the Opposition, ho had quoted 1 some remark's made by Sir Robert Stout, ' the Chief Justice and Chancellor of the ! Exchequer. Ho (Sir Joseph) had cabled Sir ! Robert Stout to the effect that, in the course of an interview containing a political attack, ' Mr. Massey had said: "With regard to Government billets, allow mo to call tho Primo Minjster's attention to a statement mado by Sir Robert Stout only a few weeks ago, to tho effect • that, in connection with tho Civil Service, he ventured to say that there were many appointments made of persons who had never passed the examination, stipulated. Sir Robert also' said that positions in tho public service of tho Dominion had been alloted to certain persons when they should have been given to others whom they wero below. Sir Robert sjwko in his capacity as Chancellor of tho New Zealand University, and his statement, which has never been challenged, is much stronger than anything I have ever said <iu tho subject." Sir Robort Stout's Reply. Sir Joseph's cablo concluded as follows:— "I am sure that whatever you did say, this must be a distortion of its effect. As it is clear that your remark's in tho Senate aro to bo used in your absence for purposes of political attack, I should bo glad to know, before you leave Australia, whether tho, oxtracts given from Mr. Massey's interview express what you said or meant to say. I think that you will agreo that, in the circumstances, I am entitled to ask you for this." Sir Robert Stout replied from Melbourne by cable on March 15 a-s follows: — "I am amazed that remarks I mado have boon construed into an attack on. tho Ministry. I mado it clear thnt i I ■was not referring to the recent administration of tho Act. The incident I cited happened fourteen years ago." Continuing, Sir Joseph said that he had boon informed by members of the University Senate, who wero present when Sir Robert Stout madptho speech, that lib" such construction as''has been placed on it could have been made from the speech. Alleged Stuffing of Civil Service. As a matter of justification of the Administration, ho (Sir Joseph) considered that ho was entitled to say tlwt this misrepresentation of tho Leader of tho Opposition was not fair. In a memorandum to tho officer who administers the Civil Service Act (Mr. Hugh Pollen) he (Sir Joseph) had asked if, and to what extent, the following allegations wero true:—(l) That in violation of the Act positions in the Civil Sorvico had been allotted to persons when they ought to have been allotted to persons holding a higher position on tho pass-list; (2) that positions in tho Service had been given to persons who never passed tho examinations required and stipulated by tho Act. Mr. Pollen's reply was to tho effect that both tho allegations mentioned were false. Vacancies' in tho Service had been filled in accordance with the Service Reform Act, 1880, and th-3 regulations thereunder. Ho had never been asked to depart from his statutory duties in the matter of these appointments. It had heel staled more than once in'a general way in Tub Dominion that the Government was stuffing the Public Service with numerous employees, but, despite tho fact that thousands of applications v/ere received, tho Government had never made an appointment for which there was no vacancy. The assumption that the Government appointed' pooiilo to the Civil Service because they wanted*to appoint them was contrary to fact. The Government lied not gone on tho principle of ovcr-majining any of the Departments merely for tlie'sake'of giving employment to anyono in New Zealand. (Applause.) Post Oiiico Banli Returns. Regarding the financial position of tho Dominion, Sir Jooeph reminded bin hearers that many montlis ago ho had said (hat tho position wa-s strong—a statement that ho now repeated. All the Government's financial arrangements had been fixed up to October next." This was a.u important thing lor the people to know. Referring to a statement, that he Enid emanated from a journal issued by one of the chambers of commerce in the north, to tho oll'eet that there was a serious portion in 'connection with the loss of deposits in the Post Office Savings Rank, he- pointed out that an important linajictal institution in the Dominion "had hold out strong inducements to people who had loose money to take, it out of other institutions, and obtain a higher rate of/ interosit, which the liibtnamed institutions had been forcing up.

Ho had the results of tho Post Office Savings Bank for the months of January and February, and it would bo gratifying for his hearers and others to know that, in. the matter of withdrawals being in excess of deposits, the tide had distinctly tinned. (Applause.) The figuies were:—January 1 to 31: Deposits, £748,572; withdrawals, £723,020; excess of deposits, £24,051. February 1 to 28: Deposits, £803,119; withdrawals, £790,453; excers of deposits, £12,666. Totals: Deposits, £1,551,091; withdrawals, £1,514,073; excers of deposits, £37,017. Lands. In the course of a reference to land settlement, Sir Joseph indicated that Parliament would bo asked to rednoo tho individual areas of sections offered under tho Lands for Settlement Act. Tho tweirty-sovon settlers placed on Ctilverden had each cost about £5000, which was altogether too largo a sum. Matters to bo Disclosoci Soon. Continuing, ho said that somo people in New Zealand were always apparently looking for trouble, and asserting that the bottom was out of tho country. They would havo fluctuations in tho prico of their products until tho Day of Judgment, but if, on every occasion that such fluctuations took pbico, the country was to bo decried as was on record in somo financial journals, it was not tho way to help tho people of the country. In tho courso of his concluding remarks, Sir Joseph said that in a few weeks it would bo his duty on behalf of (ho Government to deal with matters of considerable importance ti tho country. Deforo ho could do so ho wanted to soo tho end of tho financial year and to know the exact position of 'tho finances on March 31. Ho ,was very glad to

be able to tell them that at present the indications were that the results for the financial year were going to bear ont.the estimate he put before Parliament last' session. (Applause.) Important changes wore to bo made in connection with carrying out the pnblio services of the country...' Some strong oomments had been made • in connection with the expansion of some of the public Departments, and somo of the Government's opponents contended that they ought to make what they tormed tho publio expenditure and the public revenue meet. Ever since he had been a member of the previous and tho present administration, the public expenditure and revenue had more than met. Now thoy found people who desired matters adjusted in a manner that they regarded as . important. Ho said that they could do so, but thoy wore not going to do so at the expense of the great mass of tho Public Servants of tho country. They were going to make some important. changes, that would ensure effective administration, but.would do.so with as little hardship as possible. In tho next few weeks he would place beforo tho people an outline of the Government's policies, and of tho measures to be placed before Parliament next session. These would clearly indicate what the Government contemplated, and he believed that they would bo to - the benefit of tho people of the Dominion, and assist them on the road to prosperity.