THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH.

' IST TBiiaEiPir.r-BPEcniL coa&KSFOHDitrr.i

» FINANCE IN THE PAST YEAR. , SURPLUS«£IB4,32I. REMARKABLE DECREASE IN REVENUE. , ENORMOUS RISE IN EXPENDITURE. FUTURE LEGISLATION FORESHADOWED.

Inveroarglll, May 1. In tho Municipal Theatre' to-night, the ' Eight Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, Primo Minister, ■r>-v-. addressed a public.' mating ..that quite . filled ; the spacious . budding, tho audience. mclud- .'•! . ing numerous visitors from outlying districts. A fow minutes after eight ';;-i o'clock;; many, peoplo were unablo to obtain -; - admission.. The Mayor of Invorcargill (Mr. ; ! ■ .W. Scandrett). presided. The Pnmo Mm....;v.- ister, on : appearing on • tho stage, was , re- . -ceived'with warm plaudits. ' 1 The . Pnmo -Ministerj von. rising, received f;; 5.. .. a;cordial .welcome. ( Ho 1 said: I acknowledge with much "appreciation the. kindly mtro- . •. . duction of the ; Mayor and the cordiality of • tho recoption -of the < large assemblage before mo. It will be my duty this evening - to speak upon, somo matters of considerable . ■ importance ..to tho country, and, as /we have recently .olosed our-year!s work on tho Dominion finances, .necessanly I must say ; ■ something, concerning v these. -. Before . con- . .. eluding I will also give an outhno of - the -v^Ba-'polioy'-:of the' Government, and I -.will-: in- - ,i\icato/somo '.particulars concerning the .ad/some;important branches of tho publio service. '