SIR JOSEPH WARD AND THE COMING CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 4

SIR JOSEPH WARD AND THE COMING CONFERENCE.

• Sir,—Parliament. m its wisdom has decided to send Sir Joseph Ward as our representative to-tho conforonco on military iniid. naval defence- matters to be held shortly in London. As a native of this city, and haying spoilt four-scoro years in tho principal, polonies of Australia, . and closely watched'and. studied the development and working of responsible and democratic Government in this quarter of tho world from the beginning, about 60 years ago, will you, sir, kindly allow ! mo space in your widelycirculated paper to press on our representative, tho Prime Minister, the urgent necessity of warning our kinsmen at, Homo and abroad against the oncroachment of State Socialism that has'proved so disastrous by retarding tho advancement of these State's in imputation, progress, and development. Also, the utter impossibility of a State Socialist Government being able to devote the Undivided time and attention required to provide for tho adequato and efficient naval and military dofoiieo of a country and its people.:. In tho first place, this is duo to the fact/that it has far too many irons in- Iho •fire; and,', in consequence, there is ft great deal too much clamour and importunity from the constituencies to admit of money, time, and proper nttcntion being given to of defend) that is absolutely necessary in

those strenuous times to provide effectively for tho security and defonco of the country in times of ■ peaco, against aggression, and final subjection by a first-class military and naval power such as Germany is to-day. In tho noxt place tho enormous cost of running a country on even moderate Socialist lines is clearly shown by tho prodigious national debt contracted by the Australian States during their brief existence of 60 years, amounting to three hundred and fifty millions, or equal to half tho national debt of Groat Britain, whigk has taken a thousand years to accumulate.- Yet Australia has no army or navy to speak of, and with, her stationary population and stagnant development sho could not man an effective army and navy, even if blkj turned all hor mon into sailors for tho fleet aud all the women into' soldiers for tho army. Yet Australia has always had a magnificent public revenue from the sales of Crown lands alono, handed over to them by the British Government when she gave them representative institutions. These lands have been sold mostly at tho rato of £1 per acre, having cost those States- very, little or nothing for improvements or. for purchase from tho aborigines. Trusting that these undisputed and all important facts will be laid before our pcoplo at Homo and abroad by our honoured representative, —I am, etc., WELLINGTON. June 14, 1909.