WARDISM'S CASTLES IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 70, 16 December 1919, Page 10

WARDISM'S CASTLES IN THE AIR

CHEAP FOOD, 1914; CHEAP BOUSES, 1819 ■ LOOKING AFTER THE PEOPLE'S INTERESTS-OM PAPER Sir Joseph Ward is .rendy to promise you almost anything- and everything— if you will only kick.Mr. Massey out ard make Sir Joseph Ward Prime Minister againAt least, he doesn't quite promise il. He is too a-tulo a politic-inn for that. What he says sounds very like a pron.ise now, but there are usually littlo "ifs' J and "ands" and "wotilds" and "tlioulds," if you look very carefully for ilitm. Last election ho wanted votes veiy badly indeed. So ho went much further than usual. Mo got very emphatic, and left out those "i'fs"—all except one. The "if"'ho left in was, "If you put me in. .. ■" "Put me in, and I will do it." Those were his very words at Dunedin. You can't have, any'tihing more positive and downright thaii that, can you? . What was this that Sir Joseph Ward would do if you put him in? It was to reduce the cost of living'. If we wanted tin- cost of living reduced in 1914, wo want it ten times it.ore now. This was what he promised you at'Dunedin on November 19, 1911:— Speaking on the cosii of livii g, he asked if the present Government niuL doiio anything to reduce it?—(".No!") Had there been effort to do it? ("No!") 'Ihcn, .-aid Sir Josepit Ward, yuii put me in and I will do it. (loud applause.) lie had been for the best part of twelve months examining a scheme by which the main articles of food could be cheapened, and the same systcin could be extended to meat, bread, and coal. It could be done with' the assistance of the State. The great bulk of our products had a fine market abroad, and the State, without interfering with the man upon ti p land, could piovide a system whereby the whole uf lihe prodi cts going abroad, and the portion remaining here for consumption, could be cheapened. This was not just a sudden brain-wave that in Joseph Ward mentioned in a speech after dinner, and then thought better of next morning. • Oh, dear, not He referred to it almost every lime lie spoke, and he spoke a great deal iu that election campaign. In opening his electioneering at the end of the session Sir Joseph Ward referred to it in Wellington, on November 2, 1911. He put it ;i litilo inoro guardedly for a start, thus:— In connection with tho cost rf living, I am prepared to submit a scheme of a practical nature for a cheap and more ellicie.it pure supply of milk in the civ.cs and towns of tho Dominion without adversely interfering with those engaged in the business. .• . A similar schenio could bo applied to both bread -and meat. ... • l People evidently seemed to like the idea, so by tho time Sir Joseph Ward made his great policy speech at Vviivtoii on 'November 17, 1311, ho opened out fully on it. This is whst he said:—' . Tho most .urgent need of our people is to reduce—or if that is not possible, to stay—tho rapid increase in the cost of-the necessities of li.V. ... If. is not necessarv under a proper economic system that the increased foreign demand for our foodstuffs should, raise the price to (lie consumer iu New Zealand, and it is essential for the welfare of our people that steps should be taken to prevent this.' It is purely a question of and can_ be done without injury to any class and without depriving our' farmers of the legitimate profit arising from an increased foreign demand. This sounds very attractive, doesn't it? Something like the 10s. Cd. houses. Now lot us look at. what happened. In August, 1015; nine months afterwards, Sir Joseph Ward joined Mr. Massey in forming a National Cabinet. " Did he bring forward his scheme for cheapening the people's food? Food soared up in price all tlmngh .tho war. Not a reference by Sir Joseph Ward to his great schenio can you find through all that time.Food is about as dear as it can bo this year. Dons Sir Joseph Ward promise to trv his scheme for cheap food if returned to office this year? Not a tit of it! Sir Joseph Ward is much ton busy blowing.bubbles about Cheap Houses to worry -himself about Cheap Food this year. You didn't get the Che-ip Fcod by a wave of Sir Joseph Ward's magic wand. Perhaps he ninv have -had a private rehearsal before the looking-glass iftt home and waved the wand and found that food didn't get any cheaper. Then 119 took the Cheap Food Scheme and put it away on a shelf with a cloth over it and honed that evervliodv would forget it. That is the trouble with Sir Joseph Ward's politics. He wants you to relrember all Die things Mr. Balance and Mr. S»ddnn did, and forg-t all tno things that Sir .loseph Ward didn't, do—and a good part of what, he (Ink Tf is ve-rv complicated. But thru you have lo acciuire a. vctj- complicated habit of mind io see Sir Joseph Ward as Sir 'Joseph Ward would like you to sco him. / .ill If you look at Mr. Massey, you see first of all promise and then a. little later performance. ' [f you look at Sir Joscuh Ward you can hardly see him nt all for tho promises in every direction, but if you want to sre any performance you had better take a vary powerful magnifying glass with you. Ward'sm Talks. Reform Does the Job.