SOLID PROGRESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 147, 18 December 1907, Page 2

SOLID PROGRESS.

THE PREMIER AT TAIHAPE. , (By Tulegiufh.i (From Our Special Reporter.) TAIHAPE, 17t!) December Tho Premier was banquetted ;it Taihape this evening by the residents of the town iincl district. There was a largo assemblage prcseut, and tho proceedings were of a moist enthusiastic description. Replying to the, tonat of his health, which had been drunk witli much he.iitiness, Sir Joseph Waid made some reference to the district, incidentally complimenting the member, Mr. A. E. Remington on the manner in which ho car-, ried out his duties in that capacity. He had, he said, been very much impressed with the growth of the district in recent years, and realised that it must be of a very productive character. He gave statistic^ in proof of his statement, and said that figures showed that in every part ] of the Dominion there- was eolid progress, i There had ' been nothing in i\i's time equal to the present position of the Dominion. The country was stronger financially than it had ever been before. At piesent thore were about thirty-one mjl- j lions of our oyvn people's money in our banks and Savings Banks, including eleven millions in tho Savings Banks of tho Dominion, and instead of depending J on the investments of the Old Country | lor currying on out industries, we were to a great extent sending money Home for investment. We had confidence in our own institutions, and not even a ripple ' from the financial cyclone in America could be felt in these waters. (Applause.) No one was justified in do- j ing anything which ehould weakfln our j financial position. Rather, all classes should assist in building it up for the good of the whole, and. that had and would be the aim of the Government. As to tho Civil Service superannuation scheme, he said they wanted to see- tho public service free and independent, and he urged that it was a. good thing for the community that after a_ certain age i public servants could retire "on an allowance which would render them independent of everybody. 1 (Applause.) Sir Joseph referred to the necessity of New Zealand producers keeping up the value and quality of our products so as to keep New Zealand in. the front of the race for commercial supremacy.