OPPOSITION LEADER

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1914, Page 10

OPPOSITION LEADER

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT NAPIER WHAT THE LIBERALS HAVE ' DONE. ,<BT TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) NAPIER, 18th May. Sir Joseph Wa.rW ■a-r'-drcose-u j. packed audience in the Municipal Theatre tonight. The Mayor (Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P.) presided. The Liberal Leader received an, ovation on rising. He said that last time he was in Napier he turned the first sod of the East Coast Tailway. At that time it was his intention to continue the work, ac votes allowed, but the present Government had delayed the work for three years, and their excuses were of a most paltry nature. In three or four other places, railway construction works had been delayed. One of the Government's excuses for discontinuance of the East Coast railway was its inability to get an engine across to the West Shore before the embankment was constructed. This Sir Joseph Ward characterised as absurd. Dealing with sources of electrical energy, he said his party recognised the great utility of electric power, and the importance of the Lake Waikaremoana scheme, which would bo easier than carrying a, twopenny-halfpenny engine across to the West Shore. The Prime Minister had stated in Napier that, during their first year in office, the Government had purchased 52,000 acreo of land for closer settlement for £428,000. The Liberal Party had been negotiating for the purchase of this land ' before Mr Massey came into power, but the Prime Minister took all the credit for it. The Liberal Party had spent six i millions in purchasing land, and had placed 130,000 souls on it. He thought Mr. Massey's statement that the Liberals would sell their immortal souls to get on the Treasury benches was beyond fair political criticism. "We don't want office, ' he said, "'unless we can get it in a, proper way." (Applause.) "We don t want office unless the people are behind na." (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward went on to deal with the Dreadnought question. He said the leading Government newspapers had refused to publish his reply to criticisms of Ministers on this question. Provision was made to pay for the Dreadnought in seventeen years by an increase in the tax on banknotes, an increase in the totahsator tax, and an increase in death duties on large estates. There was, therefore, no imposition of taxation on the people. With regard to the Navy, Sir Joseph Ward said the Reform Party had no authority from the people to repeal the system of contributions to the British Navy and contribute a local Navy, which was no good unless it was an efficient one, and this would cost an enormous amount. The Reform Party alleged that the Treasury chests were depleted when they assumed office; yet Mr. Allen was able to show a surplus of £807,286. It was not the Reform Party's surplus, but what had been left them by the previous Government. During the past two years there had been a great shortage of money throughout the Dominion. The present Government had lent £1,600,000 less than the Liberal Party during a similar period. When they were in power the Liberals had always done their utmost to help the workers, - backblocks settlers, and local, bodies, by way of loans. Mr. Massey's party had criticised the Liberals' extensive borrowing, but since the Government had been in office they had borrowed even more. Ministers were going round the country full of promises which they would never be given an opportunity to keep (Applause.) They were so full of promises that in a short time there would be more breach of promise cases than they would care for. (Laughter.) The Reform Party were going to decrease the cost of living, but instead it had been increased by 3.93 per cent. The late hours in Parliament were going to be stopped, and provision was to be made for industrial peace, but neither had been accomplished. _ If the Government carried out 1 all their promises next 'session, the session would last fifteen months. Sir Joseph Ward spoke at length in reference to the strike, which, he said, could have been prevented from spreading at all. With reference to the stonewall, Sir Joseph Ward stated that the Liberals opposed the repeal of the Second BalloV Act because no provision was made for a' substitute. He criticised the Press Association reports of his party's meetings, and said that 80 per cent, of the papers were on the side of the Government. In conclusion, he said he trusted that at 'the general election the electors would realise what the Liberals had- done for the people, and return them at the head of the poll. A motion of thanks and confidence was carried, amidst loud applause and cheers.