SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 22, 27 January 1915, Page 8

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S VIEWS

URGES PREFERENCE TO BRITAIN. REPLY TO THE MINISTER'S STATEMENT i Commenting on the statement by the Minister of Railways published in yesterday's Post, Sir Joseph Ward said: "Tlie Minister in his attempt at justifying the procedure his Government is now adopting, has entirely overreached himself, and he makes a palpable misstatement. He says: 'In 1899, Sir Joseph Ward also imported from the United States sixteen engines.' As a matter of fact, I was not Minister of Railways. in 1899, as can be seen from the records. I did not take office as head of the railways • until 1900. So that is misstatement number one disposed of. » "The Minister," continued Sir Joseph, "goes on to say that in accepting a contract from the Baldwin Company, the Government is following the procedure adopted by me in a similar situation in 1902. I thought it was generally known that, prior to 1900, nearly the whole of the engines required for the railways in this country were imported from England and America, Soon after 1 took office I brought the matter before Cabinet with a view to having the whole of the railway stock made in New Zealand. Acting on my suggestion, Cabinet arrived at a decision to make piovision at the railway workshops for the construction of locomotives, and, in addition, to have a number made by private enterprise in the country, and not to import further engines or rolling stock as soon as the provision to make them locally could be provided. This policy was carried out strictly .after 1902, and neither engines nor rolling-stock were thereafter imported. In , addition to the locomotives made in the railway workshops, Messrs. Price Brothers have since regularly received orders for locomotives. "I have no hesitation in saying, 5 ' concluded Sir Joseph, "that the country ought to make the whole of its own locomotives and rolling-stock. In any case, at this juncture, if the Government found itself compelled lo get engines from abroad, the importation, in my opinion, should have been given to Great Britain, even if the ,price was higher. England is the heart of the Empire, and is' vitally affected in this world-war. Up to now— it is unfortunate, but it is a fact— the policy of America has been of might/ littlo assistance to the British Empire. Moreover, the British Govern* ment has, since the war started, found five and a-half millions of money for New Zealand, at 3i per cent, interest. Surely, then, our recognition of such services during the extraordinary conditions through which the Empire is passing warrants our giving a preference to the Motherland, even though it costs us more to do so."