TELEGRAMS.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 1403, 30 January 1911, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

(pee press association.)

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER

Auckland, January 29. The Prime Minister, who arrived in Auckland from New Plymouth yesterday, addressed a largely-attended meeting at Devonport. last evening. He said that the suggestion had come from New South Wales concerning the possible removal of the High Commissionership of the Western Pacific to Australia. He had put the protest of this country on record, and if anything of the kind was contemplated we had the right to ask that no action be taken until he had conferred with British authorities. Under the Land Settlement Finance Act, nine associations had purchased land to the value of over £1,000,000, and a number of ther transactions were in course of completion. He referred to increase of population, which was larger on the percentage basis than in the Australian States, and the increase in value of land and improvements were evidence of prosperityEeferring to Mr Massey's criticisms regarding the five million loan, the Premier said the loan had been raised on more advantageous terms than those of other British countries recently placed on the market, and that no suggestion had been made by any British paper or financiers that the credit of New Zealand was . weak. Borrowing, he said, must go on, espe- ! cially as our railways were not yet i completed by thousands of miles.

Sir Joseph Ward, who was accorded i a vote, of thanks and canfidence, will j spend the week in a motor-car tour 'of various country districts extending ' as far as Rotorua: