SIR J. WARD’S VIEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1925, Page 5

SIR J. WARD’S VIEWS

ON POLITICS AND FINANCE.

DEARER MONEY PREDICTED. (Special to “Star.”) WELLINGTON, December 2. Sir Joseph Ward has just arrived bapk from the South., During ihe course of an interview, he stated that in the New House there would be but little room for fusion. It would be ridiculous to expect the Prime Minister, with a majority such as Mr. Coates had, to give the matter serious thought. The Liberals had played their part during the negotiations with dignity and ptriect good faith, but in tho new House, with at least half his colleagues thinking themselves entitled to Cabinet rank, Mr. Coates could not afford to cast favours across the floor ol the House. There was no need for the Liberals to be down-heart-ed about the position. They only had to remember the uphill fight put up by the late Mr. Massey, who was in Opposition for eighteen years, .and who then mounted the Treasury Benches to administer much to his credit, the Liberal policySo far as he personally was concerned, Sir J. Ward said he hoped to have many opportunities to help along the cause of Liberalism under whatever name it might appear. He would remain a Liberal, preferring the old title to the new, but he would sit with the Nationalists and co-operate with them in every effort they might make for the well being and advancement of the country. ' Sir Joseph stated,, that lie saw in the financial position reason for the utmost forbearance and co-operation between the parties. He was not a pessimist, but one of the most cheery optimists, but saw trouble before all large borarowing countries in the early future. Money was not only going to be dear, but will not be obtainable. New Zealand has built her plans for the future on the assumption that money is going .to be. available and cheap. With this serious crisis looming ahead, the Dominion, is committing itself to a development policy of enormous dimensions,' counting upon its products remaining at the present high’rate. “Nothing,” says Sir Joseph, ‘is more certain, than an all-round drop in prices before long, and this will place the Dominion’s balance of trade on the wrong side. The country has been living <-n high prices ever since the period cf inflation caused by die war, and has made no. adequate provision against the rainy day in the shape of increased production. This is no time,” concluded Sir'Joseph, “for idle party squabbling.”