A WORKING AGREEMENT WANTED.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 March 1923, Page 4

A WORKING AGREEMENT WANTED.

NOT A DISSOLU TION. MEETING AT TAURANQA. (Special to “Times.”) TAURANGA, Last Night. Long before the time appointed for the commencement of Sir Joseph Ward’s opening meeting at Tauranga to-night the Town Hall was tilled to to the doors. This reception was most enthusiastic, and he took the platform amidst cheers which lasted quite a while. He was accompanied by Lady Ward, and the chair was taken by the Mayor, Mr B. Live. In introducing Sir Joseph, Mr Hive said he had been the best Postmaster-Gen-eral, and the best Minister for Railways New Zealand had ever had. The absence of Sir Joseph from the political arena had been to the detriment of New Zealand as a whole, and there was a great demand for his re-entry into political life. All were aware that Tauranga had a reputation for having sent a great man to Parliament and it had an opportunity nowmf perpetuating that reputation by sending to Parliament another great man. By so doing Tauranga would be conferring an honour on itself, and doing New Zealand a great service. Here Mr Dive opened a parcel that had been left on the table and found that it was a horseshoe. Calls of good luck came from all quarters of the hall. There was prolonged cheering when Sir Joseph Ward rose to reply. He said he appreciated the welcome extended by Mr Dive, as they had not so long ago sat on opposite sides 'of the House of Representatives. He deeply deplored the death of Sir William Herries, who, he remarked, was the first prominent man in New Zea. land to telegraph an expression of regret on the occasion of Sir Joseph’s defeat for Awarua. “Now.” he asked, "Why am I in the field?”—“Because' you are wanted ! ” came the answer from the back cf the hall. (Applause.) —-“I could not have given a better answer if I had" tried,” said Sir Joseph. He said he had been earnestly requested to stand, and had decided tr do so. If he was wanted, all the better. ■ He was also told he could not be such a good farmer as his opponent, but the fact was that his whole living and business for fortji years had been in association with farmers. He was told it was a terrible 'thing to be a stranger in the district, Was he a stranger? A voice; No! Sir Joseph; Certainly not. As a matter of fact there were on all sides in the district monuments to the beneficial work he had been responsible for. Take, for Instance, the Rangitaiki swamp scheme, and the Hauraki Plains schemes. He went on to say that he started the TaurangaWaihi railway (cheers). His colleagues. by the way, had taken twelve years to push the line along twelve miles. (Laughter.) "This parochialism, this cry of “not living in the district,” he said, “brush it aside for all time. We don’t look at a person in the street and ask ‘Do you come from Tauranga?’ or ‘Do you come from Stewart Islam!?’ ” Referring to an editorial in the Auckland “Herald,” asking where he stood in the matter, and offering certain criticism, he said that he had received from Liberals in Christchurch a message to the effect that the members of the old Liberal Party desired to express a i wish that Sir Joseph would score a ( decisive victory in Tauranga. His disavowal of 11 desire for a dlssolu- { tion and some working agreement be- i tween the two major parties was both ( sane and right. That, said Sir Joseph, , was his view. There were most Important public affairs that required 1 Ihe gravest consideration by Parlia- • n d to have another appeal to the country if it could be prevented by the '.vmmousense of the members, v«..i; : d be next door to criminal. It was a bounden duty to try to prevent a , dissolution exercising common-; * u. e. ” I ‘ NEW ZEALAND’S FINANCE. Referring to the general position

after the war, Sir Joseph said that before he left the National Government the amount of money expended by the Government for the war was £29,000,000 That money was advaned by the British Government, and when he was in England he arranged that they would not bo able to call on us to pay it after the war, and he got it put into loans in England. At the end of the National Government, he, as Finance Minister, left 17J million of surpluses, and invested 15 millions of them in British Treasury Bills. He was the only Finance Minister who was able to say alter the war that his country did not owe lire British Go. vernment a penny piece, and at the same time had a surplus of 17J millions. He said that if lie were in office to-day he would put penny postage Into operation in (his country within 2‘4 hours, because lie considered it would be of general benefit and increase the postal revenue.

Speaking of Uv Tourist department, Sir Joseph saiO ll:o present mistaken policy should not he pursued. The resorts should he made cheap enough to get the people to use them. In his opinion, the great State Departments which helped everyone in the course of their business ought to he made attractive for the people to use. The great national sport of racing, which paid very heavily in taxation, should not be asked to pay more than its share. THE .MORATORIUM. "We are suffering from that wretched Moratorium being k'pt on the Statute Book. 1-1 ov, many of us understood the effect (i the moratorium? A voice: "A go •! / w.” Sir Joseph; In ..ip_ ny that is true. You have no mm lit on among the men who have m,.;. >y i.i lend. They cannot let the m me/ go under 8 per cent., and there a, ■ f. w on Oie land who can afford t ■ ,ay tii.it interest. Good men ami f tir wives on farms during the lu..t urn years have been almost strangled to death Kddiers are' on hind at nuue tiian twice its value in some case , and everybody knows it. THU RAILWAYS. Sir J. Ward said that he did not hold the opinion of many people in regard to the management of the railways. He had known the General Manager for many years, and regarded him as one of the most capable officers who hud ever tilled that position. "But,' 1 In' said, ‘T am going to make a suggestion in connection with providing monej for the farmers and carrying on the railway construction

.so that iv!.; shall have our railways finishing while- nc are alive, and 1 am going' to suggest how wo can carry our water power schemes lo a conclusion. 1 want to draw attention lo the general position ol' the railways in this part of the country, though it is not very dissimilar to that in other points. From Mercer to Paeroa there are 39

miles unmade, and from Taneatua to

Upotiki, 25 miles unmade. J have also in my possession a list of railways in this country that are being carried l on like snails. One railwav in

the North Island has cost £216,000, and the whole-revenue has been £lßl. A voice: What-about Waiuku? Sir Joseph: That is the one to which

I refer. There arc six railways on which £593,000 has been spent and hardly one of them earning enough to pay for the grease, because they are not completed. It is mighty hard for anyone to suggest carrying on

these undertakings, but they must be carried on unless we are going to dry up .the country. They can only be carried out if you have a broad policy, I am going to indicate that broad policy, and if the House of Representatives have the. courage of mice they will put something of the kind into operation wtihout delay.” .Sir Joseph Ward’s speech lasted less than two hours, and at the conclusion there was a unanimous vote of confidence and a demonstration of great enthusiasm. When the cheering had subsided, “For He’s a Jolly GOod Fellow” broke out, and the National Anthem was sung. It. was a wonderful meeting.