THE PRIME MINISTER

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 249, 20 October 1908, Page 5

THE PRIME MINISTER

SPEECH AT PALMERSTON

NORTH

REPLY TO OPPOSITION STATE-

MENTS,

[press association.]

P ALMERSTON N, Oct. 20

The Prime Minister delivered a long address last night to a crowded audience. The first part was devoted to replying to Mr Massey's and Mr" Allen's recent speeches. Referring to t*rie latter's statement that therei was a discrepancy on the wrong side of £3143 in the public works account, he said that Mr Allen had entirely overlooked the sum of £65,000 under the Manawatu Railway Purchase Act, which converted the alleged deficiency into a surplus of over £61,000. The six months' returns showed that the revenue was coming -in satisfactorily. Sir Joseph Ward went exhaustively throughall the public departments to show that they were doing good and profitable work. He twitted the Opposition with continually contradicting themselres. They cried out "too much borrowing," and clamoured tor all sbrts of works in their own districts. They cried out that the Government wanted to spend half a million on the building programme in Wellington, though this was contrary to fact, and they knew it. The amount was not half that. They cried out for roads in the back-blocks, and ■When the Government prepared a great programme Mr Allen condemned the expenditure. They cried out that the Government was opposed to the farmers, but the Opposition did their best to kill the cheap money scheme which had been invaluable to J£he farmers. He gave a long list of concessions to farmers, and concluded by saying that they should now devote more time to administration and less to legislation. Parliament would do better ,to devote itself to the v set r . tlement of the land and the develop-' ment of the Dominion's resources. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried by acclamation.